Re: So, what to tell people..

[Guest guest]

Kara,

I too had surgery on the 20th of December (upper & lower). I had to

go back to college on the 3rd of January (only 2 weeks after). I

also was really concerned about going back. At that point I was

still really drooling, extremely tired, swollen, and couldn't close

my lips to properly swollow (still can't but I don't make " slurping "

noises as much as I used to). Most people understood and were

sympathetic to my situation. I had told some people before hand and

those that didn't know I told them about it. I've found that most

people were really curious about what I had done and usually told me

about some sort of jaw experience they had (like getting out wisdom

teeth). ALthough I still felt bad sitting next to people and having

to slurp through class in order not to liquidate all over myself. I

thought it would be really annoying but most people were not phased.

I could talk when I went back to school but I still wasn't extremely

clear so I told my professors and most of them were understanding in

that I probably wouldn't participate in class for a week or too.

Just know that most people will understand that this needed to be

done. My upper jaw was too high and tipped up in the front because

my front two teeth are ankelos (fused) with my upper jaw so braces

could not bring them down. They did a 3 peice segmental and rotated

my upper jaw so it is now more down in the front and then they

rotated my lower jaw to match, and now I actually have tooth show

(previously almost all pictures of me looked like I had brown front

teeth because they were so short that my lip cast a shadow on them

in pictures).

Just remember that it is not so bad, only people who know you can

tell that something is different and those are the people who will

understand. Even if you think others are looking, they are probably

just looking at how wonderful your new smile is My upper lip is

still pretty much not functioning so I still look a little silly

(and get some funny looks) but it is getting better every day (I can

feel that I am touching it now - just feels weird and not all the

way there).

I get to get my splint out 1 week from this coming Friday (the

28th). You are lucky that you will have yours off before you go

back, that is one less thing to deal with/explain. I can't wait to

eat something aside from mashed potatoes and ice cream.

Good luck at school!!

>

> Hi, everyone. I'm another lurker and this site has been so

> comforting to me post-op. I have never known anyone else who has

had

> to have this type of surgery so reading about other people's

> experiences has been such a relief (yay for the internet!).

>

> I had my lower jaw moved back 5mm and my upper moved forward 5mm

and

> up some on December 20th, right after school got out for winter

> break. I really wanted to have it done last summer so that I could

> have lots of time to recover, but it just didn't happen

> unfortunately. So I ended up staying home from college this past

> week (first week of classes) because I still have a splint on my

> upper teeth and talk funny and I didn't want to go back for a week

> like that just to come back a week later to have it off (I have to

> fly to appointments b/c my college is in California and home is in

> Arizona). Everything is healing fairly smoothly - the tingling and

> throbbing and itching where it's numb are my major complaints. And

> of course the liquid diet which I have to be on for another 2

weeks.

> Then 2 weeks of soft foods and finally anything I want. I've liked

> the weight loss though.

>

> Anyway, what I'm worried about the most going back to school on

> Monday after the splint gets taken off and I visit the ortho is

what

> to say to my friends and people I know there. I was really self-

> conscious about my underbite which looked especially bad from the

> sides so I didn't tell anyone that I was having surgery and the

only

> reason I gave for not being there last week was the vague 'medical

> reasons.' I definitely look different - the long face is gone and

I

> look younger (I don't really want to at this point, but oh well)

and

> my eyes are bigger (not in actuality, but they seem bigger

> somehow...maybe some of you have experienced this). So, what I am

> wondering is how have friends reacted to all of your differences

who

> didn't know beforehand and did anyone say you looked better before

> and how did you deal with that? I'm still not even used to how I

> look and am not entirely comfortable in public because the

numbness

> makes me feel like my face is huge but others can't tell.

>

> Thanks for any input. I guess it's good that this is all I have to

> worry about, but I'm afraid someone will say something

> unintentionally and damage my self-esteem before it's even had a

> chance to start growing after all the changes are over now.

>

> Kara