Reasons For Jaw Surgery

Hello my blogger friends :)

So grumpy, life stinks, moody cow Corrinne is gone! I managed to push her back into the darkest recess of my subconscious, hopefully it will be a while before She is back. I want to say thank you to everyone who offered kind words of sympathy and advice; it really does make a difference when you are having a bad day week.

I love reading about my fellow jaw surgery comrades. You all write such inspiring and positive things that it solidifies all my reasons about why I am going through with this surgery. My reasons are not something that I have really covered in depth on my blog. I thought it was about time I should do - maybe, just maybe, it might help anyone else out there make the decision.

My reasons for have a double-jaw surgery and genioplasty:

• My number one reason is functionality. Not being able to bite correctly causes a number of problems. Teeth will wear down unevenly. Having only a couple of teeth meeting puts a heavy work load on those teeth making them susceptible to more damage. For me personally, it is not only difficult, but it's impossible, to cleanly bite through anything. I cannot bite through a biscuit, a piece of bread or an apple! It makes eating (especially in public) a real chore. Also, having only a few teeth trying to mash up all the food in my mouth is hard work and sometimes I swallow food sooner than I should. Which does cause a few digestion problems.
• My number two reason is aesthetics. My appearance has always bothered me - although to be fair, the older I get the less it does bother me and the more I accept my looks. 
• Jaw pain- Temporomandibular disorder is a bitch. It hurts like mad sometimes. When the jaw joint becomes inflamed it hurts to talk and eat and causes very bad headaches and neck pain and back pain. Yoga is my only (short-term) fix for this.
• Eutachian tube dysfunction & chronic sinusitis - I have an underdeveloped upper jaw which causes narrow nasal passages and narrow tubes in my ears. My ears cannot pop EVER, not even on a plane and if I try to pop them (or if my doctor does) it causes the most agonising pain in my life. Excruciating. I also suffer with permanent stuffy nose and sinus infections.
• Mid-facial neuralgia - diagnosed with a type of neuralgia before I got my braces on, it causes a heavy pressure on my face and cheeks like I have been punched in the face.
• Breathing - I'd prefer not to be an open-mouth breather when I sleep (it's not a very attractive look), I'd also prefer to be able to take a nice deep breath through my nose without a build up of pressure in my cheeks because it feels stuffy. I'm also a very nasal speaker (think Janice from Friends!)
• Speech - I struggle to talk properly. Not only do I have a bit of a lisp caused my my large underbite, I also have to talk slowly in order to correctly pronounce words (as you can see in my youtube videos if you wish).

So just incase those aren't enough reasons for someone to have major surgery on their face; here's a few more which are likely to happen if I don't have this surgery done.

• A life with jaw inflammation, stomach upsets and headaches. Earache, sinus infections, and muscle pain. 
• Arthritis of the jaw at a very early age due to undue stress.
• Teeth relapsing to a crowded position which will result in crooked teeth which are difficult to clean (more decay).
• A life of regret, wishing I'd been brave enough to go through with it.

So there you have it folks. I have one large hang-up about going through with this - the possibility of losing my four upper front teeth. It's a very frightening thought. But I'm willing to risk that for all the other benefits I will gain. Although this is just because of my short roots, it is not a risk of jaw surgery. 

I can't wait until I can eat (and kiss!) properly. I've never heard anyone else mention kissing with a massive underbite - I can say without exaggeration, that it is very difficult and I'm quite sure that I will need much practice at it with my BF when I have my new bite. Something else to look forward to ;)

Take care Jaw Surgery Buddies x