Double Jaw Surgery 2 Years Later: where I'm at, what's next, and where these videos go from here...

[@YOLAFITTV]

I’m 5weeks post op from double jaw surgery.. I have lost 20lbs .. I’m still in the healing stages .. half my lip and chin are still numb and parts of my gums ..it’s still a long long journey .. but watching your videos have really helped me so thank you very much .!

[@meganschall]

You're very welcome, and thank you for the kind words! I'm so glad the videos have been helpful :) And congrats on getting through your surgery and that first month of recovery! It will get easier, but yes, it is a long journey and you're still in the early stages. One day at a time - and before you know it, you'll be looking back on this as a distant memory...the days are long, but the years are short 😉

[@LorryHill]

Hi Megan; thank you for this video series; I notice there doesn’t seem to be many actual facial changes is this something that you specifically asked not be changed ? Is there a video addressing aesthetic goals that I can reference ?

[@meganschall]

Hi Lorry, thanks for watching and for the question! I was having the surgery primarily to fix my bite, correct jaw developement issues from childhood, and improve my airway - so there were no specific aesthetic or cosmetic changes I asked for... That said, I feel there were definitely changes to my face - if you go back to my original videos, there's a pretty clear "before" that is quite different than how I look now, and in particular my profile changed (nose shape changed because of more jaw support, and I had a very receded lower jaw that, when moved forward, created much more chin definition than I had before). I also have a video from the 6 month mark and a little after 1 year where I have more before and after photos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGmvhqhvpc6Disksi=wipATJaNclsa24N_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWXJhqyEeNWom7ssi=O7ab9z_3e566nyGX I hope that answers your question! I didn't have specific aesthetic goals other than to correct the jaw/bite deficiencies, and the surgeon I saw specializes in combining functional/aesthetic components, so I trusted him to do what would provide the best outcome for me!

[@devinjameshancock]

Got braces a month ago. 8-11 months till jaw surgery for my cross bite. First seen your jaw surgery videos today. Thanks for sharing.

[@meganschall]

You're welcome, and thank you for watching! Best of luck on your journey, I hope it all goes well for you :)

[@pinklips3515]

Hi, have you got done the surgery? Which class for crossbite?

[@devinjameshancock]

@ will have to get the surgery early next year. It’s a double jaw surgery top jaw will move forward right, bottom jaw backwards left.

[@devinjameshancock]

@@pinklips3515 just found out I cannot afford the surgery.. maybe one day

[@technominds4615]

how long did it take for the holes in bone to fill in completely?

[@lanael7278]

OMG, in two years the roof of the mouth and upper teeth are still numb? I am at 17 days after djs, and the recovery is psychologically tough. Lots of numbness and the jaw changing position as the swelling subsides.

[@meganschall]

Congrats on getting through your surgery and those first two weeks of recovery! I can definitely understand the psychological difficulties - it's a lot to process not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well (I do have another video about this too - the mental challenges of DJS recovery). And while I do have some numbness still in my upper palate and top teeth, it's not completely numb. I do have sensation, it's just not what I would call totally "normal." I wish you well as you continue your recovery!

[@Brown_And_Beautiful]

I had double jaw surgery with genioplasty 5 months ago bcoz of no bite, TMJ issue and sleep apnea. But I still have a lot of pain and discomfort. Eating and talking is still a lot of task. The jaws are very stiff. My aligners treatment is in process. Thank you for your video

[@meganschall]

@Brown_And_Beautiful I wish you the best with your recovery! It's a long process for sure, but one step at a time you'll get there 😊

[@DDDarray]

Hi. No surgery here so far. I've just been doing nose strips, tilt bed, air purifiers, for a few years, and have noticed less need to nap in the daytime, and huge reduction in headaches. Maybe my jaw/throat started with better clearance than yours used to be. Most nights I wear a pulse-ox. One thing I find is my heart rate briefly jumps, some periods in sleep it's at a rate around 50x/hour. When I do stuff that reduces this count, I tend to start to feel more like I'm actually awake during the daytime. I've been able to sleep with body tilted to one side, so face points more downward, and after a few nights, limited by soreness from the weird sleep position, the brain fog finally starts to fade for a day, and the pulse-ox shows very long stretches of very steady pulse. Outside these experiment weeks, I don't get desaturations as often as before, and average O2 reading is much better, headaches are gone, but sleepiness is still there. Maybe this pulse rate tracking is one metric you could use, and experiment to see if you can see any kind of similar correlations. I do have a cpap I've been able to use short times, and it's documenting the breathing issues at least. Yes, it's a very long road.

[@meganschall]

Thanks for sharing this! That's really interesting what you've noticed - and good for you for taking the time to experiment and figure out what is helpful for you! I know from experience it's not always easy to do that and takes a lot of diligence and consistency. I do wear an Oura ring, which tracks HR and other metrics during sleep and it seems to conclude that my sleep is quite good (and I've worn a pulse oximeter at night before that didn't show anything abnormal). I also did an in-lab sleep study many years ago (before jaw surgery) that did not show any apnea thankfully, but I do think that opening up my airway from the surgery has led to an improvement in sleep quality. And I totally agree - it's a long road, and one has to be very committed to continuously gathering data and doing a lot of trial and error to figure out what works or doesn't. I'm starting to realize there is no "end" point to all of this, just constant forward progress, no matter how small... I hope you continue to make progress on your own journey! Onward and upward :)

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

Before removing plate r u feel tightness on your chine or lips

[@Tecnosys]

I have that problem 😢

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

@@Tecnosys r u remove the plates

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

@@Tecnosys reply plz r u remove the plates

[@darcyhaag964]

Was it a choice to get the plates removed?

[@meganschall]

Yes, I felt I was experiencing negative symptoms due to the plates and opted to have them removed (I did actually have one plate that started showing through my gums, so that one had to be removed anyway, but I chose to have the rest removed as well). I have a few other videos about getting tested for metal sensitivity and the decision to get the plates removed if you're looking for more info!

[@theredking2495]

Are you using a CPAP at all? I'm 30 days out from surgery, but even after that I'm going to keep using it.

[@meganschall]

I wasn't using CPAP before surgery, never had diagnosed sleep apnea but was at a greater risk of it because of my narrow airway... But I really do feel like I breathe better now - and I've heard a lot of stories of people whose sleep apnea was gone after their surgery, so I hope you get the results you're looking for!

[@elysiumcore]

2 weeks since i broke my condyle - 50% mouth openeing, very annoyed - doc told me 6 weeks to be able to gain full mobility 😢

[@meganschall]

Oh no, I'm sorry that happened to you!! I can definitely understand how frustrating and annoying it is to have limited mobility 😕 I hope you continue to heal and recover well - one day at a time, 6 weeks will pass before you know it!

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

Dear have u feel tightening on your lips or chine ,and when u talk have u feel any tightness

[@meganschall]

no, I do not feel tightness on my lips or chin when talking

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

R u have any numbness still now your chine or lips?

[@meganschall]

I wouldn't say I have numbness, but there are a few spots on my lower lip and chin that still feel like they are getting more "complete" feeling back over time!

[@Charleset]

Keep it up.

[@meganschall]

Thank you 😊

[@Charleset]

@@meganschall have you considered doing neural retraining?

[@meganschall]

@@Charleset yes I have! I did do some neurological testing several years ago and was given exercises to practice, and also have done somatic therapy with some kind of brain wave stimulation...never noticed much from those things, but it is definitely still on my radar!

[@Charleset]

@@meganschallbit weird of me to suggest but would be happy to guide you 1on1 for free. Since your videos have helped me…

[@meganschall]

@@Charleset that's very nice of you to offer! Can you tell me more about what services/training you provide? Feel free to email me with info if that's easier [e-mail]

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

And now you look also very beautiful dear ma sha Allah u r allways beautyful .ever green .ever beauty .

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

Before removing plates r you suffer problem when u talking

[@meganschall]

No, I did not have any issues with talking before removing the plates.

[@jonmalkowvich6967]

Why didn’t you get your surgery in the states ? Was it insurance related ?

[@meganschall]

No, it was more about the surgeon I felt most comfortable with, who had a ton of experience with these surgeries and had come highly recommended...I was actually denied by insurance here in the states anyway, so I figured I might as well go overseas if that was the surgeon I liked the best! Another big part of it was that the surgery time was WAY shorter - the surgeons I consulted with here all said it would take 5-6 hours, whereas my surgery in Spain was only two hours.

[@meganschall]

@@ms-mv6so Yes, that is correct!

[@MaxServo]

​@@meganschall Would you mind sharing the approximative cost for MMA advancement with with Dr Alfaro ?

[@meganschall]

@@MaxServo It will of course depend on each individual treatment plan, but I'd guess somewhere around $30,000. If you do a consult there, they give you a proposed plan with estimated cost. (And to be clear, I was quoted similar numbers in the US - there wasn't really a cost difference to doing my surgery in Spain since insurance was not going to cover me here either...)

[@MaxServo]

@@meganschall Thanks, I'm living close to Spain border and heard about this surgeon before so I was curious...I'll be having mma surgery in France this year (also got premolars extracted in my teen age btw). Best

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

Dear r u happy for your new face then before surjary face ??and after removimg plates r u happy for your face .r u feel proude ???

[@meganschall]

Yes, I am happy with the outcome of the surgery and happy with my face after removing the plates!

[@ApsaraJannat-v9g]

Coz u r alredy beautyful dear .why u do surjary ..you looks very beautyful ma sha Allah .your body clr your face very very cute sweet loveing face u have

[@meganschall]

Thank you for the kind words, I did the surgery because I was having issues with my bite/teeth and I had a very narrow airway, and the only way to correct those things was to do the surgery!