Author Topic: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree  (Read 4174 times)

sofia145

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Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« on: November 30, 2014, 09:07:45 AM »
Hello there!  :)

First off, sorry for my very bad english, it's not my first language so yeah;

So, my problem is my looks.
I'm 16 years old now and I've been bullied since I was a child and it doesn't seem to get better. People around me always found some words to decribe my face and those were often hurtful. They called me horseface, that I look like a man, and so on.
So yeah, my looks also really changed the way I'm acting, I used to be outgoing and funny to be around, now I'm rather shy and I don't trust people. I also used to like shopping and going outside, but since people on the street just often stopped me to throw some rude words into my face, I don't do that anymore and practically just sit in the house the whole day.

A month ago I couldn't keep this in anymore and had to tell my parents. And after some time they decided to take me to a jaw and face surgeon.
There the surgeon saw my problem, said that it is because I have a short forehead and a really long lower and mid face. She said she would shorten my upper jaw, (since I have a bit of a gummy smile also) and shorten my chin + some sort of rotate my lower jaw. So, basically upper+lower jaw surgery.

The doctor is the best jaw-surgeon in my country and one of the best in Europe, so she said there most likely won't go anything wrong.
BUT: my parents don't want me to get this surgery, since they're afraid of the risks anyways. I mean, I can understand them, but I don't know how to tell them how important it really is for me and how lifechanging it'd be. Also, I'm only breathing through my mouth, sometimes have a pain when biting and am snoring.
So it also would be functional.

It's not about the money, since my health plan would pay for it.
So, how should I tell my parents that and are there more risks because I'm only 16? My surgeon says my jaw and face is already full-grown, so it wouldn't make a difference.

It would be so very nice to hear your opinions and thank you so much for reading, I really need your help at  the moment!

Thank you ~ :)

needadvancement

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2014, 09:25:30 AM »
It sounds like you have a very, very ideal situation. I mean you even have the costs covered on top of a top surgeon, AND you have the courage and willpower to actually want to go through the surgery process. I think your parents are understandably worried but I think it would be wrong for them to deny you this life changing oppertunity. Have you talked to them about how much it would mean to you and how unhappy you are physically and mentally?

I think if they allowed you to go to the consult, there might be hope that they could change their minds and allow it.

sofia145

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2014, 10:05:37 AM »
@Tumerican:
Wow, yeah your post describes my thoughts perfectly and I feel sorry that you also have to go through this.
My parents also always bring up that mental-state thing up and I already told them I'll never really be happy when I can't even do the things I like, because of my appearance.
They said I should go see a psychologist and so I'm going to see one next week.
I hope that I can tell him everything and that he'll understand me a bit better than my parents.  :-\

But, I don't think they will really understand me, my father already said he won't ever support me in this process, which was a bit hurtful since it is important to me.
Oh and I'm mouthbreathing since I was young, because of my (I forgot to mention) overbite. Yes, this really wasn't the best for my face and the problem is jaw has changed the way that no matter how long I'd wear braces I'd never be completely able to close my mouth.

@needadvancement:
Yeah, I also think so and first I was very happy to hear that even the costs would be covered. Also my father wasn't very happy about the operation, but he said if I think I really want it I should do it. But then when he talked with my mother about that and they googled what terrible things happened to patients going through the same operation, they said no.
Of course there are some horror-articles about that theme, but there are so much more good reviews.
I even showed them some of them, but they always found an excuse for those reviews.
I just really don't know what to do...

ticktickatick

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2014, 05:01:48 PM »
I went through late stage jaw growth in my mid twenties so I definitely would not recommend getting jaw surgery until you have been an "adult" for some years yet. If you get surgery now it's very likely you can get some micromovements that will screw everything up in long run.

sean89

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2014, 05:14:34 PM »
Definitely get the surgery.

The next few years are some of the most important years of your life. In the very rare case that you need a revision over the next ten years because the jaw moves micro amounts then do that as well, but don't wait any longer if your dysmorphia is as bad as you describe.

Gregor Samsa

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2014, 06:01:21 PM »
What happens when you're turn 18? Will you still be on your parents insurance then? That might be something for them to consider.

PloskoPlus

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2014, 04:31:08 AM »
Family are the worst at judging your appearance, because familiarity (get it?) creates acceptance, if not outright attraction.  The expression "a face only a mother can love" exists for a reason.  There are severely deformed kids (as in syndromal, not just jaw recession or overgrowth that most have here) whose parents refuse treatment because their kid "looks fine" to them.  When you spend a lot of time with someone, you get used to them.  Heck, I'm 37 and my parents were ambivalent about my surgery.  Now they admit that I looked really haggard pre-op (a recessed mid face will do that with age).

Your best option is to bombard your parents with very good jaw surgery before and afters.  Try to get a morph for you case and show it to them as well (although this may backfire if they say they can't see the difference).  Them seeing you in the mirror (not the normal perspective) or in a mirrored photo or a mirrored before and after morph may also help break the spell.

PloskoPlus

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Re: Surgeon says I should have jaw-surgery, but parents won't agree
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2014, 01:00:00 AM »
how did you know your midface was recessed? Would you mind sharing any before and after photos? If not I understand.

Underbite.  I thought it was because of the big lower jaw, but it was the upper jaw that was undersized (poor tooth show, loose skin, sunken profile).