day... i don't know: !epic photo post!

final post!

I know, I know. It's August. I promised these in March. I'm going to go with the whole "better late than never" adage and I hope it'll suffice! But really though, I decided against putting all of these up a few months ago because I just really didn't know how I felt about putting all these photos of myself out there. I was kind of embarrassed, really, and I guess I just chickened out.

Let me preface by saying that it's taken me a lot of thought and a large degree of 'bravery' to upload these on the world wide web.

For as long as I can remember, I've avoided taking photos from my side like the plague. It's also been years since I've taken a photo with my teeth showing and here I am putting it all out there like I'm in a carnival peepshow so please excuse my cold, shivering feet.

Since I've taken an embarrassing amount of photos of myself both pre and post surgery as a documentation of my journey, I figured I might as well share some of them - especially if they can serve as some sort of reference point to people who are thinking about surgery. Before I decided to take the plunge and embark on the thrilling journey of orthognathic surgery, I did my fair share of research and I found so many blogs and forums that really helped give me the shove that I so badly needed. Now I just hope to be of some help to those who realize that they, too, need surgery to achieve the perfect bite and are feeling apprehensive or afraid.

History (here).

Cliffnotes: I am a scaredy cat. I started orthodontic treatment on January 14 2010. Got double jaw surgery with genioplasty done on December 13 2010. I am now about 8 months post surgery.

Enough with the rambling. Here goes nothin'!

_________________________

Exhibit A:
My side profile dating from pre-braces to almost right before surgery. With jaw surgery to correct under-bites, more often than not the orthodontist will have to exaggerate your under-bite in order for the surgeon to properly correct it during surgery. I was actually worried sick about this part of the whole journey because ugh it's my under-bite I hate most and it's going to get even worse? No bueno! :'|

Exhibit B:
Wow teeth. But an even clearer representation of how much my bite had to be and was shifted pre-surgery.

Exhibit C:
EEEEEKS!! ONE DAY BEFORE SURGERY!!!!! EEEEEKS!!! UNDERBITE CENTRAL!!!! AND YES APPARENTLY I WEAR SUNGLASSES INDOORS!!!

EXHIBIT D:
And we're post-surgery! Be warned. Photos dating from December 2010 - January 2011 are pretty much hilarious because I was SO. FREAKIN. MASSIVE. I blogged a fair bit during my super swollen days so if you'd like you can backdate a bit and read those entries.

The first few weeks were absolutely no fun. For one, I COULDN'T EAT AND THAT IN ITSELF IS TORTURE I TELL YOU, TORTURE!!!! I was fully prepared for it and on hindsight it wasn't that awful (yes I'm actually saying my liquid diet was halfway bearable) but it was still crappy not being able to eat. During Christmastime. And coming down with infections during the New Year period was terrible. Ugh okay moving along.

You'll see that even 20+ days post operation I was still swollen, but it was nothing compared to the swelling I saw in the first 2 weeks. Even now, 8 months+ post op, I still have some residual swelling in my cheeks and chin that might not ever go away and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that.

Exhibit E:
Life in color. Here are some more photos of my profile and let's just compare this to Exhibit A for a second. Holy guacamole.

Exhibit F:
I'm no Rosie the Riveter but the night before surgery I was feeling quite spirited and excited and thus this pose came about. 2 months later, I decided to try the same pose on for size as a comparison and this is what came of it.

DEC 12 2010 vs FEB 2 2011
go! fight! win!

Phew.

All of my rambling has been about the physical aspect of things because otherwise my recovery has thankfully, been very smooth. I've regained 100% of the feeling in my face and I don't feel any numbness. If I had to nitpick, it would be that I can't totally feel my gums, but frankly it doesn't affect me in any way.

I don't and have not for even one second regretted going through the entire process. If you're feeling nervous, anxious or even helpless about having to undergo orthognathic surgery - trust me when I say I completely understand. I've received a few emails lately asking about jaw surgery and as much as I maintain that it seems a lot scarier than it actually is, it is a major operation after all. It's certainly not something to be done on a whim because your faces changes a fair bit with the surgery, and I've read that some people actually feel less satisfied with/ cannot get used to their post-surgery mug, rare as it may be.

Remember that after all, it is most importantly a health related surgery and although it is best to correct any jaw related issues you might have as soon as possible, it should boil down to a compromise between what you want and what you need. (What you need obviously being far more pressing.) I've heard so many people tell me 'Oh but it's optional! You're just doing it because you're vain! Don't do it! It' dangerous!!' While I can understand their fears, it is most important to talk to your orthodontist. Consult oral surgeons. Get second or third opinions if you must because jaw issues only exacerbate with time so while you may not be affected now, it may cause a bigger problem in the future.

I'm going to end my zillion word thesis with this: it's a pretty major operation. No two ways about it. But it's not as daunting as it seems. And from my personal experience, it has absolutely been worth all the time and money and effort. And pig headedness and hunger and bruising.

It is now August 2011, and I've completed my entire orthodontic process. I was freed from the metal in my mouth about 2+ weeks ago and I've gotta say - I kind of miss it! I keep my retainers in as much as I can get away with because it makes me feel safe but I'm enjoying my new teeth. That being said, I don't really know how to smile without looking awkward/ reluctant/ downright riduclous just yet... But I'm sure I'll figure it out!

Here's a little video I quickly put together of me right before & after I got my braces off.

This will be my last post here on mmm, as this chapter of my life is officially closed. You can find me blogging about regular life (HERE). Feel free to ask me questions if you have any. Good luck and cheers to perfect teeth!