UNDERBITE JAW SURGERY VLOG #33 | Week 14 Recovery | 1st Acupuncture | Subtle Changes

Follow me on my jaw surgery recovery journey. I had a class III underbite.
Ketchup Bottles:
amzn.to/3Tu06A9
Jade Rollers:
amzn.to/3FzGIMK

[@dreamer6909]

i got braces 4 months now... I'm told i have to wear them for at least nine months before jaw surgery...i have class 3 underbite... I'm nervous n anxious in one...I watched all ur vids n you've given me a little hope...thnx for sharing love

[@GisseASMR]

Hi James! I’m so happy you’re trying acupuncture, I always wondered if that would help wake up the nerves post op. I really hope it helps you get some feeling back! I’m 10 days into my recovery journey and it’s been a rollercoaster but the first week was definitely the worst, it’s been pretty manageable past the day 6 mark. I’m slowly regaining energy and feeling a little better overall. The tingling sensation on my chin is the most uncomfortable part, along with one of my nostrils still being blocked from surgery, but I know that with time it will all get better. Thank you again for these videos! It’s great seeing you heal 😁

[@jameslsong1]

Wow, it's already been 1 week post-op. How time flies! But yes, the worst part (week 1) is over. It gets better each and every day. I really hope acupuncture will wake up the nerves. I will keep everyone posted and see if it does anything. Yes, I agree with the tingling sensation on the chin (it's very uncomfortable). Nostrils being block is tough as well (using the nasal decongestant really helps). Keep it going! You're well on your way!

[@leilahassan8108]

Hi James, thank you for your video. Past 3 months the journey becomes interesting, I look forward to mornings coz I see little changes everyday and most surprisingly is you keep looking different. Amazing journey am starting to enjoy it now😊

[@jameslsong1]

It's amazing to see the subtle changes to the face. The biggest changes occur the first couple of months. But even if you feel you are done, there are still a lot of changes that occur. The surgeon said 1 year post-op and I believe him. It is very cool to wake up and see what changes that occur in the face. There are definitely bright days ahead! :)

[@Michaelpareymayl2778]

Hey James, I’m currently on the 11th Day Post-op. Would you be able to include your current diet? I’m curious how much strength you’ve regained in your jaw and how your ability to eat has recovered.

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Matthew, my current diet is oatmeal with fruit, rice or pasta, veggies and meat (beef, salmon, chicken, fish - all chopped up into pieces). I tried chewing chopped up carrots but still not able to at this time. Honestly, I can eat mostly everything except for the hard foods. I remember at the 11th day post-op mark and I was still drinking liquids all day. I believe I incorporated soft foods at the week 3 mark but it wasn't until week 4 when I really ate soft foods consistently. I was mostly drinking my food until 1 month post-op. Currently, my mouth is almost back to normal except for stiffness around some areas and still swollen around the cheeks. Hope that helps!

[@aviralsingh1296]

Who's your surgeon mate?

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Aviral. My surgeon is Dr. Kevin Lung.

[@jeanineperez9119]

Hi James! Thanks for the update! Your looking great! Congrats on getting back to your pre-surgery workouts. That takes a lot of dedication. Did you have any trouble opening your mouth once you started eating soft foods? I'm just about 4 weeks po and I can barely open my mouth 1 finger. My surgeon said he won't be able to take the splint out at 6 weeks if I cant open my mouth 2 fingers. Thanks for your support and positive vibes. Your the best!!

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Jeanine, thank you very much! Yes, I had lots of trouble opening my mouth, definitely at 4 weeks post-op. It was a struggle for me eating soft foods (it was the week 3 video where I tried scrambled eggs but my mouth could barely function). But my mouth did open up more and more, week after week. Fitting 2 fingers at week 6 is doable. Doing the jaw exercises everyday does help open the jaw up so I recommend doing those daily to speed up the process.

[@CrossmanShaun]

Glad you’re doing well. My recovery has gone a bit backwards. I had a really bad reaction to the dissolvable sutures and it got infected. So next week (6 weeks post) I have to go back to the hospital to have some of my mouth incisions cut open again and cleaned up. I remember you said you were struggling with limited mouth opening at some point. Is that better now?

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Shaun, I'm sorry to hear that. Hope the infection is very minor. Yes, it was a struggle with limited mouth opening but it's definitely better now. I am still stiff in certain parts of my mouth but it is definitely getting better every week. I heard some people are still stiff around the 5 month post-op as it take a while before things get better. But I expect a year post-op, the mouth movements will feel more natural.

[@elliottortiz2]

Hey James, just saw your most recent video and I got to tell your videos are awesome, it really helped me a lot with preparing before my MMA surgery. I’m two weeks post op and it was definitely worth it, I did it for medical reasons but I can see it is also benefiting aesthetics. Keep it up, your looking great!!!

[@jameslsong1]

Thanks Elliot for your wonderful comments. Hope you're recovery is going well. At the two week post-op mark, it is almost smooth sailing. :)

[@elliottortiz2]

@@jameslsong1 Hey James, hope your doing well. I want to share a tool that could be helpful in hopes of regaining feeling in your lower lip and chin. There is a product called dr vox which is a bottle that you add water and you blow into it with the provided straw which creates back pressure to warm up voices for singers. Im a singer and use it all the time and I am starting to use it again after my 3 weeks post op surgery but this time for helping aid and regain feeling back in the same areas that you are. This technique creates vibration in the face/cheeks and creates blood flow which I think is excellent for us recovering from jaw surgery because were there is blood flow, means faster healing right. Here is a link to the product and there is videos in that website about it, again it is made for singers but I think it can help aid with the recovery process of jaw surgery because of the vibration and blood flow to the face. Give it a shot and see if it helps. doctorvox.us

[@Otigyrum]

Just a thought, have you looked into red light therapy? The whole premise is that, similar to how UV light promotes vitamin D production, red light promotes ATP production. Having a stable ATP supply is crucial for healing. I believe legitimate medical device grade red lamps can be a bit pricy, but maybe you can find somewhere that would let pay for individual sessions rather than getting your own red light rig.

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Otigyrum, I actually have never heard of red light therapy. Thanks for bringing it up - I'm going to look into it.

[@sandrar7443]

Curious, are you able to feel yourself chew? I feel it on my right side but on my left side and front teeth are still numb.

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Sandra, I am able to chew most foods except for the hard stuff such as chopped up carrots. It's easy for me to chew on my right side compared to my left side. My front teeth can bite into something but that's it - honestly, it feels really weird to use the front teeth. I assume we are in a similar situation.

[@loverofhumanity]

Hey James, first off I just wanna say it's amazing seeing your improvements week by week. You look incredible. I honestly can't believe how fast the time flew. Maybe for you it was a bit slower LOL but I remember the journey before and all the presurgical appointments and braces. It's amazing how far you've come . I do have one question: I was curious what day was the light for you post-op?

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Loverofhumanity, I would say day 5 was when I really started to feel much better. The first few days after surgery were the worst, I just felt terrible with the whole situation. I knew it was going to be rough and it definitely was. But staying positive and reading everyone's comments really help. Thank you for comment as well! I appreciate it!

[@joshhamlyn1036]

Always good watching your videos mate they have helped! I’m 3 weeks post op now and I know what you mean by being very stiff in the upper jaw lip area it’s annoying but over time I guess will change! Also do you remember when you could properly blow your nose and like have a clear out because I haven’t yet and forgot to ask my surgeon but some people say a few weeks or a month. Again thanks for the videos

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Josh, yeah, I'm still stiff around the upper jaw area. In terms of blowing your nose, I felt safe probably 6 weeks post-op. Give it another couple of weeks and you should be ok.

[@gary3690]

Are you able to eat a somewhat normal diet now after 14 weeks?

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Gary, at 14 weeks, I have been eating chopped up meats and stuff. It's still a little hard to chew certain foods such as chopped up carrots (I tried). But for the most part, I can pretty much eat sandwiches and stuff. It does take a little getting use to though. Hope that helps! :)

[@gary3690]

That’s good to know. Can’t wait till I get to 14 weeks! Your videos have been a big help in my recovery! Thanks!

[@angelinamac75]

Yeah! So happy to see another post from you. You're doing great, I admire the dedication you have to keep posting updates and being totally honest about the highs and lows of surgery, braces, eating, recovery...its a lot when you break it all down. Look forward to future posts!

[@jameslsong1]

Thanks Ang Mac! As always, I really appreciate the support!

[@KarateStanceConor]

The before and after comparison is a nice touch. You can definitely notice the upper lip support

[@jameslsong1]

Thanks Alex, yeah, I'm quite happy with the before and after even though it's only been a little over 14 weeks. But so far so good. Still got a long time before the swelling and stiffness goes away 100%.

[@Mechaneer]

I tried acupuncture several times for my lower back a few months ago, and I do feel like it helped at least a little bit with the little bit of nerve pain I have left from a herniated disc last year. So I'm curious if using it on your face helps you regain more feeling, more quickly. As for me, I just finished day 4 of recovery after surgery. It's been tough coping with the tremendous swelling and like you mentioned difficulty breathing and inability to blow the nose, but I have a lot to be positive about too. My surgeon said day 4 would probably be the peak of swelling, and I do feel like it finally started to get marginally better rather than worse today. So hopefully that continues. I have my first follow up with my surgeon in another 4 days. Keep making these great updates and let us know if the acupincture produces any results for you.

[@jameslsong1]

Hi again Affluent Nerd. So far, my chin is still numb but I will continue my acupuncture sessions and hopefully wake up the nerves! By around day 5, you will definitely feel a lot better. That was the turning point for me. You should be in a good spot around this time. Hang in there man! Once you wake up tomorrow, you will probably feel great (I re-watched my week 1 video and that was when I started to feel like myself again).

[@Mechaneer]

@@jameslsong1 that's so true. I'm on day 6 now, and this is the first day I genuinely "feel like myself" again. That was a really tough week and I'm glad it's behind me now. Now, to wait out the rest of this tremendous swelling, and learn how to talk normally again! 😅

[@doodlebob5218]

After you smoke your weed slowly but surely work your jaw muscles once you do that the feeling will come back in your chin when you do the jaw muscles remember when you didn’t have the surgery and how you could use your mouth and start working those muscles before you know it you’ll feel grand

[@MJ-mf6rd]

Hi James, what a journey! You look great post op. Very happy to see you happy with your results. Sending good vibes :) I still have 9 months or so until my surgery but wanted to know something. Do you ever compare your actual results to the digital photo that the doctor gave you of the expected results during the planning phase? I want to know how accurate is that photo.

[@jameslsong1]

Hi MJ, thank you very much for the positive vibes! I never actually got a digital photo of what I could look like before surgery. My surgeon said he stopped doing that many years ago because the actual might not be exactly as the digital photo. Maybe some surgeons still do that but mine didn't do it for me (I asked). All I saw were pictures of my bone structure after surgery.

[@MJ-mf6rd]

You’re welcome! Thank you for the response. My surgeon gave me a photo but I’m not 100% convinced that I’ll look like it. I trust my doctor but I don’t trust that photo. It does however note on the bottom “it might not reflect the actual results.” I feel much better about it now knowing your doctors approach. Also, I have/had to do two jaw arthroplasty’s. Was that something your doctor talked about? It’s to fix the jaw disk. I did one surgery for the left a few weeks ago and will be doing another for the right in June.

[@jameslsong1]

@@MJ-mf6rd Hi MJ, for me, it was just one surgery to move my upper jaw forward and lower jaw to the right. That's a lot of surgeries but I'm sure your surgeon knows what he/she is doing.

[@MJ-mf6rd]

Yea exactly my thought until I got the reasons. Anyways, thank you! And keep up the great vlogs. Their very helpful :)

[@hanghang9104]

When can u remove braces

[@jameslsong1]

Hi Hang Hang, right now, the orthodontist wants to close the little gap in my upper teeth. Once that happens, I will get my braces removed. I'm going to assume I will be braces free sometime this year. It's going to be exciting! :)

[@adamm5886]

Hey James, great to see another video, you are looking fantastic.

[@jameslsong1]

Thanks Adam! Hope you’re doing well as well!

[@adamm5886]

@@jameslsong1 thank you, I’m doing quite well myself.

[@doodlebob5218]

Hey James I have the soloution…Cannabis

[@doodlebob5218]

@@jameslsong1find out for yourself