Re:To the new guy

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the response Ceast.

I am by no means bitter about anything because I haven't done

anything yet and will most likely never do anything, to correct my

bite. As you can probably tell, I'm very conflicted. On the one

hand, I emphasize the negatives and risks of this operation. On the

other, I keep gathering info about this surgery (been browsing the

archives the whole weekend), and also talking about the importance

of appearance.

So, yes, I'm extremely conflicted, even though surgery has been

pretty much ruled out by me.

But I will say this. After reading thousands of messages on this

board (that's all I've been doing this past weekend -- thank God for

this resource! -- and I still have tens of thousands to go), I've

come to this conclusion:

Nobody really lives " happily ever after " after this surgery. Even

years afterwards, you still have people either with a small numb

spot; or occasional pain when they stretch their mouths too wide;

or, unable to eat certain foods; or the jaw grows back (why this

would ever happen is beyond me); or, ear pain. I am talking about

people whose operation was deemed successful, I'm not talking about

failures.

I have not, so far in these messages, read about a single person who

has completely and successfully put this behind them and leads the

same life as pre-op, and is only here to give support or share

experiences.

True, maybe they don't need to come here anymore; but we don't know

about their current lives. I would bet that to this day, years after

the surgery, they still face certain issues -- based on all the

posts I've read here and elsewhere on the web.

That's why I don't get a good feeling about this surgery, about this

board, about the whole thing. I've seen far more posts here

involving commiseration and fear, than those involving happiness,

joy, enthusiasm, optimism, strong support, " best decision I ever

made " , " everything is on schedule " , etc., etc.

You may argue that most members here have been successful but that's

certainly not the impression I got after browsing the posts (I'll

continue reading). The impression I have so far is gloomier.

Gene

[Guest guest]

No one sucessfullly puts this surgery behind them and lives normally? I don't

think you

are reading enough messages! Yes, many people who do go on living normally

don't post

as often. But there are those who do check in and are doing great. and

Cammie,

both who have posted to you are both doing well. Personally I think that I am

doing great.

I'm 7 weeks out of surgery and I can't believe the things I am eating. My

recovery has

gone remarkably well and my life is almost where it was before surgery. I still

have a little

healing to do (my teeth are still being tweaked by my ortho) and I have just a

little swelling

to go down (although most people only notice when I point it out). At the same

time I'm

already eating things I couldn't eat before surgery due to my open bite. I can

bite through

sandwiches, toppings on pizza, pickles, green peppers, so many things! I think

there are

more compications around here as those are the people asking many of the

questions.

But there are also people who are doing well after surgery and living as they

did, or better

than they did before surgery. Just my two cents.

Cori

upper/2-piece Lefort 7/20/05

sucessfully living life as well or better than before surgery.

> Thanks for the response Ceast.

>

> I am by no means bitter about anything because I haven't done

> anything yet and will most likely never do anything, to correct my

> bite. As you can probably tell, I'm very conflicted. On the one

> hand, I emphasize the negatives and risks of this operation. On the

> other, I keep gathering info about this surgery (been browsing the

> archives the whole weekend), and also talking about the importance

> of appearance.

>

> So, yes, I'm extremely conflicted, even though surgery has been

> pretty much ruled out by me.

>

> But I will say this. After reading thousands of messages on this

> board (that's all I've been doing this past weekend -- thank God for

> this resource! -- and I still have tens of thousands to go), I've

> come to this conclusion:

>

> Nobody really lives " happily ever after " after this surgery. Even

> years afterwards, you still have people either with a small numb

> spot; or occasional pain when they stretch their mouths too wide;

> or, unable to eat certain foods; or the jaw grows back (why this

> would ever happen is beyond me); or, ear pain. I am talking about

> people whose operation was deemed successful, I'm not talking about

> failures.

>

> I have not, so far in these messages, read about a single person who

> has completely and successfully put this behind them and leads the

> same life as pre-op, and is only here to give support or share

> experiences.

>

> True, maybe they don't need to come here anymore; but we don't know

> about their current lives. I would bet that to this day, years after

> the surgery, they still face certain issues -- based on all the

> posts I've read here and elsewhere on the web.

>

> That's why I don't get a good feeling about this surgery, about this

> board, about the whole thing. I've seen far more posts here

> involving commiseration and fear, than those involving happiness,

> joy, enthusiasm, optimism, strong support, " best decision I ever

> made " , " everything is on schedule " , etc., etc.

>

> You may argue that most members here have been successful but that's

> certainly not the impression I got after browsing the posts (I'll

> continue reading). The impression I have so far is gloomier.

>

> Gene