Elana/Re: New to the Group

[Guest guest]

Hi Elana,

My name is Austria, I am 20 years old and will be

having this surgery on Thursday (Lower Advancement,

Genioplasty, Septoplasty). My ordeal started when I

was just a kid. I had braces on at 8 years old and

had them taken off when I was 10. The braces stopped

the growth of my upper jaw to let my lower jaw come

forward. My ODs made my mother sign a waiver saying

that my jaw WOULD relapse and that she understood

this, that this was to get me through my teenage years

without being ridiculed (I had a 13mm overbite, the

biggest my ODs had corrected to that point), and that

I WOULD have to have Jaw Surgery when I was fully

grown. As I got older my jaw did start to relapse.

When I was 16 years old, I went for a consultation

with an OS with regards to my wisdom teeth...he walked

into the room and the first thing he said when he

looked at me was that I would need jaw surgery in the

next couple of years.

You asked about family history...my aunt is going

through the exact same thing right now...she will be

having her surgery sometime in September hopefully.

My family and I have watched my jaw progress just as

hers progressed and I was not willing to let my jaw

get to the point that hers has gotten to. She is in

constant pain. So yes, this can be genetic.

What you need to do is stay positive about this. It

is probably a good thing that your neice is going to

go through this, because you can see how it goes and

know what to expect with your daughter. I know it is

difficult for you as the mother, I have watched my

mother cringe in sypathy when my jaw pops, or she

knows that I have a headache or migrane and she can do

nothing about it. But that is just the thing, you can

do nothing about it right then so just try to take it

a day at a time.

As to doctors and hospitals, my OS is Dr.

Tilghman in Baltimore, MD (he is not great about

communication, but he is an EXCELLENT Surgeon). My

ODs are Drs. and Bob Gillespie in Bethesda, MD

(Fraternal Twin Brothers, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT,

EXCELLENT ODs, I would go to NO ONE else...they were

my ODs when I was a kid and they are the only ones

that I would recommend). My Dentist is Dr. Dana

in Silver Spring, MD (Also excellent). It is

important that you get doctors that will work together

- All three, your OD, your Dentist and your OS. As to

the hospital, I will be going to the Greater Baltimore

Medical Center, which deals with MANY orthognatic

surgeries, which means that the nursing staff knows

what they are doing with the patients from this type

of surgery.

One thing I would suggest is to really look at what

type of insurance you have and to make sure that they

pay for this type of surgery. If it is not covered,

then you have enough time to start looking for a new

insurance company - even if that means getting a new

job that has the type of insurance that covers the

surgery. This is a VERY expensive surgery and to pay

for it out of pocket will hurt very badly. When I

found out that my parents insurance did not cover this

surgery, then I had to start looking for a new job.

Thankfully I found one in the Federal Government so I

have BCBS Federal.

I will not be wired shut, I will have screws and

plates also, and after a week or so, I will probably

be rubber banded.

I hope this helps, I know it is a difficult time for

you and that this is a lot of info to take in. But as

long as you have a positive attitude, then it should

go okay. Just remember to enforce in your daughter

the fact that her jaw problem does not change who she

is, that she is still beautiful. Because, I know at

times with me, my self esteem was pretty bad because

of my jaw. It always helped when my parents and other

family members let me know I was still pretty and that

there was much more to me than my health problems.

If you have any other questions, you can let me know.

Austria

--- Elana61@... wrote:

> Hi Everyone---

>

> My name is Elana and I have a 10 year old daughter

> who has been diagnosed as

> a " class 3 " from a very young age. She has been to

> orthodontists as well as

> an Orthognathic Surgeon for a consult but they have

> all said there is nothing

> to do until she is fully grown---translation: this

> mother can drive herself

> crazy for the next 10 years or so. The thought of

> this sweet little girl having

> both jaws cut and a wired jaw makes me crazy!!!!

>

> I have been reading all of your e-mails and postings

> since I joined the group

> several days ago and I am amazed at the positive

> attitude you all have.

>

> What's worse, is that my 15 year old niece, who they

> have been monitoring for

> her class 3, was told this past week that she will

> need the surgery as well.

> My heart breaks for her and my sister and in about a

> year, this will all be

> right in my face.

>

> While researching the whole thing this weekend, I

> see there is a doctor in

> California uses plates and screws rather than

> wiring.

>

> Which leads me to a number of questions:

>

> 1. Has anyone here had the procedure without wiring

> the jaws?

>

> 2. Anyone know of any new technique on the horizon

> that will make the

> procedure easier on the patient?

>

> 3. Which hospital is best known for this specialty

> in the US?

>

> 4. Who is the absolute surgeon who is tops in this

> field in the US?

>

> 5. Are there other members of your family who has

> this too?

>

> I tell my daughter everyday how beautiful she is

> (and she really is!!!!) but

> her lower jaw does jut out and as she is getting

> older, it is becoming more

> apparent. I worry about what other kids will say to

> her as we all know how mean

> kids can be.

>

> 6. I would also appreciate any advice you can offer

> if you grew up with the

> same problem----how I can help HER ultimately.

>

> Thank you for your time and I look forward to

> getting to know all of you.

> Elana

> New York

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

____________________________________________________

Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs