Common Questions
Following is a list of the most common questions I’ve received about double jaw surgery. If your question is not answered below, feel free to ask about it in the comments and I’d be happy to respond there.
Before the surgery:
- Why should I get jaw surgery?
- Is jaw surgery painful?
- How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
- How much does jaw surgery cost?
- What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
After the surgery:
- Will I look different after jaw surgery?
- How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
- Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
- Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
- What can I eat after jaw surgery?
Cries for help:
- Help, I’m experiencing pain!
- Help, my breath is terrible!
- Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
- Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
- Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
Why should I get jaw surgery?
There are several reasons to undergo jaw surgery:
- To be able to chew with all your teeth
- To speak without a lisp
- To speak without spitting
- To stop your mouth from hanging open
- To stop breathing through your mouth and start breathing through your nose
- To change your appearance (side profile)
These reasons are all explained on the Reasons to Get Jaw Surgery page.
Is jaw surgery painful?
Jaw surgery is usually not painful. This may be difficult to believe, but since your nerves become bruised and numb during the surgery, you don’t actually feel any of the pain. By the time feeling returns to your face, most of the pain is gone.
Granted, you’ll experience a bit of pain when you yawn, sneeze and cough. It’ll also hurt when your jaw spasms (and it will spasm for the first month), but for the most part, you should not experience much pain at all.
How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
It will take 90 days (3 months) for a full recovery after jaw surgery. Most of your feeling and energy will be back after 2 months, but it takes a full 90 days for your bone to fuse back together. A full range of motion in your jaw will return depending on how much you’re moving it around, so make sure you follow the exercises your surgeon gives you.
How much does jaw surgery cost?
Jaw surgery costs roughly $5000 in Canada, but that price may differ significantly in other provinces and countries. If your surgery is deemed cosmetic (instead of “medically necessary”), the cost will be higher because you’ll be required to cover the hospital bills. Sadly, patients in the US have seen jaw surgery bills in excess of $50,000.
What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
You can find a full list of items that with help you through the recovery at the Must-Have Recovery Products page.
Will I look different after jaw surgery?
You will notice subtle changes in your appearance following jaw surgery. Your overbite/underbite will no longer be present and your cheeks, nose, and chin may take on a different shape as well. My cheeks filled out a lot as a result of my surgery.
How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
Most people lose between 5–10 pounds during the first month of their recovery. The general rule of thumb is that you will lose weight until you reach your natural body weight.
Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
Yes, you will experience extreme numbness following jaw surgery. During the operation, several nerves in your face and chin have to be moved around. When you move a nerve, it becomes bruised, and when a nerve is bruised, it stops providing sensations, thus giving you that numb feeling (more on this in my Day 20 post).
Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
70% of patients regain full feeling, while 30% may experience slightly numb areas in their cheeks, chin and lower lip for the rest of their lives. The feeling you have after 6 months post-op is likely what you’ll live with for the rest of your life.
What can I eat after jaw surgery?
You’ll be on a strict liquid diet following jaw surgery. Buy lots of Boost, Ensure or Carnation supplements and learn to make smoothies, because these will be your staple foods for at least the first 2 weeks. I had to eat them for 8 weeks, but my surgery was a bit more invasive than most. You’ll probably have to administer your food through a syringe for the first week as well.
Once your surgeon gives you permission to start chewing again, you can begin to eat soft foods such as pasta and mashed potatoes. During the weeks following your re-entry into the realm of chewing, you’ll be able to eat whatever is comfortable. Don’t expect to tear into a steak as soon as you’re allowed to chew again, though.
If you have the following implements, you should survive perfectly fine:
- A reliable blender (this is extremely important, as you’ll be blending almost everything)
- Smoothie materials (ice cream, yogurt, milk, bananas, strawberries, granola, peanut butter, honey, etc.) — Recipe
- Soup (you’ll have to blend everything except tomato soup)
- Ensure, Boost or Carnation (I drank 3 of these per day during my liquid diet phase)
- Prune juice (you’ll need the fiber in it)
- Whole milk (you’ll need all the calcium you can get so your bones heal back just as strong as they were before)
- Water (make sure you drink at least 1 L of water per day; drinking 2 L per day is a much better option)
The most important item on that list is water. If you don’t drink enough water each day, you’ll become dehydrated and sick, and your bowel movements won’t feel good because none of the fiber you’re eating will dissolve into your body.
Help, I’m experiencing pain!
If your pain is chronic (ie. consistent and throbbing), you may have an infection and should schedule a visit with your surgeon just to be safe.
On the other hand, if your pain comes in small bouts, it’s likely your nerves reawakening or your teeth being pulled by the elastics. In this case, just be patient and the pain will subside in due time. If you were prescribed pain medication, that may help as well.
Help, my breath is terrible!
At times, your breath may be indicative of the fact that you are not allowed to brush your teeth or floss during the first several weeks of recovery. To aid in freshening your breath, try gurgling with warm salt water a few times each day. Soon enough, you’ll be given the go-ahead to brush and floss again.
Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
An open bite is a common problem following jaw surgery. Fear not, however, because your teeth will naturally grow until they encounter opposition (in the form of your other jaw), so this problem will slowly correct itself over time.
Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
If you have been given the green light to resume eating regular food, but the movement in your jaw doesn’t seem to be returning, try whistling and chewing gum each day. Whistling will help to break up scar tissue, while chewing gum will stretch the muscles in your jaw.
Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
This is perhaps the most common fear people have following jaw surgery. Remember that swelling takes a minimum of 3 months to go away, so try to avoid judging your appearance until that point.
Also, keep in mind that you are your own worst critic because you’ve been seeing your face in the mirror every single day for most of your life. While the subtle changes in your appearance seem drastic to you, most people will not even notice that your face changed shape.
March 17, 2014 at 3:00 pm
HI! Well I’m 17 and I’m supposed to have jaw surgery in June. I’m also supposed to start college in August.. In about that time between June and August will I be done with the swelling? Will I look decent enough to make first impressions? Someone also mentioned drooling after surgery. I won’t be drooling will I?
March 18, 2014 at 8:38 am
Kim, as long as you have a full two months between surgery and college, you should be in good shape. You may still be a bit swollen, but your speech will be back to normal and you should be able to eat most things at that point. In you’re in school, summer is the best time to undergo the surgery, so I encourage you to go ahead with it and cross it off your list. =)
March 13, 2014 at 12:37 am
Hey graham thankyou for this blog man..
Ive questions for you.
I am going to have my lower jaw surgery may be this june.
As i saw in the internet the lower jaw is cut and brought back fixed with metal.
My question is does the two bones fuse together after the surgery?
If any heavy kind of impact(punch) on the jaw damage the metal joint?
Will those metal joints remain with me for lifetime?
March 13, 2014 at 9:12 am
Micky, the titanium plates will stay in place forever unless they cause an infection, which is quite rare. As for impact to your face, your bones will fuse back together within 3–4 months and will be just as strong and stable as they were before. If you’re worried about boxing or martial arts, you should be good to go once you’re fully healed, though I may give it a full 5–6 months just to be sure.
February 22, 2014 at 4:49 am
Thanks for taking the time to create this blog, you did an awesome job. Can I ask who preformed your surgery and how long did you have to wait for appointments and a surgery date? I’m also in NS
February 22, 2014 at 9:44 am
Sarah, my surgeon was Dr. Sanajeev Lahl in Edmonton. You can see his website here. The only reason I had to wait for a surgery date was because we were giving my braces time to move my teeth around. The waiting period for an operating room will vary from place to place, so I can’t even hazard a guess at what an expected wait time would be. =)
February 11, 2014 at 12:00 am
Did you vomit after surgery?
February 11, 2014 at 8:01 am
Fiona, I did not, but I’ve met several people who did vomit following the surgery. I’ve been told it’s more of a frustrating issue than a painful one. If it happens to you, a nurse will be there to help you out, so you don’t need to worry about it happening with nobody around. People are generally finished with this stage after the first day.
February 10, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Hi!
I am having double jaw surgery tomorrow and am very nervous. You said 30% never regain full feeling on their face and that scares me quite a bit. Could you elaborate and tell the severity of the loss of feeling?
Thanks
February 11, 2014 at 7:48 am
Marie, the 30% number is the stat my surgeon shared with me, but I’m not sure if there’s science behind it or if that’s just his personal experience. I never regained full feeling in my lower lip, but I honestly don’t even notice the numb patches any longer. The human body adjusts surprisingly quickly to loss of feeling, so you need not worry about it. Everything from kissing to eating to smiling to whistling remain unaffected. =)
January 24, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Hey Graham,
Thanks for documenting your entire journey. I just got home last night from my own level 3 surgery. It’s been somewhat difficult but I’m learning to suck it up, especially thanks to your tips. Hoping to be able to swallow normally soon so I can sleep well enough, don’t want to keep everyone else up because of my nightly slurping/spitting.
January 24, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Justin, welcome to the recovery period. These first two weeks will be the most frustrating due to eating, breathing, and sleeping annoyances, but life will get much better following that. Hang in there and make sure to get outside for fresh air and walks every single day. =)
January 24, 2014 at 2:57 am
Hi! I recently found out that I have to get double jaw surgery to correct my severe underbite, bringing my top jaw forward and my bottom jaw back.
I don’t have any problems with breathing but my surgeon found a clicking in my jaw that I thought was normal, apparently its cause was a slight fracture years ago hmm. I also have problems biting food cleanly and find myself tearing food like some sort of predator. Also self esteem issues are included.
Since I’m only 15, I’ve been advised that my surgery will take place around Summer 2015. I’m due for bone scans soon and other appointments to help me decide whether to have the surgery or not, since it’s being covered fully by the NHS, it won’t cost a penny!
I’ve decided indefinitely that I’m going to have the surgery after spending hours on this site, following your recovery. Thank you.
January 24, 2014 at 8:08 am
Georgia, I’m glad my experience led you to a decision. And lucky you for being a UK resident and having a free ride all the way to recovery, sheesh! =)
January 13, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Hi Graham!!
Thank you for have created this blog, it’s really useful and well made 😉
I have an underbite and I will have to start my “journey” to have it fixed very soon….
I would like to ask you some questions….
1) For how long should I have the braces on before the surgery? I know that is different for everyone, but roughly speaking….it’s for more or less than a year? I’m 22 and I have already had my braces on when I was a child and at this age I wouldn’t want to have the braces for too much 🙁
2) I will undergo through this surgery mostly to fix my lisp!
I have read that you also had a lisp!
Did the surgery correct yours?
3) I’m very concerned about breathing after the surgery because even if I have had a septoplasty to straighten my nasal septum I still breathe (for the most part) through my mouth and since I have read that my mouth will be wired shut after the surgery I don’t know if I will be able to breathe….did you have the same problems?
Thank you very much and I will keep reading and updating my experience 😉
P.S: sorry if I have made some mistakes but english is not my native language…hope it’s clear…
January 20, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Hi Stefano!
1) Most people have braces for a full 2 years before surgery, but if you’ve had them on before, you may only need them back on for one year to create the gaps necessary for the operation.
2) The surgery corrected my lisp, yes!
3) I actually breathed through my mouth for the first month following surgery because my nose was plugged up. Despite being “wired shut,” you’ll still be able to open your mouth enough to breathe, no worries.
Best of luck with your decision. =)
January 11, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Graham,
So far I’ve only made it to your day 29 but I’ve enjoyed every day! It’s nice to know what is ‘normal’ vs. what is ‘normal’ but sucks!
Im 25 and had double jaw surgery 3 weeks ago for an over, open, cross bite! All went well, the numbness was my only problem, with slight pain in my right jaw! Aquaphor lotion (used on lips) has been my best friend, as well as a water pik! I ate ice cream, beans, green bean casserole, etc – i basically swallowed small bites whole! I thought I had it bad then…After 2 weeks I found out my left jaw required a second surgery because it kept reverting to the original position!
I woke up with right side pain and my jaw wired shut! Apparently my right condyle had not broken correctly in the first surgery! Now I’m week 1 and a half of a 6 week wired shut timeline!
After nearly punching myself twice using the syringes and breaking them, my mother found a new device for liquid eating…a turkey baster! I have also found good solid to liquid foods:
Little Debbie Dunkin Donuts, Honey Buns, Oatmeal Cookies, and Apple pies (each seperately) mixed with milk and vanilla ice cream taste amazing!
Manwich + burger (blend with another can of manwich or beef broth – microwave)
Au gratin potatoes + milk + velveeta cheese (blend then microwave)
Pizza ryes (sausage, velveeta, ketchup, oregano on rye bread) + beef broth then blend!
Other things I noticed: any red sauce pasta is an awful taste blended (spaghetti and lasagna) and baby food is horrendous!
Sorry I doubt I’ll be as awesome as you in helping everyone so I thought I’d at least get my findings out there!
January 20, 2014 at 9:29 pm
Chelsey, it sounds like you’ve had a rough ride, yikes! I commend you on staying strong through both of your operations. I suppose that, on the bright side, you can to eat delicious blended treats with no shame for even longer than most of us, right? =)
January 9, 2014 at 4:07 am
Hi Graham
First off I just want to say that I love your blog, its been really helpful and fun to read! And your final results are absolutely amazing!
Anyway, I had upper jaw surgery 4 weeks ago now to correct my underbite. I also had my upper jaw widened. I had my splint removed two days ago and have just noticed that none of my teeth touch, I almost feel that I have an overbite now. I feel like maybe they widened my upper jaw too much, if that is even possible. You mentioned in several posts about an open bite, and I was wondering if that might be what I have. My upper teeth are completely over all of my molars and do not touch them in the slightest, I can feel the complete top of my back morals with my tongue when my mouth is completely closed. I was wondering if that is similar to what you experienced with your open bite?
I’m meeting with my ortho tomorrow to get the tpa put in (which i’m not looking forward to especially after reading how tramatic your experience was haha) but hopefully they will reassure me that me teeth placement is normal
Thank you so much for answering my question, as well as everyone else’s even though your surgery has been awhile ago now, this is an awesome resource you have created for jaw surgery patients!
January 9, 2014 at 9:25 am
Elise, an “open bite” is when some of your teeth don’t come together due to others preventing them. For example, if one of your molars was sitting lower than the rest and it touched, thereby preventing the rest of your molars, which sit higher, from coming together, that would be an open bite. It’s usually not an issue because the remaining teeth will eventually just grow together.
However, your case does not sound like an open bite. It sounds like your teeth are a little off on the horizontal plane (ie. one jaw is too far ahead of or behind the other one). While I felt like I had an overbite initially as well, that was only due to the fact that I wasn’t used to my upper jaw behind ahead of my lower jaw.
I would honestly ask your surgeon when you see them. Hopefully it’s intentional and is meant to grow back into place in the coming months.
Until then, be blessed, and let me know what you find out. All the best!
January 6, 2014 at 11:51 am
My son is scheduled to have double jaw surgery this summer. I read your time line and info. I have two questions for you.
1/Is there anything he can do to in advance of the surgery to help him afterward? I guess get books and movies for when he’s feel better. Any other suggestions?
2/He was planning on taking a college summer course. The class would start about 4 weeks post surgery. Is that realistic? I know everyone heals differently but what are your thoughts?
Thank you for your time.
January 8, 2014 at 8:18 am
Hi Cindi!
1) The only thing he can do to prepare will be to ensure (ha, “punny!”) meal supplement, soup, and smoothie ingredients are well-stocked and to have a few books, movies, and television series ready to go for the first week or so. Following that, it’s a game of patience.
2) As long as the summer course doesn’t require much speaking (so business classes may be out of the question, for example) and he’s okay with being really swollen around people, he should be alright. He’ll be able to focus and study with no issues by the 4-week mark.
Your son will do great, especially considering you’re already looking out for him. Take care!
January 1, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Did you lose more weight after those 2 weeks or was it only 30 pounds you lost? I’m getting the surgery in 6 months and want to be prepared.
January 4, 2014 at 10:35 am
Kelsey, I lost all my weight during the first 2 weeks. After that, I was eating enough soup and drinking enough smoothies to maintain my weight. I didn’t start gaining again until I could eat solid food at the 7-week mark.
December 24, 2013 at 11:29 am
Hey awesome website. I was wondering how long until I can play contact sports and risk getting hit in the face? I had a genioplasty by the way.
December 29, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Hey man, I would avoid contact sports for the full 3 months following surgery. At that point, your bone should be fused back together and you should be good to go!
December 23, 2013 at 10:16 am
Hi, I would love it if someone could speak to me about this and maybe give some advice as I am absolutly terrified and its all I think about all day everyday! I am undergoing double jaw surgery next month and although I know I have to go through with it in order to correct my bite issues and insecurities I am really worried about how it will change my looks as looks wise I am quite happy about apart from my bite?I want that to be sorted but I am scared of it changing my nose as this to me is one of my best features and I wouldn’t like my look to change that much! But I do want my bite sorted out as it causes me a lot of problems as you all are probobly already aware of! Do you think it is worth it and how can I keep myself calmer before surgery?! thanks x
December 29, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Laura, your appearance will not change in a big way. The only difference should be the general shape of your cheeks and jawline. I haven’t yet met anyone who looked like a completely different person following surgery, so you need not worry about that. If your bite is proving to be a nuisance, I would have it fixed so you can enjoy the results for the rest of your life. Once you’re all healed up and have accepted the small changes, you’ll realize you’re still beautiful and will be even more confident due to your new bite and smile. =)
December 16, 2013 at 11:40 am
Hi, I posted at the end of August with the plan that my surgery was going to be on September 20th. However it got pushed back to the November 13th, so I am now just over a month after my surgery. I’m feeling almost completely normal. I still have slightly swollen cheeks and a slightly numb patch on my bottom left lip and chin but hopefully that will fade if not I’m not too bothered.
Unfortunately, i had to have a second surgery 2 days after my first as the swelling had pushed 1 side of my bottom jaw so that it couldn’t close my mouth making literally everything including eating, breathing and sleeping really hard to do.
Does anyone have any ideas for food to eat for dinner? At first i was living of smoothies and soup but I’m managing pasta as long as I can swallow it without biting now 🙂 My surgeon said I will be able to have most of the Christmas dinner which I’m very happy about! 😀
Thanks so much for this website its helped me a lot through the whole process!
December 17, 2013 at 9:09 am
George, it’s always good to meet someone who is staying positive despite having to take on a second operation. Regarding meals, it sounds like you should be good to eat mashed potatoes, most types of pasta (as long as there are no hard vegetables in the sauce), casseroles, etc. Give Asian food a try as well—rice and noodles should serve you well. Enjoy! =)
December 11, 2013 at 9:24 pm
Hi Graham…I underwent lower jaw surgery to help my TMJ issues, after postponing it for about a year because I am such a chicken. Friends and family advised against the surgery, so I researched it to death (including reading your site) and decided to proceed with it Oct 2nd. I am now 10 wks post op, and have to say I am extremely pleased with the whole experience.
The tips shared here, and from fellow patients I met by chance, prepared me for the nonsense of not being orally functional for an extended period of time…sounding like Daffy Duck; eating food fit for babies or geriatrics; looking like a survivor of domestic assault; and being drugged to the point of dizziness & memory loss.
Despite my surgeon having the personality of a shoe, I trusted him 100% after talking to other dental & medical professionals, who spoke so highly of his abilities.
The numbness in my chin & lip is just about gone (not sure why I’m so lucky) and I get my final stage of braces soon, which, after their removal will be cause for an extended celebration.
The number one thing that got me through the whole procedure, other than having excellent medical attention, was keeping a positive attitude. I know that sounds trite, and if you knew me you would know it is truly out of character for me, but I took it one day at a time & made sure I didn’t get down about all the challenges I faced.
Thank you for the forum you have provided for us chickens.
December 13, 2013 at 9:00 am
Jeanne, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad that, after initial hesitation, you found the surgery worthwhile. Your comment made me chuckle as well, what with the “Daffy Duck days,” haha. Stay positive, enjoy your new smile, and have a very merry Christmas!
December 11, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Hi Graham. This is really amazing website.
I’ve grown up with a longer lower jaw that has caused me minor pain. I had orthodontic work with braces, but that only caused my jaw to click every time I tried to chew, yawn, or whatever. I got the braces removed a few years ago, and now I have a horrible mid line from not using the retainer. The constantly “clicking” was intolerable. I did not have had serious jaw pains up until this past year.
My jaw sometimes will slightly dislocate, and I have to put it back into place with a slight shove. Sometimes my jaw will dislocate, and it very painful to even open my mouth to breathe.
The orthodontist says I should go back into braces first, but personally, I do not really want to repeat those long years of having braces at age 24. I want the surgery for the pain, and little bit cosmetically (selfishly).
I’m wondering what you think is the best idea? I fear the numbness problem or other problems down the road if I was going to go through this…
Sorry for the long read. Basically:
1. I have a long jaw and it has been causing me a lot of pain recently
2. I have had dental work that has only bandaged the problem
3. Surgery is an option, but the numbness is life altering (mentally)?
Thank you
December 13, 2013 at 8:54 am
Hey Kyle,
If the fear of numbness is the only thing holding you back, I’d go ahead with the surgery. I have permanent numbness in my lower lip and chin and can honestly say that it does not in any way affect my life. I completely forget about it until someone asks about it.
You’ll likely need to go back into braces before having the operation because the surgeon will want to create small gaps in a few places so he can cut into the bone properly. I know it’s frustrating, but I was also 24 years old when I took on this battle, so I can assure you it’s possible. I’m 27 now and am incredibly happy I went through with it all. Once it’s in the past, you’ll be glad you did it.
Best of luck in your decision, my friend. Feel free to email me if you feel the need. =)
December 4, 2013 at 11:33 pm
hi Graham, i had the same surgery as you approximately 6 mths ago. Now, there is still swelling on 2 side of my face, it’s pretty bad, How can I get rid of that?
December 5, 2013 at 9:36 am
Chung, I’m not sure what would be causing swelling at 6-months post-op. If you haven’t jarred your face (or got in any fights) lately, you may want to schedule a quick checkup with your surgeon to see if anything is out of place.
November 24, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Hi Graham, I have a good read of all your posts and I have to thank you for this blog In its entirety.
I am 21 m from Birmingham UK, I have had braces etc and have my referral for jaw surgery this December. This is to check that my jaw hasn’t grown as I developed class 3 underbite post braces :(. My next appointment is for me to persist on surgery under the NHS I guess; meaning It would be paid for under the national health here in the UK as my records for orthodontic treatment starts from when I was around 14.
I have seen a cosmetic dentist who is advising me on veneers to give me the an appearance of a good normal bite, he is very good and has many celebrities see him for treatment. What would you say to this? For me I’m kind of fed up of my upper teeth not going over the bottom teeth as they should.. Would you advise away from cosmetic work? Everyone I know when I mention surgery keep putting me off saying how dangerous it Is which might be why I could of got the ball rolling sooner rather than later!!
Have you got an email I could send a pic of my underbite profile etc to you at for further advice/opinion?
Anyways your noob/documentation Is seriously inspirational, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards
Sunny .
November 25, 2013 at 9:01 am
Hi Sunny! (I once had another friend named Sunny and her personality totally matched her name. I can only imagine you’re the same!)
That’s a tough choice to make. The biggest risk with jaw surgery is permanent numbness. Most everything else will heal up in due time (3–6 months).
If this is purely cosmetic, veneers may be a good choice to simply give the illusion that your bite is correct. If you’re having functional difficulties related to chewing, breathing, or speaking as well, surgery is probably the better option.
Feel free to send me a photo at thinkswan@gmail.com if you have more questions. Cheers!
November 24, 2013 at 2:49 am
hi Graham! I was just wondering of when did your face started to even out? im 6 weeks post-op and my jawline is little bit bigger than my left and my surgeon said it was just the bone that was cut and moved healing but it just bothers me a little bit aha
November 25, 2013 at 8:45 am
Ec, you’re still going to be quite swollen at the 6-week mark, so I wouldn’t worry about anything just yet. If you’re still feeling a bit lopsided in another month, an x-ray would be a smart choice at that point. Surgeons generally won’t perform any follow-up procedures until the original bone has healed regardless. So my advice is to stay positive and give your body another month to figure itself out. =)