DOUBLE JAW SURGERY: ONE MONTH LATER (This is harder than I thought...)

[@meganschall]

I sort of can't believe it's already been one month since my surgery, but also, longest 4 weeks of my life! 🙄If you're in the same boat, let me know how it's going for you!

[@joeweaver9913]

Ok, so I am now 1 month post-op. I had 3 piece Leforte, mandibular advancement, and sliding genioplasty. Watching you describe your experience has been helpful. I had my splint removed on Tuesday and new wires on my braces Wednesday, saying goodbye to the surgical hooks. Once the splint was removed, I could immediately speak much more clearly. Still liquid diet. Numbness in gums, left lower lip, and chin. Inflammation and discomfort remains in the soft tissue surrounding my lips. It just feels really tight and achy. I'm hoping that goes away in the coming weeks and months. I can't imagine chewing with the amount of numbness in my teeth and gums. I have a bit of open bite in the front and start elastics for it at the 6 week mark. I have resigned myself to the reality that anything approaching normal eating is not going to happen until roughly Cinco de Mayo. Thank you again for sharing

[@meganschall]

​@@joeweaver9913 Sounds like you are making good progress!! I do think the time period of like 1-3 or 4 months pots-op can be tough because the excitement/relief of getting the surgery over with has worn off, and each new phase of healing brings its own challenges - you start to realize it's a long road to feeling "normal" (or at least normal-ish haha). I just remember at that beginning stage it felt so all consuming, and like how was this ever going to *not* be annoying or take all my time and attention, or trying to remember what it felt like to not have a numb face lol. And then one day you'll realize you're eating more normally or the numb spots are going away or the swelling is almost gone or whatever, and you can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think you're right that accepting the reality of the whole process is key and makes it a bit easier to tolerate the discomfort of those early days! Thanks again for watching and for coming back to share your own journey :) Onward and upward!

[@robo265]

Hey Megan coming along nicely if I may say so congratulations 😀👍

[@meganschall]

Thanks!

[@skylarhsm22]

Thank you for the update! You look amazing! Those before and after pics look great. I’m sure this is what you expected it to look like. Do you feel satisfied with the overall functionality of your airway so far and your side profile?

[@meganschall]

Thank you! So far I am very happy with everything - it's still a little hard to tell about the airway since my sinuses are pretty inflamed, but I do feel like it's easier to take a deep breath (and I've been sleeping a LOT, although I'm not sure if that means I'm getting better airflow while I sleep and/or deeper sleep)...it will be interesting to see when I re-do the 3D scans in a couple of months what my airway looks like!

[@thomasnn]

What a transformation, congratulations! I will undergo the same procedure and these video logs are really helpful

[@meganschall]

Thank you! I'm so glad these videos have been helpful, and best of luck with your surgery!

[@burtneyr]

Thank you for sharing the ups as well as the downs going through this

[@Anthony-ot8vl]

I'm 3 weeks post. Just realizing this is going to take months to recover. Has your lower lip recovered?

[@meganschall]

Hi Anthony, congrats on getting through your surgery and the first couple of weeks! Yes, it will take time - but it gets better, and you are getting past the hardest part :) My lower lip has recovered nicely (I am now 13 months post-op, and have a few other videos going over where things stand at this point). I still have a bit of sensation in the lower lip/chin area that feels "different" for lack of a better word, but it's no longer numb and it's not at all uncomfortable. I think it will just continue to get more "normal" over time!

[@christopherpalmisano8869]

I am now 4 weeks post op myself. I am still swollen. I noticed you can move your lips more at 4 weeks than i can. I thought my side profile would look more drastically different but it doesnt seem so. My overbite is gone and so is my gummy smile but i dont know how i feel about my results. Everything is moving so slowly. Kind of wish i could see the final results now to see what i am working towards. I also cant even enjoy my overbite being gone from my side profile because i can't open my mouth enough to enjoy the results.

[@meganschall]

I can definitely relate to how hard it is at that beginning stage when progress is super slow! I remember feeling the same way about not being able to enjoy the results because everything is so uncomfortable and you can't even see (or really imagine) what your bite will be like or what you'll look like once all the swelling is gone. But 4 weeks is still very early in the process, and there will come a day when you have normal range of motion and will be able to take advantage of the results! Congrats on getting through the first few weeks, and keep taking it one day at a time - you'll get there :)

[@glauciavieira9686]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’ve been considering jaw surgery myself and after watching the videos on Dr. Alfaro’s page I was very encouraged that the recovery wasn’t so bad. After watching your videos the recovery seems much more intense than I thought it would be with “minimally invasive” surgery. Tbh it doesn’t seem much different than regular jaw surgery. I am a full time mom so I can’t imagine going through this process while caring for a small child. I’m curious if you think your case was more complex or is this pretty standard recovery for everyone, and the videos they show on their page just really downplay the experience?

[@meganschall]

Thank you for watching, and I can definitely understand the concern recovering from jaw surgery while also being a full time mom to a small child! I do think each case is very individual - both in terms of the complexity of the overall procedure, and just how each person's body handles the recovery process... I would say my case was probably a bit more "intense" in that I had fairly large movement of my jaws and had more swelling because of that. I do think some people have farily easy recoveries and/or less discomfort than I did! But I'm not sure it's totally predictable either unfortunately. I will say this - if you feel that jaw surgery could be life changing for you in some way, and there's any way you can get enough help to make it through the first couple of weeks, it could really be worth considering even if it would be a challenge. (Even just doing a consult to see what the surgeon thinks of your particular case could make you feel better about the recovery process as well.) I wish you the best whatever you decide to do! :)

[@glauciavieira9686]

Thank you so much! I do think it would make my life so much better. For me, the breathing challenges are what bothers me the most. I also really want to have better occlusion. I have a crossbite and it makes chewing and speaking a challenge as well. So considering the surgery is not something I’m taking lightly but do believe it to be worth it in the end. I hope you are happy that you went through with it. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

[@meganschall]

@@glauciavieira9686 you're very welcome! I am definitely glad I did it, and would 100% do it again even though it was challenging. I hope all goes well for you as you continue on your own journey :)

[@Lifedisabledd]

I'm 4 weeks Post Jaw surgery. I only had lower Jaw surgery. It's no joke. You need support during your recovery especially during the first 6 weeks. I also was kind of deceived by other people's KZbin videos who made Jaw surgery seem like a breeze and a walk in the park. I feel like you need 2 to 3 months easy going after surgery.

[@glauciavieira9686]

⁠@@Lifedisabledd oh wow. I’m sorry to hear that. May I ask if you had surgery with the same doctor? Or did they call it “minimally invasive” surgery? It definitely seems like it’s not easy to recover at all.

[@amykern1668]

I’m right where you are right now… and I feel the same way right now

[@meganschall]

Ugh, I'm sorry you're in that phase right now! Keep breathing, take it day by day, and you'll get through it!

[@nimrashahzeb5571]

Hey love from where u got ur surgery done and are u satisfied with the results or do u feel and side effects?

[@meganschall]

Hi! I am definitely satisfied with the results and very happy that I chose to go to this particular surgeon/clinic. I don't have side effects besides what I was told was possible/normal - mainly a bit of numbness in certain areas (that are still getting more feeling back over time), and one tooth that died during surgery (that I got replaced). I would 100% do it again!

[@rebekahj.1952]

I'm having the double jaw surgery and gynioplasty next month and am scared to death. We're the physical changes as dradtic ad you thought they would be? How bad is recovery, and do you have any advice for post op.

[@meganschall]

Hi Rebekah, thanks for watching and congrats on your upcoming surgery! It totally makes sense that you are feeling nervous - it’s a big change and a lot of uncertainty, and it’s only normal to be afraid (I was too!) The recovery was challenging for the first two weeks, but I had a lot of support and felt well prepared for it in terms of knowing it was going to be uncomfortable and I was just going to have to get through that beginning phase before it got easier. I watched a lot of KZbin videos to see what other people experienced, and a few things also helped me a lot to prepare mentally: 1) Think about all of the hard things you’ve managed to get through in your life so far and know that you have the ability to get through this jaw surgery recovery as well. I found that reflecting back on challenges I was able to navigate in my life really helped me prepare to take on jaw surgery. What has helped you get through other challenges? What did you learn about yourself from navigating those situations and how can you use that to help you prepare for your upcoming procedure? Even just thinking about small discomforts you are able to handle on a daily basis (a hard workout, a stressful work day, minor crises etc.) and realizing that you really do have the capability to manage physical, mental, and emotional discomfort can be super helpful. 2) Take it day by day and think about the bigger picture - in the grand scheme of things, this is a couple of weeks of your life that are going to be uncomfortable, and then it’s going to get a lot easier after that. We humans can handle a LOT of discomfort for a short period of time, and if you can think about just getting through that first 2-3 weeks or so, that’s a pretty short timeframe for something that will likely benefit you for the rest of your life! In the hard moments, sometimes I just had to go hour by hour and remind myself that this is all temporary - you will not feel like this forever. 3) I also have a few other videos that you may want to check out if you haven’t already: from the first 14 days of recovery (kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5zYoZqIeaiVjMU), and one with tips for the recovery process (kzbin.info/www/bejne/ravVmKV4q65sqa8). In terms of physical changes, I’d say yes it was as big of a change as I imagined - I wasn’t totally sure what to expect (and I don’t think anyone can really predict exactly what the outcome will be), and it takes quite a while to really know what the final outcome is, but it was a major change to my physical appearance and functionality for the better :) I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out if you have other questions, and I wish you the best of luck with your surgery!

[@mirzaali2105]

Hi Megan. Was there any TMJ pain after jaw surgery?

[@meganschall]

Hi, I did not experience any TMJ pain after surgery!

[@WatchOut628]

Did you also have your chin forward? If yes than how many Milimeter

[@meganschall]

I did have my chin adjusted but I don't know the measurements!

[@raygervaismovementmmagymna2888]

can anyone say the hoe much it cost

[@meganschall]

It really depends on each individual case and whether or not insurance will cover your costs, but based off my experience getting a few different estimate, I'd say the surgery costs anywhere from $20,000-$40,000 (without insurance coverage)

[@raygervaismovementmmagymna2888]

@@meganschall that's insane I thought it was 4 towsan at max

[@meganschall]

@@raygervaismovementmmagymna2888 well, with insurance coverage that may be more accurate!

[@davidcooper9158]

There is no improvement