Posted by dirtywater on July 01, 2008 at 19:00:06:In Reply to: Considering MMA-- Question posted by EDomain on June 30, 2008 at 21:55:53:
If you are 35 you will probably recover pretty well. Yes some thing take a year or more to heal, but those are things like nerves, which don't have a large impact on your day-to-day activities. I am 31. I had an MMA in January. I am fully recovered except that the nerves are still growing back, so my chin feels a bit tingly. Of course there is always a risk that the nerves will not grow back.
I was able to talk immediately after the operation. My speech was altered a bit for about 2 weeks. This is because of the swelling and numbness. After that, I was able to talk fine; HOWEVER, if I talked for a long time (more than 30 minutes at a time) my jaw would get sore. So you do need to take it easy with the talking for at least several weeks after the surgery.
Regarding the aesthetics: if you have a prominent chin and your lower jaw is advanced forward, there is a possibility you might not like the resulting look. Some surgeons can produce computer-generated predictive photos so you get an idea of what you would look like. It might be possible to get a chin reduction (mentoplasty) at the same time that your jaw is advanced.
Losing 10-20 lbs might help the apnea also. I have heard differing opinions as to whether small/moderate weight loss can actually help apnea. I'm normal weight, but my weight and body fat fluctuate a bit from month to month. I know that when I'm "feeling fat" my apnea gets worse.
Jeremy