Reasons for Surgery

Recently I have had several other "jaw buddies" state that my situation has made them second guess getting their jaw surgeries. This scares me because if anything my experience should do the exact opposite! If I didn't have this surgery I would have eventually lost all of my teeth due to my clenching/grinding/terrible alignment of my teeth. Not to mention the terrible/unbearable pain I was in pre-surgery. Compared to where I was pre-surgery I am doing amazing! I just still have pain and muscle spasms (due to the arthritis) that the average person doesn't have. These are things I knew would not be cured by my surgery. Surgery DID help tremendously and I have not regretted for one second getting my surgery.

Dr. Gunson and his team have been so supportive and helping in figuring out what treatment is best for me pre/post-op. Nothing is black and white, and no two people will have the EXACT reasons for having surgery, nor the exact results. It is a personal choice, and for me I know I could not have had a great quality of life if I had not gone through with the surgery. Has it been a walk in the park? No. Has it cost a lot of money? Yes. But can I chew my food? Yes. Is my pain level below a 6 every day? Yes. Do I have confidence in my smile? Yes. Do I sleep better at night (both mentally & physically)? Yes.

This process certainly is frustrating and confusing, but I know I am getting the best care I can for the situation I am in.

I hope that my "case" is never the reason for someone to or not to get surgery, but more of a motivation for other people to do their research and do what is best for them.

Again, no two people go into surgery in the exact same way and no one comes out the exact same way. We certainly have similar "cases" but it is really up to you and your families to figure out what is best for you. If you have questions about surgery, or my particular case I am happy to answer them BUT I am not a doctor and can only speak to my experiences. 

Always Smiling :)

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 24, 2010 at 6:56 PM

    You're doing GREAT, Mary. We agree with your assessment of the situation. We all have issues of one sort or another. One step at a time. You've conquered one hurdle, now on to the next. Life is the journey, not the destination! So... enjoy and SMILE.

    Dad

    ReplyDelete
  2. rrussoAugust 30, 2010 at 8:44 PM

    Hi Mary,

    You don't know me, but I randomly came across your blog while doing some research on condylar resorption. I had jaw surgery with Dr. Arnett, Dr. Gunson's partner, in December, 2005. And it was the best thing I ever did. I was 20 and a senior in college when I had it done - I am now 27 and I still feel amazing. The pain I had before having surgery was excruciating and I never have problems now, other than the occasional pain if I chew gum.. which I shouldn't be doing anyway! I have had to make some trips back to Cali to have my bite adjusted here and there, but all in all, it was definitely the right decision.

    I hope no one is second guessing reconstructive surgery -- it has changed my life.. looks like it changed yours, too! Thanks for sharing your journey through a very long, grueling process.. I can definitely empathize!! Thanks again for sharing! :)

    -Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownAugust 21, 2015 at 4:11 PM

      Hi Rebecca,

      Not sure if you'll get around to reading this - but may I ask did what sort of surgery you had? Did you notice any relapse?

      Did you have joint replacements at all?

      Thanks.

      Delete
  3. Rebecca MariaSeptember 2, 2010 at 10:52 AM

    congrats on getting through it! i'm one month my recovery, so i feel the worst has passed and it has definitely been a long and painful process. I read all these jaw surgery blogs before my surgery, but i didnt appreciate what so many people were going through until it was my turn. Thanks for being open on your blog about everything and helping the rest of us out!

    -becca

    survivingjawsurgery.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. CleoSeptember 4, 2010 at 5:32 PM

    Mary,

    Your comments on the other forum about jaw tenderness haven't changed my mind about getting surgery. Thank you for continually blogging and posting. It helps to hear how you are doing. I'm starting to get nervous for surgery because I know it's right around the corner. I plan on having it sometime next spring once I've had braces on for 4 to 5 months and everything is set with insurance. I cannot wait to have all my teeth come together comfortably. It consumes my every thought. Good luck with the tenderness. Hope you start feeling better and enjoy the benefits thus far.

    Ryan

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 40 Post-Op...Hook Pain

Image
Last night (Sunday night) I had an appointment with my Orthodontist (Dr. C) and my NYC Dentist/Periodontist (Dr. Mac). The appointment was from 8:15 to nearly 10PM. It was a good appointment to see them both and hear what they have to say about my surgery (all positive). Dr. Mac worked on stabilizing my teeth a bit. I had some metal on metal contact with the bands in the back. My biggest concern at the moment is the hook. Below is a picture of the screw on the top, I connect the band from the screw to the wire hook (that is in my jaw bone & through my flesh). As stated in my last post, this pain is excruciating, stomach churning, pain. Last night Dr. Mac put a special topical ointment on the area before attaching the band and I could still feel it. The Dr's discussed how to maybe alleviate some of the pain. The solution last night was to put the band under the top wire (shown below) instead of going over it. This did not see to feel any better last night, and today it just made
Read more

1 Year Post-Op!

Image
Day 365 Days Post-op - 11.4.2010 This was the fortune I got the week before my surgery. I decided to keep it as my good luck charm. Before and After Profile Here I am, 1 year post-op and smiling on ! It's hard to believe it has really been a whole year since surgery. In the last couple of weeks I have been getting those same feelings I had last year before surgery (stress, anxiety, fear, etc). PTSD of sorts perhaps? I am so incredibly glad that I do not have to mentally and physically prepare myself for such an intense surgery this year! It was 100% worth it, but as my other post-op jaw buddies know, it is very stressful! Besides recovering from the enormous surgery over the past year, I have also been getting back into teaching! I could not be more happy or excited! :) I am currently a cooperating teaching a local kindergarten classroom. We have the greatest class, and it is great to finally be doing what I love!  My ROM (range of motion) is at 35mm which is in the &
Read more

166 Days Post-Op

Image
Whoohooo !166 days post-op! Today I met with Dr.'s Chira and Mac. Dr. Mac flew up from NYC, so it was nice not to have to travel to see him! The appointment was bitter sweet. I am making great progress, and my bite is perfect, BUT I'm not quite ready to be out of all of my braces yet. The plan is that at the beginning of May I will have impressions taken, from these models Dr. Chira will make a partial banded retainer for my bottom front teeth (eye tooth to eye tooth). At the end of May I will have those brackets taken off and have the retainer banded into place so my teeth don't move. All of the bottom braces can't come off because the back brackets need to be used with rubber bands to help control my bite while the top teeth are being tweaked. Dr. Mac is going to use the models to help decide what/how my teeth need to be tweaked and adjusted via periodontics, hopefully I can see him at the beginning of June to have work done. I don't know when the top and the res
Read more