Underbite Jaw Surgery: The 3 Month Update
8.1.15
Here we are at recovery month three and wow it has been one hell of a journey so far. This post however won't be the longest, as quite frankly there's nothing much to talk about since my last update apart from a few minor changes. For anybody that is behind on my recovery you can view my last two blogposts here:
So, let's begin...
Swelling and Numbness:
More swelling has gone down since my last post and I would say that there is about 10% swelling left in the cheek area which makes my eyes look slightly sunken in but maybe that is just my general appearance. As I have previously mentioned swelling can last up to 6 months post surgery so there is absolutely no need to panic if you still have areas of swelling. I personally am used to my chubby cheeks now and might actually miss them! In terms of numbness I have absolute none which is amazing beyond belief and I am so grateful to have a normal feeling face again.
More swelling has gone down since my last post and I would say that there is about 10% swelling left in the cheek area which makes my eyes look slightly sunken in but maybe that is just my general appearance. As I have previously mentioned swelling can last up to 6 months post surgery so there is absolutely no need to panic if you still have areas of swelling. I personally am used to my chubby cheeks now and might actually miss them! In terms of numbness I have absolute none which is amazing beyond belief and I am so grateful to have a normal feeling face again.
Eating & drinking:
I was allowed to resume a chewing diet 6 weeks post op and since then food has become like some sort of god to me. Life is now an all you can eat buffet and any weight that I lost during those 6 liquid diet weeks is now straight back onto my legs and behind - oops!
Stretching & pain:
Stretching my mouth open further than the width of two fingers was an impossible task for me until around the 8 week recovery mark. Although I haven't actually ever performed any of the suggested mouth stretching exercises my mouth can now stretch up to 4 fingers wide, which is a little scary but I always did have a big mouth.
Stretching my mouth open further than the width of two fingers was an impossible task for me until around the 8 week recovery mark. Although I haven't actually ever performed any of the suggested mouth stretching exercises my mouth can now stretch up to 4 fingers wide, which is a little scary but I always did have a big mouth.
Any pain is non-existent although their is the odd day when my mouth can feel a bit strained from a long session of talking or facial movement. At three months post op your bones are almost 100% healed meaning that any pain should be next to nothing unless their is infection which is highly unlikely. Something odd that I recently noticed is that if I press against the sides of my nose I can actually feel the metal implants in my face which did freak me out at first, but again it is completely normal.
Teeth & bite:
Finally, I must say that my teeth, bite, facial features, hormones and pretty much everything else is mostly normal and I am feeling bloody fantastic. My self esteem is at a high and I honestly would recommend this surgery to anybody. It has changed my life for the better and I am so grateful to no longer have an underbite. So thank you Kings College Hospital, Mr Hodges, Mr Young and all the orthodontic and surgical team that have looked after me during my recovery. Now I'm just hoping to get my braces off in the next few months and to finally be free.
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