I just came back from a business trip to Hawaii. I was able to extend my trip through the weekend so I can enjoy some of that aloha sun! Here is a picture of a self-portrait of my side profile...

But remember this one below??? This is my ugly side profile before the surgery.

In the scheme of things, despite all the miserable days of recovery and 3 weeks of liquid diet, the 2 years of metal mouth, this is all well worth it!! The pictures are worth a thousand words. And no, I don't think the beautiful sun and beach made the difference.

5 months after surgery

Today is my 5 month anniversary after my Dec 1 double jaw surgery. For the most part, I feel fine although 20% of my upper left lip is still numb. I notice the numbness maybe about 2-3 times a day. Otherwise, it doesn't bother me much. I sure hope it won't be permanent! I wondering if it is will just go away out of the blue.

Eating-wise -- I can eat most things now, including burgers and even peanuts (with my back teeth, of course!) I'm still very cautious of biting hard with my front teeth. My bite is not perfected yet, so I don't want to risk mis-aligning my jaw. By the way, my midline shifted again...since I'm off rubberbands.