I apologize for being a couple of days late with this... I had an emergency in the family and was not able to find time. I do plan on adding pictures, but right now the camera on my phone is broken. I'm hoping to have that fixed within the next couple of weeks.
The jaw popping and locking has gotten better in the last month. I think I may have hurt my jaw while trying to unlock it and that made it more painful for awhile until it healed. It does still pop and and lock up, but not too bad right now. It may even be weather related... I'm pretty sure that's a thing. I never regained feeling in my chin, lip, and gums. I still have sensations, so there may still be hope. Everyone has a different opinion on how long it takes the nerves to heal. The longest I saw was 18 months. I'm used to the numbness now though, so if it is something you are afraid of happening, it isn't all that bad. More annoying at times than anything. I have said this several times, but once you get past that first couple of weeks, time flies by. If you are following my journey, you are probably wondering if it is worth the pain and inconvenience. I would do it all over again if I had to. This process was 100% worth it in the end, but it won't always feel that way. You will wonder why you did this to yourself, but those moments of discouragement are just moments. The results of a comfortable bite is something you will be thankful for the rest of your life. Personally, I am grateful that I no longer have to always be thinking about holding my jaw forward so that I look "normal." I can relax and not care anymore and know that I do not look and feel deformed. That alone made this worth it for me. I have really enjoyed everyone's emails and questions. Please don't hesitate to ask me questions or what your concerns may be. I'd love to help!
5 Comments
I am beginning my process of getting lower jaw surgery. Currently I am wearing a dental splint (Think mouth guard) 24/7 to put my jaw joints in the correct position. It's been 3 months. I get braces in about a mouth then surgery next year. My biggest fear is my face will look disfigured when all is said and done. And I'm not anxious about potential numbness in my lower face. Do you still experience this? You look great by the way, and you seemed to heal rather quickly looking at your swelling progression photos.
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Kristin
9/20/2016 01:42:41 pm
Sorry for the very delayed response! You must be well into your journey at this point. I hope it is all going well and thank you for your kind words. I still have the numbness, but I don't notice it much anymore. As far as looking disfigured, that is a very legitimate fear. I shared this with my surgeon pre-op and he said that with the technology he has to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, that it is nearly impossible to have a negative outcome. My surgeon was able to use some sort of program to do a practice surgery on me and my exact measurements so he knew what he was getting into before I even entered the operating room. That was extremely comforting to me. I hope that helps. Take care!
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nicki
9/18/2016 12:11:50 am
I had my lower jaw surgery almost 4 weeks ago, all went well, first few days i have to admit were pretty miserable but its very true.. after the first week you begin to forget you even had surgery! I never felt any pain so far, the biggest "pain" to me is eating. Watching my family eat some delicious pizza while i chow on some mashed potatoes the third day in a row would be the closest feeling of pain. I just wanna say how much your blog has educated me and helped me on my recovery! All the other blogs about jaw surgery have been about double jaw surgery and its crazy how much i could relate to yours! Just wondering.. i still cant feel my bottom chin or bottom lips. I know im only 4 weeks post op but i was wondering if you ever did gain feeling back? Thanks again for sharing your journey! im so happy i came across this blog :)
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Kristin
9/20/2016 01:37:54 pm
Yes, watching others eat is a whole new level of pain : ) I'm glad to hear you did not experience much physical pain though. For me, the feeling never came back. It was annoying at first, but now I don't even think about it. There is a surgery I can get that would help restore the feeling, but I'm not really considering it at this point. I hope your recovery continues to be as smooth as it has been. Take care!
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Kelley
4/30/2021 09:37:48 am
I know it's been a while, but how much numbness did you end up with? Also, how were you able to get your mouth open so much? I'm at 5 weeks post op double jaw surgery and I can only fit one finger. I get some pretty intense pain in the numb areas, but they are still very numb. It feels like a strong toothache. It prevents me from sleeping some nights. Thank you for any suggestions.
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WelcomeThis blog documents my journey through lower jaw surgery in hope of providing help and insight involving the experience. Archives
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