23 Vs. 33

I just had my 33rd birthday this weekend.

For those of you who are considering jaw surgery - but hesitating because you think you might be too old - you're NEVER too old.

The picture on the right was taken when I was 23. The picture on the left was taken on my 33rd birthday, just a couple of days ago.

I'm so glad I decided to get braces at age 30 and subsequently undergo jaw surgery. I'm not advocating doing it for purely cosmetic reasons. But, if there are cosmetic benefits in addition to medical ones - then why not?

A Shout Out to Susan

Susan, you have the same orthodontist AND surgeon? Whoa, small world. Leave (another) comment and let me know however I can help out! :)

I live in San Francisco. Don't wanna post my number or email address here for obvious reasons, but you can IM me on Yahoo Messenger at "kristenchat" so we can connect.

One word that will hopefully help put your mind at ease: Dr. Li will send your insurance company a request for authorization. It's his standard procedure. No need for you to lift a finger.

In my case, it was considered Class III Skeletal Deformity. Medical reason enough for any insurance company. The trick is, some of them state explicitly that medical reasons or not, they simply don't cover jaw surgeries, period. That you gotta figure out directly with them. Best of luck!

1 Year Post Op, Before & After Photo 4

Before and after profiles!

The surgery is now a distant memory. I hit my one year post-op anniversary last Thursday, January 31st. You can still see some gum when I smile big - that can't be helped. But, it's part of what makes me look like ME (and my mother), so I don't mind it at all.

Most importantly, I've been excercising my front teeth and cutting through lots of sandwiches and noodles, etc., which I hadn't been able to do in a long time, due to the edge-on-edge bite. Oh, the joy and satisfaction of literally sinking your teeth into food! :)

Another benefit? No more jaw fatigue. Some people get headaches when they're tired. I used to get jaw aches. My jaws would get tired and feel a dull ache. Very annoying. Now poof, that's long gone. Plus, no more clicking or weird shifting when I open wide! That used to freak me out: the weird twisting and popping of my jaw joints when I had to open wide at a dentist's. No more of that. The nightmare is over!

Christmas Party!

Christmas party 2006 Vs. Christmas party 2007.

The photo on the left was taken in January 2007, days before my jaw surgery. The braces had worsened my bite - re-positioning my teeth so that they would meet optimally right after surgery.

If I had to do it all over again, I would, in a heartbeat. Despite the cost, the pain, and the long wait. It's absolutely worth it to get a "normal" bite.

A different Angle

All smiles. :) Now vs. 2004.

7 Months!!

The elastics finally stopped hurting about three days ago. Thanks Mylene, Bill, Graham, and Brandy, for your encouragements.

I can't believe it's September already. New Year feels like only yesterday. Where did the time go? Seep through my fingers again?

Seven months post op - I'm ready to get the braces off and move on. Part of my lower lip and right chin still feel numb, but the feelings have been returning gradually. The photo on the left was taken on the morning of my braces "installation", in February 2006. The photo on the right was how I looked today.

Now that I've been through this, I tend to notice abnormal jaw alignments a lot more than before. Saw this girl at a Napa wine tasting today, who has the exact same problem I did: long face, protruding lower jaw (not quite an underbite yet), pointy chin. We chatted for a few minutes, small talk. Looking at her reminded me of my old self, and how I was always horrified by my own profile and avoided the issue. I was just dying, DYING to tell her about the jaw surgery! But even I wasn't that bold. After all, this is quite personal, and wine tasting isn't exactly the right forum for jaw surgery advocacy. :)

But for all of you out there who're considering the option, if it's medically necessary, and your insurance covers a reasonable percentage, then why not? My $0.02.

Five Months!

Five months post-op today! Before and after photos compared to about a year ago. There's still some numbness in my right chin, and lower right lip, but not much. Maybe 5%?

Mary had asked me in one of her comments if people treat me differently (after the change in my appearance). Good question! I had to think about it for a while. Hmm....No I can't say that people treat me differently, other than that perhaps strangers seem to approach me more often, with random small talks, at ice cream parlors, grocery stores, et cetera. The biggest change took place within my own mind. I feel less self-conscious and more self-confident. I no longer feel the need to conceal my profile and put my best face forward, so to speak. It feels so great to look normal, to know that my teeth and jaws fall exactly where they should (no more edge-on-edge bite!). Sure, the whole ordeal cost a lot of money. But the confidence it brings me is priceless.

Less than 100 days to go....

My ortho said she expects to debrace me by mid-September. In other words, I've got less than 100 days to go!

I'm dreaming about things to sink my teeth into once they're free of metal braces. Babyback ribs! Sticky sesame candy bars! Caramel! Corn on the cobb! Now I feel like a death row inmate planning his last meal - but the opposite. :)

Speaking of death row, did you ever see that Kevin Spacey movie titled The Life of David Gale? A clever, but wildly disturbing story. Hold the popcorn.

Old Photo

Came across an old photo (the one on the left) taken last summer. The photo on the right was taken about a month ago - in other words, about four months after the surgery. I think these two photos are about a year apart. Erin - see how I had a pointy/long chin very similar to yours? I'm no expert.... but I imagine your face will look rounder and more balanced post surgery, just like mine. Good luck! :)

Four-Month Mark!

Wow, it's been four months already, since my jaw surgery on January 31st. I don't think about it much anymore....the swelling's probably all gone - if it hasn't then at least I haven't noticed. The numbness in my chin still lingers, but only about 10%.

The BEST part? Had an appointment with the ortho today to adjust my braces. She had originally estimated to de-brace me by February of 2008. This afternoon she told me it would happen a lot sooner - around mid-September! I am completely thrilled. :)

The photo on the top left shows my profile before braces. The one on the right is my profile as of today. For more before and after photos, click on the links in the left-hand column.

3rd Rock from the Sun

I wish I'd remembered to add 3rd Rock from the Sun to my Netflix queue while healing at home post-op. On a 2nd thought, no I don't. The show is just hilarious, and laughing would've hurt too much. Doug would know. He made me laugh so hard once, about two weeks after the surgery, that I literally had to pinch my lips together to keep the muscles from pulling and hurting too much. Nice mental image, huh? ;)

It feels great to be able to laugh again. :)

Boing, Boing....Bouncing Back

Thanks so much for the support, folks! She's entitled to her opinions - and I'm entitled to a switch. Switching to a new dentist, that is. ;) I was never that impressed to begin with.... and this just provided that last bit of motivation I needed to look around.

I feel extremely grateful that everything has gone according to plan so far - the braces (so far, to date), and the surgery. Couldn't have asked for better!

Mary - Thanks for sharing my blog with your colleague. He can read more about Dr. Li at http://www.drkaseyli.com/. Best of luck!

Ruby, Graham - Thanks for the encouragement. I signed up for a membership at Helium yesterday. It's a site where you can write about any subject they specify, rate each other's articles, and somehow get paid (haven't figured out how that part works yet). So far I've only written two articles, but plan to do more soon. :)

What would I do without y'all (my Texas roots seeping through)? Thanks again, to each of you, for your kindness and support. You've made this journey so much easier.... and even FUN. :)

Dent in My Day

My dentist isn't involved in this whole jaw surgery ordeal, even though her office also does braces. A friend of mine had recommended her ortho and oral surgeon to me, so that's who I went with. When I told my dentist about my plans to undergo jaw surgery, about a year and half ago, she said - "Oh I noticed your bite is off, but I didn't want to say anything 'cause it'd require surgery. The only surgeon I know that's really good lives in Texas. I don't know any oral surgeons here so I can't recommend anyone to my patients." She took some "before" pictures of my face - front view, profile, and smile - so that she could compare and see the difference when I'm done. If the results were good, she said, she'd recommend Dr. Li to her other patients who might need similar surgery.

Fastforward 18 months. I had my dental exam this afternoon. Saw my dentist for the first time since the surgery. I congratulated her on her new baby girl, flashed a smile, and said - "So, are you gonna recommend Dr. Li?"

"Oh....", she paused, "honestly, I think you'd have better results if you went to that surgeon in Texas. He would've made it perfect. Right now you still show some gum when you smile big." (See a photo here)

"Oh, that. Dr. Li had told me that he couldn't make the gum disappear completely when I smile. If he had shortened my upper jaw even further, it'd widen my nose too much. Plus, when your lips are relaxed, the bottom of your upper front teeth is suppposed to peek out just a little. If he had cut out more gumline, my front teeth would've completely disappeared behind the upper lip and I'd end up looking like an old lady. It's all about striking the right facial balance, right?"

"Still, the surgeon in Texas would have made it just perfect. Dr. Walford, I think, is his name. He doesn't do anything by the book and he's brilliant. He would've rotated both of your jaws and made them perfect."

"But Dr. Li did operate on both of my jaws. Besides, I don't mind showing a little gum when I smile big. What IS perfection anyway? It's different from person to person."

"How much did you pay for your operation? Dr. Walford in Texas charges $70,000."

"My surgeon quoted $33,600."

"Ah. Dr. Walford would've made it perfect. He's really famous and well-known, and he's expensive."

"Well," I sought ways to fight back without being rude, "I'm not gonna fly to Texas, and I'm not paying anyone $70,000 for this. By the way, Dr. Li is world-renowned, too. He's top-notch."

She started to say something else, but quick, I beat her to it: "Hey, you don't have to recommend him and you don't have to like the results," I kept a smile on my face, even though, yes, of course I was annoyed. "After all, I'm the one that has to live with it, and I really like it." Then I turned and winked at her assistant, who looked completely mortified.

I'd like to think I have an open mind and can take different opinions. But, I suspect it's insensitive of her to say that I should've gone to some surgeon in Texas when all has been said and done. Obviously there's nothing I can do now, even if the Texan were better than Dr. Li - which I highly doubt.

Bottom line: I'm happy with the results. I can chew properly now and cut noodles with my front teeth. Plus, in my opinion, my face looks more proportionate. Who cares what she thinks, right?

But it still made a dent in my day.

Before and After: 3 Months!

Three-month mark!! It's been three months since my jaw surgery. Click on the photos above to enlarge them. The photo on the left was dated September 2005, pre-braces. The photo on the right was taken yesterday, at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, B.C., Canada (which is, by the way, a beautiful place with lots of flowers. I snapped a photo of a random cute kid walking by).

They say time flies. But honestly, it feels longer than three months! Almost a distant memory. When a colleague asked me the other day how my jaws were feeling, it took me a split second to realize what he meant. :) My diet has gone back to almost normal, as well - still can't do the tougher meats or apples or carrots yet, but all in due time. My chin still feels numb on the right side...and my lower right lip, too. But each week the feelings return a little, so that's good!

Before and After: Umbrella

December 2005 in Victoria, B.C., vs. April 2007 in New York. Click on the photos above to enlarge them.

Two Months Before & After

Hi folks!

I can't believe it's been two months already, since my double jaw surgery. But somehow it feels longer, even though the time has just zoomed by.

The milestone calls for another before and after comparison. The photo on the left (in the Paul Frank braces t-shirt) was taken right before I headed out the door to the ortho appointment to get the braces on. That was February 7th, 2006.

The photo on the right was taken this morning, two months after my surgery. My face does look rounder.... I can see why some people would chalk that up to weight gain. My lower 1/3 face seems less prominent. The feature are more in proportion. Some days I think the differences are subtle. Other times I think "oh my God, now I'm stuck with a round face!" What's your take on it? How much/little has your appearance changed post surgery?




Here (in the photo above) you see me in December 2005, December 2006, and this morning, from left to right. See how my lower jaw is shorter, and my gummy smile reduced? Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Sam's Story - Scanned

My friend Li scanned this Chinese newspaper article on jaw surgery and sent it to me in PDF. For those of you who can read Chinese - enjoy.

For the rest of you - yep, you can probably figure it out from the photos. It's a story about a fresh college graduate named Sam, who had a severe underbite and corrected it through jaw surgery. The article explains in detail what the procedure involves. In short - yet another account of what the surgery's all about. Pretty interesting stuff. Thanks for the info, Li! ;)

Oslo

This posting has nothing to do with teeth, jaws, or orthognathic surgeries. Nope.

Has anyone ever visited Norway?


It's 2:30 in the morning, I can't sleep, and I'm dreaming about the next vacation destinations. Last year I visited Frankfurt, Berlin, Rome, Venice, Paris (again), Hawaii, and Sydney. This year I'm going stir-crazy.

If you've ever been to Norway or Sweden, please kindly give me some pointers. What are the truly memorable spots to visit? What's their food like? Do's and don'ts? Thank you.

On that note, what's the best place you've ever visited?

We can't just all sit at home obsessing about jaw surgeries (not that we HAVE been). OK, maybe *I* have been. But, it's time to change that.

Li, if you're reading this - maybe I should hop over to Stockholm on the same trip. And yeah, I know YOU've got lots of tips on Scandinavia. ;)