Alright...so I believe the most important thing about this surgery is having a positive attitude about it beforehand. I did and it has made recovery so much more bareable. Being able to compare myself to a pufferfish and take my friends jokes about my lips lightheartedly helped tremendously. One of the big side effects from this surgery is depression. I can't say that I've experienced that, although I have experienced a good bit of frustration because I can't make myself understood. I attribute avoiding the depression to having such a positive lighthearted attitude about the surgery, but it is different for everyone. Also, trying to remain calm while I was waiting in the hospital helped alot too. I just sat there and read my Harry Potter book until they made me give it to my parents, and it just put me in a good mind frame before the anesthesia.

I am a firm believer that you need to want to have this surgery done, unless it is an absolute medical necessity, otherwise recovery will be miserable. Having your jaws wired shut and being on a liquid diet for weeks at a time is not something into which someone should be forced. My OS even commented that I was doing so well because I had wnated this surgery and had no qualms about having it. I could've lived without the surgery, but I do know that I have not had a migraine or even a slight headache since the surgery and I used to have a headache almost every day before hand. Unfortunately, I've not been able to test out my biting abilities yet which I am really looking forward to doing, since I've never been able to incise food properly.