Re: Surgery Second time Round?

[Guest guest]

Welcome ,

I just wanted to say that you are brave and courageous too! You have

already been through this surgery and are facing the idea of having

it again... Wow! From your story, I can imagine this is a very

daunting prospect for you, and wish you the best in considering such

a big decision. At least medicine has changed in the last 25 years!

Take care, Katja

> Hi guys,

> I was looking for alternatives to surgery when I stumbled onto this

> site. My story goes like this....

> I am 40 years old and 25 years ago (when I was 15) I had extensive

> orthognathic surgery. It took ten hours and I lost a lot of blood

> and had to have a transfusion. The anaesthesic really knocked me

bad

> and made me very sick, but I don't remember much pain, except on my

> hip where they took the bone to graft into my jaw. Surgery was a

> few days before Christmas and I was allowed to go home. My parents

> were horrified when they saw me because they didn't expect such a

> frightening sight. I recovered and didn't have any problems, but

> within a few years, my jaw reverted back to its original state.

Even

> though I had braces, my teeth today are very crooked and I can't

> close my mouth. I have never been able to breathe through my nose.

> eating is very difficult for me and my children often tell me that

I

> have food all over my mouth. I hate eating in public. My clothes

are

> often stained because I drop food down my front.

> I just finished paying for my children's braces and one day I

> imagined how nice it might be to have straight teeth myself. I

> recently made an appointment to see an orthodontist and then a

> surgeon who explained to me that I would need to have the full

> surgery again (top and bottom). He gave me some pamphlets with

> pictures of what they would need to do. I must say that it is

> terrifying. I don't know if I could go through it again.

> As a child I was relentlessly teased because of the way I looked (I

> still cry about it today.) The thought of being able to fix the

> problem is very tempting, but it is major surgery! I'm just going

to

> think about it over the next few months.

> I think it's wonderful that you have this support group. I will be

> reading your emails as I make my decision.

>

> All the best to you all...you are very brave and courageous,

>

[Guest guest]

,

Briefly: when I was about 10 my Orthodontist (not the same one I'm

seeing now at 32) told my Mother I had two options - surgery or a non-

invasive braces/pallate expander. We opted for choice #2. Thank

goodness we did because my teeth/jaw went back to their original

place, too. Now here I am going through my second and final surgery -

and frightened (I know that feeling well). Kids can be cruel. I

had my fair share of name calling, etc. But, as a maturing adult - I

decided that time will move forward regardless of whether or not I

have these procedures. The question was: did I want to be 40 and

still feel self conscious and not be able to eat/chew properly OR did

I want to be 40 and have 3 years of surgery and orthodontics a fading

memory. I'm going with #2, again.

It's a very individual decision. My only advise would be to ask a

gazillion questions and keep moving forward - to whatever choice you

make.

All the best,

Carol

> Hi guys,

> I was looking for alternatives to surgery when I stumbled onto this

> site. My story goes like this....

> I am 40 years old and 25 years ago (when I was 15) I had extensive

> orthognathic surgery. It took ten hours and I lost a lot of blood

> and had to have a transfusion. The anaesthesic really knocked me

bad

> and made me very sick, but I don't remember much pain, except on my

> hip where they took the bone to graft into my jaw. Surgery was a

> few days before Christmas and I was allowed to go home. My parents

> were horrified when they saw me because they didn't expect such a

> frightening sight. I recovered and didn't have any problems, but

> within a few years, my jaw reverted back to its original state.

Even

> though I had braces, my teeth today are very crooked and I can't

> close my mouth. I have never been able to breathe through my nose.

> eating is very difficult for me and my children often tell me that

I

> have food all over my mouth. I hate eating in public. My clothes

are

> often stained because I drop food down my front.

> I just finished paying for my children's braces and one day I

> imagined how nice it might be to have straight teeth myself. I

> recently made an appointment to see an orthodontist and then a

> surgeon who explained to me that I would need to have the full

> surgery again (top and bottom). He gave me some pamphlets with

> pictures of what they would need to do. I must say that it is

> terrifying. I don't know if I could go through it again.

> As a child I was relentlessly teased because of the way I looked (I

> still cry about it today.) The thought of being able to fix the

> problem is very tempting, but it is major surgery! I'm just going

to

> think about it over the next few months.

> I think it's wonderful that you have this support group. I will be

> reading your emails as I make my decision.

>

> All the best to you all...you are very brave and courageous,

>

[Guest guest]

Yes. It is major surgery. And no, you will not die if you do not do

it.

I so wish you could have my surgeon. He is in the most southern part

of Alabama, so if that is possible, e-mail me and we'll talk.

The techniques of rigid fixation have worked wonders, I believe. And

the chances that you can have a procedure that serves you better,

wherever you are, have increased.

The repairs are major surgery. No denying that. You will need

general anesthesia, which always carries its own risks.

But hey -- if you're in a car crash tomorrow, I would hope that you

would hope that nobody would hesitate to use the anesthetic

techniques to save your life!

I do think the docs have refined the surgery and its techniques a

lot. I also think that, since you've had surgery before, you need a

doc with a special expertise and technique to help you. That there

are records of attempts to fix your troubles and the consequent

results can only be helpful...

Children recovering from surgery -- and adults recovering from

surgery! -- are often frightening sights. That does not mean that

they aren't headed for most excellent recoveries, though!