My Healing Journey: I made it to the one year mark!! A full recap 12 months after double jaw surgery
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- I thought getting to one year post-op meant this whole recovery process would feel like it was behind me...but if there's one thing I've learned over the past 12+ months, it's that the journey never really ends. That said, I still wanted to reflect back on my experience so far and where I'm at today: the physical aspects, the mental/emotional ups and downs, bumps in the road I wasn't prepared for, and what comes next. (Plus, a quote from my grandpa that has really helped me through the challenging times!)
If you're on your own jaw surgery healing journey - whether you're just beginning, or well past the one year mark - leave a comment and let me know how you're doing!
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Hey Megan! Congrats on hitting the 1yr mark! I’m coming up on 6m in my own recovery. Watching your videos has really helped me and I wanted to say thank you so much!! It’s hard for other people to understand what’s it’s like because on the outside you look totally normal but on the inside everything feels so different. Personally, I’m struggling to process that right now. I desperately want to feel like “myself” again but I know I’ve got a long way to go. It’s nice to connect with other people here who have gone through something similar and can relate. Like you, I don’t regret having the surgery, but I didn’t expect to be struggling so much at 6m.
Thanks so much Mariclare! I'm so glad to hear the videos have been helpful and that you've been able to connect to others who are going through the process/struggle as well.
And congratulations on getting to your 6 month recovery mark! I'm sorry you're also in that challenging phase where you don't feel like yourself yet or haven't gotten used to the "new" you (even though we are of course the same people, just with a bit of a different face! but it certainly feels like a whole new world...)
I hope things continue to improve for you and that you have the support you need to keep taking it day-by-day! I still have ups and downs, but I have noticed it is much less extreme, and I know that over time it will get better and better.
Thanks for watching and sharing your story! Onward and upward :)
Congrats on your 1 yr! I'm on day 6 now, double jaw fixing an underbite. Recovery has been very tough. My face is so swollen, my lips don't even close lol. I do feel pain but not overbearing. Sleep has been getting better day by day. I just want time to go by fast haha. Nice to know there's other people out there!
Thank you!! And congratulations to you as well on getting through your surgery and the first week of recovery! I definitely remember the major swelling, discomfort, lack of sleep, and wanting time to pass faster lol...if you haven't already, check out my video on my first 2 weeks of recovery (the swelling was so crazy!): ruclips.net/video/1kupgRDCbVc/видео.html
Hope everything continues to improve and get easier for you! One day at a time :)
@meganschall tyty! I'll go check out the vid! :) Things are def getting better yay! I desperately want to eat real food though haha. When did you start eating soft foods like pancakes?
@@jeanblaaa I started soft foods at about 10 days post-op, and ate a lot of scrambled eggs and oatmeal etc...it was quite hard at first with the limited range of motion and lack of feeling, and sometimes I had to eat in front of a mirror to make it easier haha!
It can definitely be frustrating at the beginning, but just like everything else, it does get better with time 🙂
Congratulations on the one year mark! You really have helped me to realize where I’m at with this LJS. I’m nearly at week 5 and as you said in one of your videos the healing just stays the same… it’s slow. It’s nice to use your videos to see your thoughts ❤️
Thank you so much Shirley! Congrats to you as well for getting through your surgery and the first month of recovery! Hopefully that means the worst part is over :)
I'm so glad to hear the videos have been helpful for you, and best of luck as you continue on your journey!
Congrats and thanks for the video, your words really help in this process
You're welcome, I'm so glad it's been helpful! Thank you for the support :)
Congrats Megan on a year post op! Thank you for all your insight & advice along the way.
I’ll be 7 months post op in a few days! Cheers 🥂
Thank you very much! Congrats to you on 7 months - I hope your healing is going well!
I had facial neuropathy from a sickness. I used homeopathy and CST. And it finally all came back!
Good luck to you. Numb face is the worst!
I’m eight weeks post op. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. I’ve never been comfortable with my appearance, but now I miss the face I used to have. I still can’t chew much at all, so I haven’t fully experienced the benefits of the surgery…I’m hoping that will come soon. Going out in the world with a face that doesn’t feel like my own is really uncomfortable and depressing at times. I keep trying to tell myself that my face is still changing/healing and eventually I’ll get used to where ever it settles, but it’s still very upsetting.
I can 100% relate to this, and I'm so sorry you're in that phase and feeling upset. It is SO hard at the beginning and you don't feel like yourself and it's uncomfortable and certainly depressing at times.
Like you said, I had to tell myself *constantly* that I was healing and things were going to keep changing, and not to judge it throughout the process (easier said than done!). 8 weeks is still really early, and it makes sense that you'd feel like your face isn't your own yet and going out in the world is challenging. I struggled with that a lot too, and had to really give myself some grace and allow myself to be a bit of a hermit until I felt more ready (face masks in public were helpful too lol).
Plus, when eating is still difficult and you aren't at the point yet where you can really see the benefits of the surgery, that just makes it even harder! Take it step by step, and use as much support as you have access to (friends/family/therapist etc.)
I also have a couple of other videos from earlier in my recovery that might be helpful, as I experienced all of these ups and downs you are mentioning.
It will get better, and it's also totally ok to feel this way about it right now - that's normal and completely understandable after going through a major surgery! I hope things start to get easier and feel better for you soon. One day at a time🙂
Like Megan has stated, it does get better! I think most, if not all of us, have felt the same way. But again, it does get better!
I am 1 month post op and feeling the same - today i almost had a panic attack because I dont like how i look.
Hope we all get to the point we are ok with the new face. Wishing you all the best
@@ZuziFox It's really hard at the beginning! I'm sorry you're struggling with it right now, but thank you for sharing - I think it's always helpful to know there are others out there who can relate, and hopefully we can all offer a bit of support as we navigate this journey.
I will say, as time goes on I have more "good" days than "bad," so it does get better! Wishing you the best as well, and we will all get through this one step at a time :)
How are you now ?
about to hit my 3rd day post surgery and wanted to know if there was ppl that could relate to what I feel now. I’m glad everyone on here is so positive definitely gives me motivation thank you for your videos and to the community here.
Congrats on your surgrery, and I'm so glad you're finding the videos and this community helpful! I definitely agree - it's so nice to know that other people can relate and are dealing with the same ups and downs, and also able to remain positive and supportive :)
I hope everything went well for you and your recovery is going ok so far - those first few days are definitely not easy, but take it day by day and it will get better soon!
How are you feeling? I'm on day 6! Still SUPER swollen lol but feeling much better
@@jeanblaaa its been 5 weeks today I feel great, the only thing is I'm still swollen not terribly but still. how is your recovery going?
@absaultrevino5362 that's awesome. I'm glad you're recovering ok! I'm 3.5 weeks now and still super swollen haha. But I'm starting to look a little more human!
@@jeanblaaa just gotta take it day by day and stay positive =) good luck on the rest of your journey.
Tomorrow is 1 week since LJS. I'm doing well. Banded shut very tight.
That's great! Glad to hear you're doing well, and congrats on making it through the first week 😊
and yeah, the bands...not the most pleasant experience lol (but I supposed better than the days of being wired shut!!)
Hope things continue to progress well for you!
It's horrible i have a year in a 1/2 after my surgery i'm not normal i still swollen and i still can't talk right and when i eat it gets all over like a toddler!! I would never have done it if i knew i had to go thru all this crap!! :;(
Oh gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that!! I hope you continue to recover and heal and improve over time 🙏🏻❤️
Hey Megan! I am about to reach the 1 year mark after my double jaw advancement, and I have followed your experiences. I share the sentiment that after 1 year, I still feel like (only) half-way through the healing. I also expierence the stiffness of tissue, in my case it is the lower jaw that is more stiff. And after chewing or talking for long time, the swelling on my upper gum - you called it roof of the mouth - returns frequently. You mentioned your sinuses, did you have any disturbance on the eustachian tubes? I will get plates and clamps removed in 4 weeks, and curious how it all will feel after.
Congratulations on getting to the 1 year mark! And thanks for following along :)
In terms of eustachinan tubes, I wouldn't say I had any "disturbance," but I do experience a little bit of ear popping/clogging from time to time. Nothing major or that bothers me - and honestly I have very small ear tubes and had some issues as a kid, so it may be normal for me no matter what.
And I will also say that I feel like some sinus stuff I noticed previously has dissipated since getting the plates removed, so it will be interesting to see what you experience after the metal comes out! You'll have to check back and let us know 🙂
Thanks for the update! Did you find the addressing the cavitations helped?
I still have the two cavitations in my lower jaw, so I haven't noticed anything yet (and wasn't expecting to notice anything until those are dealt with), but that procedure is happening in less than a month! Really curious to see what happens, and will certainly do another video afterwards :)
Hi what where your movements?
@kichki777 I'm not sure of actual measurements, sorry!
You look great! Congrats!
When did you start training with weights again? I am 3 weeks post op and miss the gym and running. Looking forward to the next update with your orthodontic treatment =)
Thank you!! Congrats on getting to 3 weeks post-op, and I can definitely relate to missing the gym/workouts :) If I remember correctly, I started doing very easy workouts probably around 3 weeks after surgery - just whatever felt comfortable and that I could recover from well.
I don't run, but I can imagine that might not feel super comfortable for a bit longer...but it all depends on how you are recovering and feeling! I eased back in and just added weights/intensity slowly as I felt stronger. (I also did a lot of walking right from the start, which helped me feel better mentally/physically and also helped with the swelling and drainage etc.)
Good luck with everything - hope you're able to get back in the gym soon!
hi, im getting the surgery too, how well could you eat at 3 weeks?
@@rakuljoensen27 Hi, and good luck with your surgery! At 3 weeks it was definitely not easy to eat, but I was able to eat soft foods after the first 10 days or so and gradually increased what I ate as it felt comfortable. Mostly it was just really slow eating because the range of motion was limited! But I found that the more I practiced, the easier it got.
I also have a video from the 3-week mark if you want to check that out for more details: ruclips.net/video/7ZCVM-RLS88/видео.html
Hope everything goes well for you and you recovery quickly!
Did it fix your extreme fatigue and brain fog? isn't that really the reason you did this? I am exactly like how you described about your fatigue, can't find any answers except i have a small airway. But I'm not convinced this will be the answer. Scared to take the leap but really was hoping you'd say if it in fact helped you.
I'm so sorry you're also experiencing fatigue and unable to find answers - I know what a struggle that is and how frustrating it feels!
The jaw surgery did not have a noticeable impact on my actual fatigue, and while I was hoping the end result might have an affect on my fatigue and other chronic health issues, I also was experiencing issues with my bite/teeth that I knew would only get worse with time, and my narrow airway that could cause sleep apnea as I got older, so I had other motivations for the surgery as well.
And I do have far less head & neck pain/tension since the surgery, my bite is significantly more comfortable, and my airway nearly doubled in size, so I feel like these things will have an impact on my overall health in the long run. (Plus, my sleep has improved according to the data I track, so even if my fatigue is still present, that is going to work in my favor!)
If you have a narrow airway that is actually causing some level of sleep apnea currently, that could certainly be causing fatigue...have you been able to do a sleep study or any kind of testing for sleep apnea?
How did you look prior to surgery?
I wish you had posted some pics.
Hi, thanks for the commment! I didn't post pictures on this particular video, but I do have other videos that are more focused on the aesthetic outcome where I have before/after photos - since I still have some orthodontic work to do, I decided to wait until that is completely finished to do more pre/post surgery photos!
I got my metal plates and screws removed a few days ago. Face is swollen again lol
Haha, yep! Hope it all went well for you - how long after your surgery was the plate removal?
@@meganschall 1 year and 1 month. I should've removed them earlier but I got appendicitis 😬
@@gainzbreh6834 oh yikes! Well, good that you were still able to get them out - hope you heal well!