About 25 years ago, I had maxilofacial surgery to bring forward my top jaw and remove my underbite. Can’t really remember how uncomfortable my jaw clicking was – but I do remember telling myself it was 70% medically justified, with the rest being aesthetics. The operation was very painful. It changed my face, and since I was 17 at the time, shaped my life. Episodes like not being recognized at the school cafeteria – after going for 10 years – were a small sample. I was supposed to have minor follow-up surgery “fix” some cosmetic pending things. Which I didn’t do, and hoped I’d never had to touch my face again.
Then in 2013, pain started to flair up on a side of my face during a trip. I tried to ignore it, but it was bad I enough that I needed to stop walking and lean on something when it happened. Mind you, since the original operation, I’ve always had discomfort around my face. For a long time, the post-op numbness around my mouth didn’t go away. This makes it difficult sometime to express myself clearly, and I think it leads me to bite my lip at least once a month. When I got back to Venezuela, I quickly went to a (different) doctor, and he removed the screws on the offending upper jaw. At the time Doctor suggested we wait a few months and then remove the screws on the other side. Which I didn’t do, and hoped I’d never had to touch my face again.
A few weeks back, the pain on my face started appearing again. Immediately I thought the remaining screws time was due. After tolerating the pain for a few weeks, a threshold was crossed, and to listen to Ana and visit a doctor before we returned to Costa Rica. The good news: the pain was actually on the side of my face that didn’t have screws 🤣 (I’d forgotten). The not so good news, I had a pretty big cyst, that needed to come out.
Last Friday it came out – some bone graft replaced it. I feel fine. Hate having stitches on my month, and seeing my face distorted. The cyst was smaller than expected, but the infection worse. But all is good. It’s almost certain I’ll need root canal treatment of the teeth’s below the affected area. Which I will do, and hope I’d never have to touch my face again.