The Plan

Now that I've assembled my elite team of medical professionals, there has to be a plan of attack. 

The first step is to get braces (again).  The braces have to align the teeth at three key points during the process.  First, they have to correct any pre-existing alignment issues.  Second, they have to align the teeth in preparation for the surgery.  My teeth will, hopefully, be aligned based on how the structure of my mouth will end up after surgery.  Finally, the braces remain on during and for a certain amount of time after surgery in order to tighten things up and align my teeth in my "new" mouth. 

The surgical part of the process is the most anxiety-producing portion for me.  It will involve at least one night's stay at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and general anesthesia, neither of which I've experienced before.  There are also potential complications.  Since my jaw is being cut almost into two pieces, there is the possibility of nerve damage, damage to the bones or teeth, and all that good stuff.  Most of these are very rarely seen in this procedure, but still have to be considered. 

The plan for me, at least at this point, is for the surgeon to go in and cut through my upper jaw (right under my nose) and remove some bone in the back of the upper jaw.

Borrowed from Krames Patient Education pamphlet "Orthognathic Surgery" (2006)

Once the "extra" bone is removed, small plates and screws will be put in to hold things in place during the healing process.  While plates & screws may not sound appealing, they mean that my mouth will not have to be wired shut after surgery and that makes me happy. 

Dr. Levin explained that my lower jaw will rotate further up after surgery, to compensate for the changes.  This will make my chin stick out further.  I'm a little nervous about the fact that my overall appearance will be affected.  I'm no supermodel or anything, but this is my face and I've gotten used to it and don't especially want to look different.  Hopefully the change will be subtle. 

Even though my mouth will not be wired shut after surgery, I will be on a liquid diet for several weeks before I can chew even soft foods.  Those of you that know me, know that I love food and this is going to be a struggle for me.  Many of you also know how grumpy and dangerous I can be when not fed properly.  Needless to say, my parents are considering taking an extended out-of-town vacation while I'm recovering.  Anyone know if a bacon cheeseburger can be liquefied in a blender?