Marcus Gunn Jaw Winking Syndrome Group

I am 37 and have MGJWS in my right eye, mildly i think!?, I have been living with it all this time but have only just thought to ask my mum what the name of the condition is and look it up online. Not sure why it has taken me so long. I have been masking the condition in everyday life, so not eating in public too much or if I have to i tend to look down when I chew. This is more second nature/automatic response for me now and i had almost forgotten that i actually have an eye condition. So I guess I have been in denial for a very long time. I haven't even mentioned it to my closest friends which leads me to think i've been concealing it very well!I'm thinking it is probably about time i dealt with/acknowledged it. So i stumbled upon this group. I feel happy in the realization that there are others out there with the same thing (cliche i know!)And it feels like a bit of a therapy just typing this out(even if nobody reads it!) My next move is to try and find a specialist and find out a bit more.

Dear Greenpixie, You have been great i would say. I think you didnt made a fuss about your eye ever. Not like having an inferiority complex or something like that. You took yourself normal. And thats just great!!! My 3 yr old daughter has MGJW. And i wish she take it boldly and never think that she is less beautiful than any other girl. Yes, u r right its a great relief to talk openly about it to somebody. Best of Luck and may u succeed in evry aspect of life.

Aww thank you very much, that's really lovely of you to say. I wasn't expecting any replies to be honest so that is really heart-warming.

Gosh your daughter is so young to be so aware of the condition which is a shame. From what i have gathered so far there seems to have been some medical advances since i was young so as she grows up there may be surgery options if she wishes to go down that route. It's weighing up the risks with the potential gain which is tricky. I don't think i will be opting for surgery myself because i am so used to it now and luckily there isn't too much difference in the size of my eyes. I can totally understand people wanting to have the surgery, especially if one eye is notably more droopy. But i agree with you it's a shame if you can't feel beautiful the way you are - and i bet your daughter is absolutely gorgeous! I wish her all the luck in the world and really hope that having MG doesn't affect her happiness because there is no reason why it should.

Thanks for ur wishes for my daughter. Iam overwhelmed. No, no, my daughter isnt aware of her condition. Nobody has ever mentioned it to her. It just my fear that when she will get older She might not feel that way. But i guess it also depends on my attitude towards her. I have to be strong. She is quite confident and a cheerful kid and has a good self image as yet.

Greenpixie~ Reading your post, i could have sworn that i typed it...your story is so similar to mine. I would say I have a mild case of mgjw...when i am not chewing it is not obvious. I have always masked it and I have never thought to ask questions about it- it was just something different about me. I am only looking into it now because I am having issues with chronic red eyes and I am at my wits end to find a solution for it(red eyes). What is crazy to me is that i have been to 2 optometrists and 1 opthamologist in the past 3 yrs about my red eyes, but never thought to even mention my eye jumping thing-that's how normal it is to me. I didn't even know what to google...I just typed eye jumps while chewing & viola- i have a name to put with this thing i have always had. Anyways, very cool to have a name to put with this and know i am not the only person out there with it.