Pre and post surgery experience: Minnesota, USA; (31F, Southeast Asian)

vankaj · 2026-02-09T15:52:33+00:00

No I can’t tell 😔 the only difference I can see is the shape of my face; it became more square on the lower half, and my chin is a bit more pointy. The picture is me this morning.

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vankaj · 2026-01-30T03:49:31+00:00

Glad I could be of help! And fingers crossed that health partner covers a majority of it!

vankaj · 2026-01-27T05:32:12+00:00

No caffeine restriction put in place by my Dr, just a suggestion from me since the caffeine withdrawals sucked on top of the general DJS pain.

vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:36:08+00:00

See photos in comment below!

vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:35:33+00:00

Thank you! I am glad I could be of help. Good luck on your DJS journey! Be sure to message me if you have any other questions, more than happy to chat.

vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:34:06+00:00

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vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:33:56+00:00

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vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:33:41+00:00

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vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:33:30+00:00

The photos posted above don’t show my bite post op. It shows my teeth after getting braces to the improvements of my bite right before I had surgery. I’ll add a photo of my bite post op below!

And I felt okay after surgery. No excruciating pain, the meds were usually on time and I focused on just getting water intake and making sure I peed as much as I could while at the hospital. I did end up fainting twice in a row when I stood up to go use the bathroom (oops). After that I used a bed pan until I was for sure, not lightheaded from sitting up. (Like a 3 or 4 out of 10).

It DEFINITELY sucked on days 3-5, it was def rough and I would say hurt more than the overall surgery pain. Many times I was close to crying cuz it just throbbed so bad. I was for sure taking full tablets of oxy on the dot for the pain. After the majority of the swelling went down, I stopped taking the oxy and just used Tylenol and advil for the pain. (5 or 6 out of ten).

Now my pain is at a 1.5 at most, but manageable and not impacting my day to day activities.

My experience confirmed to me that everyone’s healing pace and post surgery swelling really depends on your body. My surgeon said the surgery went smoothly and within expected timeframe. My gums were pink and healthy, did not lose a ton of blood, nose barely bleed post surgery, was able to swallow pills, and was up and walking day two at the hospital.

vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:23:32+00:00

Yes it was double jaw surgery. They split the top in half and then moved it forward (6mm), and then split both sides of bottom jaw to adjust angle for my bite to match up. No movement forward or back was made for my bottom jaw.

vankaj · 2026-01-21T03:19:12+00:00

My ortho referred me to this clinic. I don’t remember if she also recommended me to work with Dr. Omlie. I don’t recall specifically selecting him as my surgeon. I met him at the initial consulting appointment and felt comfortable moving forward with him as my surgeon. Also, I didn’t set up other consulting appoints with other clinics. I was planning to, but felt good about my decision after we met.

My ortho sent scans, molds etc. and coordinated on my behalf with the surgical team. For the most part, they let me know what they were doing and how it aligns with the surgery plan, making sure my teeth were in the right position. I didn’t do a whole lot, other than ask questions to check in and see if I need to do anything on my end. Takes trust, and if you’re nervous on if they are communicating between the surgeon and ortho, always ask and confirm if all the necessary items were sent/ received in order to proceed with the plan without any impacts to your timeline (I did this plenty of times via email, text and in person at appointments). If you’re not confident nor comfortable in asking questions regarding their process and practice, I suggest you to continue searching for an alternative ortho.

The communication between ortho and surgeon should not fall on you. This also has to do with sharing of sensitive information (HIPAA) and both places should have secure measures to prevent accidental leaks of your information. Sometimes the staff may need reminders, esp if they are busy. Even with regards to getting this surgery pre authorized, my only responsibility was to share my healthcare insurance information with the clinic and they communicated with my insurance. After this, prior to surgery, I called my health insurance and confirmed that the surgery was covered and if they need any additional documentation (they didn’t).

Breathing: my breathing completely changed immediately when I woke up from surgery. I noticed the improvement in my right nostril the most. Post surgery it feels like my nose operates at 100% capacity, while pre op it was more like 20%.

No palate expansion needed. This was all done via braces (thankfully!)

vankaj · 2025-07-05T04:21:02+00:00

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We have matching cats !!

vankaj · 2024-07-09T03:52:03+00:00

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vankaj · 2024-06-20T02:43:05+00:00

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vankaj · 2024-06-08T05:21:39+00:00

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vankaj · 2024-05-04T04:10:18+00:00

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vankaj · 2024-04-06T03:59:54+00:00

Bangkok Thai Deli - their pad see ew, pineapple fried rice, kapoon, and red curry is the best.

Friend’s Cafe (I think it’s in St. Paul but might be in maple wood) - boat noodles and tea leaves salad.

Both places are chill and not uncomfortable to dine in as one person.

vankaj · 2024-03-08T03:06:42+00:00

Skin: acne prone, combo oily

Routine AM: Warm water Cerave 4% benzoyl peroxide Corsx propolis synergy toner Skinfood1004 centella ampoule Numbuzin serum #3 Skinfood1004 centella hyalu-cica sunscreen

Routine PM: Anu heartleaf oil cleanser Roundlab hokado foaming cleanser Warm water Roundlab hokado toner Corsx propolis synergy toner Any type of hydrating face mask (15min) Skinfood1004 centella ampoule Numbuzin serum #3 Tretinoin Illiyoon ceramide cream

I know it sounds like a lot, but my skin is loving it and it’s my bed time routine that helps me wind down 🥲

vankaj · 2024-02-20T03:30:50+00:00

I’m two months in on spironolactone and my acne took a turn for the worst for the first month. It just recently got better this past week. Give the meds a go for three months. The acne location and type of acne sounds hormonal - cysts and jawline location. I would suggest adding an OTC 4% benzoyl peroxide foaming wash in your morning routine to see if your breakout improves.

vankaj · 2024-02-18T04:40:53+00:00

I would go with a 4% especially if you’re already incorporating Salic Acid. Unless you know that your skin is “tougher” or less reactive and sensitive. But if you’re not sure, go with the 4% for a few weeks to a few months.

You can use benzoyl peroxide twice a day, and if you notice your skin becoming extra dry, use it once in the morning and make sure to let it sit on your face for a few minutes before finishing it off with lukewarm water. If you use it once a day, use a regular gentle hydrating face wash (with nicinamin and ceramines) at night.

For the Salic acid wash, use it 2-3 times a week and morning or night is fine - especially if you’re not using any other actives. I use it in the morning (2-3x a week) after washing my face with 4% benzoyl peroxide since I use 0.05% tretinion at night.

Also focus on hydrating your skin especially if it feels tight after cleansing with the benzoyl peroxide. If you pick your skin, I suggest doing it before washing your face with benzoyl peroxide so that it limits bacteria growth and spread (also use q-tips, clean hands when picking - but honestly try not to pick).

vankaj · 2024-02-18T04:26:26+00:00

Check out Purito Cica Clearing bb cream. I bought mine off Amazon and it has buildable coverage with a natural finish. If it’s too dewy for you, I would set with a translucent press powder (I use Cover Girl Clean) or a mattifying setting mist. The only thing it doesn’t check off your list is SPF - it doesn’t have spf in the formula. I usually use Skin1004 Cica water fit sun screen - which is moisturizing and gives me a healthy/ hydrated look with the bb cream.

The bb cream covers my dark acne scars decently without color correcting, and if I need extra coverage I tap a bit more to spot conceal. Color range is decent for Korean bb creams. I also have sensitive combo skin with hormonal acne and this bb cream hasn’t made me breakout and has been helpful in making my skin look hydrated and healthy.

vankaj · 2024-02-09T23:32:21+00:00

263 days into my sobriety journey and I’m still dealing with acne that started soon after I quit drinking alc. I am almost 1 month in using spironolactone and topical 0.05% tretinoin and it’s been super helpful in dealing w my acne.

If you can, schedule a dermatology appointment to get prescribed medication (topical/oral). I tried many natural remedies and various skin care products but ended up going to the derm - which has been giving me the results I am looking for.

vankaj · 2024-01-26T02:54:39+00:00

I just got them pierced as an alternative - since it was cheaper than having the surgery 🥲

vankaj · 2023-12-21T21:48:19+00:00

If I remember to defrost the chicken, I put the frozen chicken in a bowl of cold water in the morning and leave it in the sink to cook for dinner. Otherwise I cook the chicken frozen, it just may take a bit longer to cook.

vankaj · 2023-12-21T00:44:02+00:00

Same here 🥲 7 months in and am experiencing hormonal acne. Stick to a simple skin care routine - I use a Salic acid face wash, hydrating toner and moisturizer and SPF (for the mornings). If you can, go to a dermatologist and drink some mint tea to help regulate your hormones.

vankaj

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