has anyone on here had it??
top jaw, bottom jaw or both??
why did you decide it was the right thing to do??
were you happy with the results??
how long were your orthodontics before and after??
what was it like painwise??
how much did your appearance change??
anything else you want to tell me...

My mother is an anesthesiologist and worked closely w/ for 25+ yrs one of the best maxillofacial surgeons there is, in Seattle. He's getting ready to retire his practice after 50 years, but is selling his business to another doctor. I can answer anything you're curious about, as I correspond with my mom all the time. PM me if you'd like.

thank you lolla i have met the surgeon and the orthodontist twice, and i know that if i could have it done tomorrow i would because i don't really fear the operation or the outcome (maybe because i haven't heard any bad stories or anything like that), but the waiting list just for the orthodontics is currently 14 months. then there is (from what i can gather) a year in braces, then the op, then 6 months more in braces. i have never liked my face, but hearing about what is wrong with it has made me feel so much worse, and so i just want to do it and get it over with so i don't feel so ugly anymore. i can't think of any questions about the actual process right now, it would just be nice to hear from some people who have been through it, but if i do think of anything it would be great if i could ask you

That's bull ... is your doc really telling you that you have something wrong with your face? I'd tell that doc to shove it up his *ss. That's a bunch of crap, and that's *NOT* a doctor's job.

You're SUPPOSED to just have surgery if it's medically necessary ... I talked a doc into giving me mine. He didn't want to, but I was insistent. Insurance paid for most of it because he ended up deeming it medically necessary against his better judgement (I was his last orthognathic surgery. I don't know if there's a connection).

Do I regret it? No. Was I prettier before? Actually, yes. There's the irony.

Since I did it to myself, I don't feel sorry for myself at all. I was 19 - old enough to know better. When you mess around with plastic surgery, bad things can and do happen.

Do people still tell me I'm pretty? Yes. I would post a pic on here to show you, but I'm paranoid that my ex-boyfriend will figure out who I am. I spill a lot on this board that I don't tell anybody else, and this guy's pretty crazy.

Maybe some other time.

Anyway, I had the whole she-bang-- upper and lower jaw surgery. I don't remember the pain. I was on loads of painkillers: they gave me morphine, demerol, percocets, lortabs.

I could only drink liquids for 6 weeks. That sucked. And afterwards, your face is really swollen. For a while you will look like a chipmunk. Also, they broke my nose in the process, and had to go back to fix it. It's still a little crooked.

You HAVE to do your physical therapy - it HURTS. You have to stretch your jaw open (more or less pry it open) with tongue depressors. At least, that's what they had me do. I rarely did it, because I was such a young and huge naivetard at the time, but I've regained most of my abilities to open my mouth now. My mouth is much much smaller now, though, and certain "intimacies" are pretty painful.

I'm happy with my face today, but I really was more beautiful before. My smile was much wider pre-surgery, and I looked more natural. Now my face is stiffer-- I never did get back some of my muscular movement. Plus, my jaw pain sucks. It's actually worse than before, if you can believe that.

That's the full scoop on my tryst with plastic surgery.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Just remember: it is YOUR FACE. It ain't your boobs or your ass, and you can't "fix it back."