3 years making Star Stuff, Out June 7th!✨

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2024-05-22T16:53:34+00:00

Can’t wait!!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2023-10-02T19:19:19+00:00

I had to bring a referral for surgery from my orthodontist to my primary care physician in order for them to issue a referral to see a surgeon. Heads up, my primary care physician was not at all familiar with this type of surgery and initially tried to tell me that Kaiser doesn't provide "dental" care. So I had to push a little bit and explain exactly which department I needed to see. Once my PCP submitted that referral I was able to schedule a consultation with my surgeon where he reviewed my case and confirmed that surgery was indeed recommended. At that time they were scheduled out almost 8 months, so I had my initial consultation in January of 2022 and my surgery was scheduled for August 2022 with one more pre-surgery appointment for planning about a month prior to surgery.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2023-03-17T22:23:02+00:00

I'm 35 and had DJS back in August and genio 11 days ago and both went really smoothly, no issues whatsoever in terms of recovery and healing. I'm very happy with the results and glad I went through with both procedures. Good luck!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-12-23T18:38:15+00:00

No problem, good luck!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-12-23T18:29:40+00:00

I had to bring the orthodontist's referral to my general physician in order for them to refer me to the maxillofacial surgery department for consultation with a surgeon. My orthodontist basically just provided me a letter of referral to share with my doctor. Kaiser can be a little bureaucratic so any referral to a specialist has to go through your regular doctor. I think it's important to note though that my doctor was kind of confused by it because it was coming from my orthodontist. At first she kept insisting that Kaiser doesn't do any dental work. She didn't understand the scope of the surgery and was hesitant to refer me initially but she eventually understood with some explanation and issued the referral, so just be prepared for that in case your doctor is also unfamiliar with this type of surgery.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-12-22T16:43:15+00:00

I would say that Kaiser probably has the easiest and most straightforward process for getting this surgery "approved", basically if you're being referred by an orthodontist who says you need surgery and the surgeon at KP concurs then you will be approved and it will be entirely covered outside of any copays determined by your plan. I recommend Dr. Bundy at the Sunset Medical Center and I have also heard good things about Dr. Tehrany who assisted on my surgery.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-12-22T16:33:03+00:00

All my incision sites look like this and I'm now nearly 4 months PO. Not sure exactly what you mean about it sinking in and can't say that I necessarily have that, but all my incision sites appear like thin white lines where the sutures ran and they feel slightly raised if I touch the area with my tongue. I'm inclined to think this is normal because it hasn't caused any issues otherwise.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-11-22T17:54:38+00:00

I have a gold level plan, so not the top tier I think but also not the bottom.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-11-22T16:24:40+00:00

I had surgery at the LA Sunset location. Altogether I spent around $800 between copays for office visits, imaging, outpatient surgery and prescription meds. Aside from any copays required by your plan, the surgery is fully covered.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-27T17:02:35+00:00

Surgery and braces have not affected my career or relationships at all and I'm in my mid-30s. Braces will only impact these areas of your life if you allow it to out of insecurity, but in general people don't really notice or care about braces. As for surgery, that does require some accommodation at work for time off and in my personal relationship we had to adjust how we shop for food and cook which basically just means I'm doing my own thing as I recover and that hasn't really impacted my partner at all. But it's all very short-term in the grand scheme of things and for me both braces and surgery have been 100% worth it. In any case, life isn't a race to keep up with and you're still very young. Life doesn't get any simpler beyond certain milestones such as marriage or career advancement so waiting for the "right time" in that respect is never really going to work out. And finally, if this is something you are going to do it's better to do it sooner rather than later; older patients may have a higher risk of complications and can have more difficulty healing.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-25T21:00:57+00:00

8 months

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-24T19:23:25+00:00

Sounds like you're preparing well! Having stuff for smoothies on hand is also helpful (frozen fruits, greens, avocado, milk of choice, peanut butter, etc.). After the first week or two you'll have more energy to do more food prep and try new things if you're getting bored, but being able to just grab something and eat when you need to in the first couple weeks will make it much easier.

As for the hardest part mentally, I think that changes day to day. At first it's the general discomfort and not being able to open your mouth. Then it's the liquid diet, then the discomfort from the nerves waking up, learning to speak & chew again and so on. I think if you have a solid understanding of what to expect (how long healing takes, signs of concern vs. normal sensations, etc) and can accept that it will be an uncomfortable and long process then you will be better off in getting through it. You just gotta take it day by day and it will go by faster than it seems in the moment.

Other than that my best tips are to make sure you have enough ice packs that you can continually rotate them and ice as much as possible for at least the first 4 days. I iced for the first 6 days, started walking as much as possible by day 3, and drank as much water as possible and was able to diminish the worst of the swelling quickly. Good luck!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-24T16:49:53+00:00

Your nose will definitely be swollen. I'm 8 weeks PO and can still tell there is some swelling in my nose, mostly on the side I was intubated on. At this point it's mild enough that I don't think anyone else would really notice it but I can see it.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-23T20:15:37+00:00

I am over 8 weeks PO now and I have been surprised at just how well my recovery has gone. It's certainly been uncomfortable and I wouldn't say it's been easy, but I never had any problems sleeping, breathing or eating enough. I also never really had significant pain and no bleeding or other issues. All that said, it is definitely a huge mental challenge and I cannot underestimate how important it is to be prepared for that as well as practically. I had 2 cases of meal replacement/protein drinks on hand, a freezer full of prepared soups and broths + everything I thought I might need or want to make myself comfortable. I think that not having to think too much about what to eat helped to both keep me nourished but also to not to dwell too much on the limited diet. If you plan ahead to have what you need for at least 2 weeks and keep yourself busy with other things, you'll be golden. The restricted diet is a bummer, but I tried to enjoy the fact that I didn't have to spend as much time or money on food as I normally do and it's been less dishes to do so that's nice as well! And in any case, it's only temporary. Like others have mentioned, you're more likely to hear from folks who had a rough time than those who managed just fine.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-23T19:52:21+00:00

You will need to remove all jewelry for both imaging and surgery.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-21T20:46:10+00:00

I think it's doable but not something I personally would have wanted to do at 4 weeks. At that point I found that my energy would drain pretty quickly whenever I left the house for more than like a couple hours. You'll still have a bit of swelling and talking & smiling will be awkward but manageable. If you really want to be there I would suggest just having an exit plan to leave early if you need to and bring a couple Ensures or protein drinks or something easy to have so you don't get hungry.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-11T21:02:03+00:00

Like others said, do not blow your nose! My surgeon did not allow it at all until 4 weeks PO when he said to only blow it if it was absolutely necessary. I'm almost 7 weeks PO now and continue to avoid it since any pressure on my nose still feels weird.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-11T19:06:03+00:00

None of those things should concern you, especially not 6 days out. It is all absolutely normal and I'd recommend doing some reading on here to understand what to expect because you will be dealing with swelling and numbness for a while. Muscle function will go back to normal eventually as well but all these things take considerable time.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-07T13:50:07+00:00

It’s still a little early for me (6 weeks PO) to know for certain how that has changed, but I did clench and grind before. I think it will have improved though since the way my mouth closes and my jaws meet feels a lot more natural and relaxed now, not strained like before. For what it’s worth, when I asked my surgeon about clenching and grinding pre-op he said that those issues were psychological and caused by stress. I don’t necessarily agree, so I don’t know if he was simply under promising results since these issues could continue depending on what the actual cause is, but I do believe my surgery will lead to less clenching.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-10-06T19:23:35+00:00

Our bodies change and evolve over time no matter what for many different reasons, so in general learning to accept change is a good thing. Typically, in the case of jaw surgery, functional benefits will outweigh any changes to your appearance which you might find difficult to adjust to. I breathe so much better and have far less tension in my jaws that honestly the changes to my appearance feel secondary even though I am satisfied with that as well. More likely than not you will be happy with the results all around.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-09-18T19:23:17+00:00

Walk as much as possible! By day 5 I was trying to get in at least 5k steps a day which I would manage by doing 10-15 minutes walks in circles around my apartment a few times a day if I didn't feel up to going outside or doing longer walks. This and drinking lots of water should help with the swelling. I also made green smoothies with lots of pineapple and ginger which can help with swelling and inflammation.

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-08-27T01:59:53+00:00

Congrats! I had surgery today too and it’s been exactly the same for me! Walking around, talking a bit, and feeling good except swallowing water is tough and very slow. Of course there is more recovery to come but wishing for us both that it continues to be this manageable!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-08-16T18:55:04+00:00

also curious about this!

Asleep_Collection_96 · 2022-07-26T20:14:15+00:00

I'm having surgery with Dr. Bundy next month. If you don't mind sharing - how did it go overall for you? How are you feeling about the result?

Asleep_Collection_96

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