So - this post is a few months late. I meant to put a 2 year anniversary post on here - on Aug. 2, 2012. I've had many people write to me concerning my post op this far out - so they can be aware of their own prognosis. Lately, the questions have been specific to my continuing numbness. Yes, I am still numb on the lower left side of my lip and down to the bottom of my chin - kind of a triangle shape. I am also still numb on the front right tip of my tongue and also the gums covering that lower part of my jaw, also on the left side. It just always feels like tingling - as though Novocaine from the dentist is wearing off. For a long while it bugged me - but now it's a normal part of life. I still hope to regain full feeling, but at this point - over 2 years after surgery, it's not likely. It doesn't interfere with my life - I don't bite it without knowing and I can still kiss my husband (yay!) - I just can't feel if I've dripped something down the left side of my chin. Eating soup in a restaurant is always entertaining. :) Something that has given me hope, however is cranial sacral therapy. I've only had one session, but afterwards, I felt some burning/pain in my teeth/gums behind the left side of my lip where it has been numb. It felt kind of like when a foot has fallen asleep and it tingles/burns as you stamp your foot on the ground to wake it back up - so that is encouraging! I hope to schedule another session this week. You can google cranial sacral therapy - it's fascinating! Anyway, keep the questions coming - I'm more then happy to walk the prospective patients or already operated on through this journey! Even though my jaw will never be perfect (because it grew wrong for 34 years!) and even with the numbness...I would do it again. Here is a before and after picture. The after pic was taken this morning.
Update: Ok, now I'm realizing that you can't see my teeth very well in that pic - so here is a closer up one. You can see that my midlines no longer line up perfectly like they did immediately after surgery - but almost all my teeth touch each other when I bite (instead of only 3, like before surgery) so yay for that!
