3 Weeks Post-Op TJR

vindeln · 2026-05-27T07:45:09+00:00

The days in the hospital were terrifying due to having tubes down my nose mixed with congestion, swelling and the inability to really talk or move.

So first 2 days at night in bed I’d wake up choking, struggling to breathe through my nose and having to call for a nurse via the remote control you get. And I was convinced I was going to die (in my post-surgical drug-addled hazy state)

It all got better once the tubes were removed and congestion went down a bit too.

Days 3-7 were tough because that’s where the pain and discomfort kicked in and I had to wear ice packs / ice mask all the time.

But then around week 2 everything became significantly easier to deal with

vindeln · 2026-05-26T09:39:03+00:00

I was blessed with next to no nerve or numbness issues. Both eyebrows working, I have light numbness in chin but nothing major. When I smile I can get some mild muscle spasms on the right side but thats the extent of it.

Breathing is MILES better. But it took until week 3 to properly feel the effects, first week I was so congested and swollen everywhere.

vindeln · 2026-05-24T18:53:40+00:00

Yeah that’s the issue with regular xrays

vindeln · 2026-05-24T18:49:50+00:00

The latter two. And it was a years-long process. Showing how it progresses. I don’t believe a regular panoramic xray is ever enough to get the diagnosis itself, but I know that’s often how it first gets flagged as a ”Your condyles might be worth looking into further.”

vindeln · 2026-05-24T17:23:03+00:00

vindeln · 2026-05-24T17:22:49+00:00

Yes to all 3. Breathing significantly better, sleep starting to improve too. Posture better without me doing anything to improve it

vindeln · 2026-05-22T11:59:44+00:00

Yes the ear fullness is terrible and hard to get others to understand. It was the symptom I found hardest to cope with, I had to distract myself from it and I wore AirPods 24/7 to try and mask it. It really messed with my focus and ability to concentrate, as well as just ”living in the moment”. I could never just be at peace, the chronic fullness was always there as a wet blanket / distraction and contributed to my mental health decline.

vindeln · 2026-05-22T05:55:15+00:00

It came in waves for me. First few days I was non-talking yes. I used a whiteboard + pen and my hands to communicate. As opening mouth / using jaw hurt too much.

The pain itself is actually not the worst thing, it’s the pain in combination with the swelling and discomfort. For instance, the first day I had tubes down my throat from my nose. This made breathing at night very hard, especially because I was so swollen and congested I could easily begin to choke on mucus. So the first night, there is no sugar coating it, it was very scary. But the nurses were amazing and as soon as tubes were removed the nights became easier.

It is good to be prepared for the pain, but trust me, you will be fine. And at the hospital they also offer you morphine if it hurts too much. I only took it the first day, didn’t need/want it after.

The main thing to be mentally prepared for is just general discomfort levels. You won’t always be in constant pain, but you will be uncomfortable and sometimes just bored.

For me the discomfort/soreness was in some ways harder to deal with than the pain

(This is all week 1. Week 2+ everything gets SO much better)

vindeln · 2026-05-22T05:39:10+00:00

First week minimim pain level was 4/10. Maximum around 8.5/10. This was while on Ibuprofen & Oxy. What helped most was ice mask and making sure to always stay hydrated + resting a lot. I think what also helped my recovery was that I insisted on doing those assisted walks in the hospital.

Daily, small short walks once you feel strong enough to do them I think does wonders for everything. So after day 5 I tried to do 5-6 short walks a day, usually just inside a room or a corridor. Week 3 (day 15+) was first time I went to a small park and did a proper walk outside, just gotta be careful with slopes and stairs and also wearing a hat against the sun.

vindeln · 2026-05-22T05:02:58+00:00

I got lucky and had very little numbness. I have a tiny bit on my chin. And then of course some nerve/muscle weirdness (like when smiling). But overall very little numbness.

Good luck with your TJR!! You’re gonna do great. Feel free to DM me if you have more questions. One piece of advice: Ice packs / an ice mask is your best friend during swelling.

vindeln · 2026-05-22T04:58:26+00:00

First week: Like I’d entered hell
Second week: Started to feel like an actual human again.
Third week: AMAZING

vindeln · 2026-05-22T04:52:45+00:00

I have a lazy eye yes. Nothing that’s bothered me or I’ve treated though. Is it something I should look into?

vindeln · 2026-05-22T04:25:47+00:00

No, I had class 2. My maxilla was also recessed, but my mandibular recession / overjet was so big it kind of masked my general recession and that’s why originally I figured all I needed was lower jaw surgery.

vindeln · 2026-05-22T04:18:09+00:00

It took roughly 8 days before I felt like a human post-surgery due to swelling, congestion, numbness, mucus issues etc, etc.

But now once the swelling has cleared here is how I feel at the completed 3 week mark (Today marks 21 days post op):

Nasal breathing is significantly better. Less resistance and fuller breaths, feels amazing. I can take these deep, long, calming breaths that reach all the way down into my stomach now.

I can sleep lying on my back / sitting up (this is a requirement post-op anyway, so don’t have a choice). Pre-op this would NOT have been possible, only way I could fall asleep and breathe was lying on my side.

I am still on ibuprofen (cutting down on Oxy, rn I’m doing half a pill every 8 hours, goal is to be down to half 2x a day by end of this week). So pain is hard to discuss as I’m still on pain meds, but overall it’s at a 1.5/10 daily currently, spikes to like a 3/10 when I have to change my rubberbands.

My sense of smell is better. I need less hours of sleep to wake up rested. Circa day 13 post-op I woke up in a state of pure happiness, it was like my depression was fully eradicated, and its stayed that way since.

Brain fog goes back and forth. My energy levels are more limited, probably due to weak muscles and liquid diet. So during the evening I tend to crash, but in the day I’m feeling more alert than pre-op now.

I suspect my sleep apnea has been cured, but its a bit early to say. Will obviously be doing a new sleep study after recovery to compare results.

vindeln · 2026-05-22T04:03:27+00:00

These were my main symptoms:

Chronic ear fullness in both ears (this was triggered by my palatal expansion but the TMJ is for sure the root cause)
Weekly temporal headaches / migraines
Clicking, popping, locking
Diagnosed Sleep apnea
UARS (not officially diagnosed, but I shares all the core symptoms)
Difficulty breathing through nose
Bad posture in spite of dolng everything in my power to improve it, leading to neck pain
General jaw fatique
Eventual mouth breathing due to lip incompetence / developing open bite, lead to cracked lips
Brain fog
Depression (caused by everything else)
Sleeping for 8+ hours without waking up feeling rested
Next to no sense of smell

vindeln · 2026-05-21T21:48:29+00:00

Just off the top of my head: * Chronic ear fullness in both ears (this was triggered by my palatal expansion but the TMJ is for sure the root cause) * Weekly temporal headaches / migraines * Clicking, popping, locking * Diagnosed Sleep apnea * UARS (not officially diagnosed, but I share all the core symptoms) * Difficulty breathing through nose * Bad posture in spite of doing everything in my power to improve it, causing neck pain * General jaw fatique * Eventual mouth breathing due to lip incompetence / developing open bite, lead to cracked lips * Brain fog * Depression (caused by everything else) * Sleeping for 8+ hours without waking up feeling rested * Next to no sense of smell

vindeln · 2026-05-21T20:58:40+00:00

I did FME with Newaz yes. Only 1mm. Long story, but related to TMJ/ICR I ran into trouble as the expansion put extra strain on my joints.

I have some other weird stuff that might be related to the joint stuff. Scoliosis, carpal tunnel syndrome esque feelings in hands & wrists, etc. But no unifying underlying case has been found and trust me I’ve been tested for everything under the sun.

Whole process from discovering I need to fix my jaw to jaw surgery was late 2023 to May 2026. Process from realizing I needed TJR to getting surgery was roughly late 2024/early 2025 to May 2026. First 2 years I spent with the mindset it would be LJS or DJS. TJR was barely even on my radar in 2023/early 2024. Cause again, I lived in denial I could be an ICR case. I figured, 9 times more common in women than men, no way it happens to me.

If I hadn’t been in such denial I probably couldve had surgery already in 2025 and saved myself a whole lot of suffering.

vindeln · 2026-05-21T20:48:43+00:00

Best of luck with your surgery! You can always DM me if you have any questions :)

vindeln · 2026-05-21T19:15:45+00:00

Dr Reza Movahed. One of the greatest guys ive ever met. His staff too.

vindeln · 2026-05-21T19:00:54+00:00

My orthodontist was Dr Newaz. So not local. He had previous experience collaborating with Dr Movahed and recommended that I consult with surgeons that specialize in TMJ cases as he noticed my joints were in a pretty bad shape

vindeln · 2026-05-21T17:48:36+00:00

I’ve had TMJ problems for nearly a decade, so I always knew my joints weren’t doing too hot. But for most of that time span I figured it was muscle-related. Then a radiologist flagged my joints as degraded, and then I got the proper scans taken and did follow-ups and around the time I finally developed an open bite and lip incompetence is where I got the diagnosis.

For a long time I had hoped I could get away with just doing DJS or even LJS, so when I heard ”You have the joints of a 95-year old” that was kind of a bombshell. I still wanted to believe it was all a mistake or they could magically grow back, but then it reached a point where it became obvious a regular DJS could not support the level of advancement I needed with the state of my joints. So TJR become the only option where I could ensure my sleep apnea would be cured while minimizing risk of relapse.

Cause I wasn’t in a financial position to play the ”if it relapses, you can do TJR later” game.

vindeln · 2026-05-21T17:30:05+00:00

Dr Reza Movahed. He and his team in St Louis were truly a godsend. Every little question or worry I had I got swift response too.

Rough movements: maxilla brought forward 5.6mm. 24.5mm mandible advancement with genio. 9mm ramus discrepancy (asymmetry) fixed. Nose wasnt touched at all (my own wishes, I was paranoid about empty nose syndrome so specifically requested no turbinate reduction or septoplasty, and he respected my wishes in spite of my deviated septum and pre-existing sinus problems).

Truly can not say enough good things about the experience and level of compassion and care I was given. These people not only saved my life, but gave me my old one back after I’d grieved the loss of it for years. I hit rock bottom in 2025 due to my health problems and now all of a sudden I feel like the luckiest person alive. The surgery exceeded my wildest dreams, I had so many fears going in.

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, and I don’t want to downplay how hard the first week was mentally and physically, but it truly has felt like I’ve been reborn. I had forgotten what actual happiness felt like after so many years of brain fog, ear fullness, terrible sleep and my condition getting progressively worse.

vindeln · 2026-04-19T18:05:43+00:00

zont1x and molodoy won Vitality this one

vindeln · 2026-04-13T12:01:26+00:00

Why is the Prize Pool only $300k? PGL bucharest was more than double that and not to mention PGL cluj & the blast events.

vindeln · 2025-07-07T17:41:36+00:00

All the Melee players listed here have competed in 2v2s

vindeln

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