So, what to tell people..

[Guest guest]

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