Double-jaw surgery totally worth it!

I had double jaw surgery (maxillary impaction on upper jaw and sliding genioplasty on lower jaw/chin) on 9/25/18.
Dr. Jamali is an amazing surgeon! I wouldn’t want to go through the procedure with anyone else. He and his entire team made this difficult and intimidating experience as easy as it possibly could have been. When an orthodontist recommended I have this surgery I was anxious because of what a big undertaking it was, I had consultations with several surgeons and felt Dr. Jamali would be the best choice.
During our consultation he answered all my questions no matter how small and gave me very detailed, realistic answers. He didn’t rush or invalidate my concerns like some previous physicians; his patience and willingness to listen made me feel that much more comfortable moving forward.
I expressed all of my concerns, both functional and aesthetic ones, and he worked with me to make sure they were all addressed in his plan. I’m extremely happy with the results, so many areas of my life have been positively affected- I can breathe better, I can close my mouth (which means better dental hygiene), and I feel so much more confident having a more proportioned face. I used to be very careful about what pictures of me were taken and extremely self conscious about breathing through my mouth, now I feel like a normal person!
His staff is all super knowledgeable, compassionate, and helpful. Every time I’m running late or have to reschedule they’re very understanding and accommodating. Also, my husband and I changed jobs and because of it switched insurance carriers three times during the process, it was pretty chaotic and confusing but Nina (who handles the administrative duties) helped us work through it every time which we appreciated immensely.
To go a little more in depth about the surgery, I first had to have several extractions including my wisdom teeth, which Dr. Jamali did in his office flawlessly with minimal swelling or pain. Then I had to wear braces for a couple years that were put on by Dr. Lin (the orthodontist who works with Dr. Jamali), who is also great at explaining things thoroughly, answering questions, and distracting you with good conversation when tightening your braces. Then I had the surgery performed at a local hospital. The anesthesiologist that Dr. Jamali works with was wonderful. I was incredibly nervous the morning of, since I had never had a major surgery before, and he was great about making sure I was comfortable and knew what was happening- and bonus points for cracking a few good jokes.
I told Dr. Jamali I was incredibly anxious about being able to breathe after the surgery because I had read online stories of people having difficulty during the recovery process. It helped me feel a lot less stressed out knowing that my jaw wouldn’t be wired shut (I think that is something important to note to prospective patients, he avoids wiring the jaw shut). Luckily after the surgery I didn’t have any trouble breathing at all, and within a week or so I could already tell that I was actually breathing better than before.
When I woke up from the procedure I still had a lot of feeling in my face (I was told some people are pretty numb for months after) and my swelling compared to other cases was much better. I also have virtually no scars from the small incision points that healed quickly. I think this was all due to Dr. Jamali being incredibly skilled and gentle.
Can’t say enough good things about Dr. Jamali, Dr. Lin, Nina, and all the other wonderful nurses and staff at his office and at the hospital. He is a true artist and has really put together a great team.
Feel free to reach out and ask me any questions

These are some pictures of me that I would have considered really unattractive before my surgery. I always tried to take photos from angles where you couldn't see the dimpling around my mouth and chin, or how receded my chin looked, or how much my lips hung open. But these photos do a pretty good job of illustrating all those things so you can get an idea of where I started. My profile was a very drastic change but unfortunately I always avoided having a picture of my profile taken, but I did find a candid shot from a vacation where I'm smiling and you can see the sort of roundedness of my original profile, how back my lower jaw was compared to my upper jaw, and how gummy my smile was. The "gumminess" of my smile actually didn't bother me very much (it was more so the gumminess of my face at rest since my lips always hung open) but if that it something that bothers you and you have been recommended to have this surgery then it is something that can be helped.

So the first couple days after surgery I felt too bad to take any pics/ I didn't think about it because I was too preoccupied trying to figure out how to eat and sleeping. The first pics taken were on 9/28 so 3 days after surgery. They are a little scary but that's just part of the process. My lips were very chapped and bloody for a first couple weeks. I recommend you just drink as much water as you can, even tho it's hard, and moisturize your lips when they're not too tender to do so.