Orthognathic? I have trouble just spelling it...

Final Post

2008-01-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

One last post to say "thank you" to all that have supported me along this incredible journey. It's so great to have this portion of my life behind me. I'll leave my blog up with the hope that it will help another understanding this process.

Update

2007-10-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

One year has come and gone since my surgery date (9/21/06). How time flies. All in all things are back to normal. Eating is totally back to normal. I can now easily bite into carrots/apples/etc... The numbness persists and is annoying at times. Much of the right side of my lips and chin are still numb. I'm not sure if it's improving or if I'm just getting used to it. My gums are still pretty numb, but I really don't mind that.

I saw Dr A for my one year follow-up a few weeks back. My jaw opening is nearly back to what it was pre-op and I feel great (no popping or pain). So I was a bit surprised when he let me know that my CT Scan showed a great deal of inflammation in my joints. So I'm back on my joint meds for another 3 months. He didn't seem too concerned. Sometimes I think we have access to too much information. I'll visit his office in Santa Barbara again before the Christmas holiday.

I'm still getting used to my new and improved face. I am very pleased with my results one year out :) The photo was taken last weekend at the start line of the San Francisco Half Marathon.

9 Months Post-op (well almost)

2007-06-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Felt like blogging today, don't really know why. Mostly I wanted all my "Ortho Amigos" to know that I am still here, still reading about everyone's progress, still hoping for the best for everyone.

Steph - I'm anxious to hear about your visit with your surgeon this month (I have my fingers double crossed that you don't relapse).
Brandy - You have had the most amazing recovery. You are going to make it to Vegas four weeks post-op!
Graham - I've still been following your progress. I can't wait to see your post-op profile, you will have to fend off the girls with a stick.
Oh and all of the others as well - Amy, Cary (post some new photos, please), Jennicole, Kristen, Mary, Rebecca, the list goes on...

I visited my orthodontist yesterday. They are still so tickled when they look in my mouth. I don't really understand what all the excitement is about anymore. Dr B made a few adjustments to my retainer to close up the last little space I have between my upper 2nd and 3rd teeth. Within 10 minutes I was on my way, with an appointment to see then again in 2 months or so. It's funny, but I kind of miss my regular ortho appointments. I didn't even ask how much I need to be wearing my retainer at this point. I figure if they are closing gaps, I need to wear it 100% of the time. Even after almost 3 months sans braces my teeth will easily shift if my retainer is out for 5 or 6 hours. So in it stays. I only take it out for large meetings at work or big nights on the town with friends.

Because my advancement was soooo large, my recovery is soooo long. A great deal of numbness persists on the right side of my mouth. My scar tissue on that side feels very tight as well. Some days it's annoying, but most days I don't notice it. My lips almost have full feeling back, as well as my chin and cheeks. Overall I still see improvement from month to month. The recovery does really take a year :) My weight is back up to about 123 lbs. I've been running and working out, just like the pre-op days. Life is good. I really can't complain.

So that's my post - wishing everyone well - letting you know I am still here :)

This Isn't the End

2007-04-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

I had my final visit (of sorts) with my surgeon yesterday. I realized that I am finally nearing the end of this crazy journey. My mind was on auto pilot much of the drive up the coast, I know it so well after countless trips to Santa Barbara to see Dr. Arnett. I don't even know how many weeks post-op I am....it's just been quite a few. I guess officially I will be seven months post-op on the 21st of this month.

My visit yesterday was very anti-climactic. The office was full of patients and it seemed Dr A. was running late. Dr A. came into the room to see me, said I looked great, did the usual list of things: he took measurements (overbite 2.5, overjet 0, open and the seven's right and left - these will close, midline on), he measured my opening (34 mm - still), and he checked my joints (smooth - no problems there). Before I knew it I was wisked into the upright CT room for another scan and then off to the photo room for my final pictures. Wow, no one told me that there was going to be a photo shoot - I looked a mess. When Dr. A was done taking about a dozen photos he mentioned that he'll see me at my one year mark and to take care. Wow! That's all I get?! No final thoughts or words of encouragement? The whole visit seemed inconsistent with every other experience I have had in the office. I guess they realize that I don't really need them anymore - made me kind of sad. Maybe if I am lucky, my photos will be displayed in one of their exam rooms as a "Before and After".

My next, and last visit, with Dr A. will be in September. What a year this has been! This time last year I was worrying about insurance approval, pre-op meds, securing a surgery date and taking time off of work. It has gone so fast. I am still fascinated by this whole surgery - I still read everyone's blogs. What had started as a quest for the perfect bite and a healthy jaw has become so much more. I have learned so much about myself and my husband and my family through this experience. I just wish I had had a moment to really thank Dr Arnett for the great job he has done. I was thinking I would compose a letter to him sometime soon. Maybe that seems a bit over the top. Overall I couldn't be happier with my results and hope that he knows this, that as corny as it sounds - what he has done for me has changed my life :)

New Photo

2007-04-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

This photo is for my family....they wanted to see a better photo of me (one not taken with a camera phone). Taken at Disneyland yesterday.

The Details

2007-03-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Getting de-braced this morning took a whole lot longer than I remember it taking as a teenager. I was a bit apprehensive driving to the orthodontist's office as many of my teeth have been hypersensitive lately. I hope this is a good sign (nerve generation).

Here's how the visit went down:
1. Preparation and placement of permanent lower retainer. I had one that was there for 20 years prior to my braces being reapplied 18 months ago. I noticed immediately that the wire is much finer than the one places 20 years ago. I really don't notice it.

2. Removal of braces. This took a lot of elbow grease by the fabulous ortho tech that worked on me today. This should have been a painless experience, but as you post-opers know we can be very freaked out about our mouths. He took all of the bands and brackets off while they were still on the archwire (I kept both archwires of brackets). Funny how all that metal looks like nothing outside of your mouth. I can now look at every little bump and post that has tormented the inside of my mouth the last year and a half. Oh, and of course there will be photos later.

3. Removal of adhesive. Yeah, this took a while.

4. Quick cleaning and polishing of teeth....felt so good.

5. Molds taken for upper retainer (to be picked up next week).I chose the basic pink with silver glitter - didn't want to go too crazy.

All in all my visit was just over an hour of which my mouth was open just about the entire time (ouch!). It seems strange to see myself without all of that metal, but I am so pleased with my results. My husband says I now really look different than before this whole orthodontic/orthognathic adventure began.

My speech is much better since the braces are gone. I was still having quite a bit of difficulty with certain letters before this morning. Brushing is a breeze. My lips actually cover my teeth now. My teeth feel huge and so smooth. I'm such a nerd - it's been such a great day. Thank you to everyone for all of your support and encouragement - I couldn't have made it through this whole experience without the support of my family and online friends :)

Brace-less!!!

2007-03-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's official - I'm bracket free!!!! I'm having a busy day at work, but wanted to post a quick photo taken in the car this morning on the way to the office from the orthodontist.

I'll post more details later.....

Sooooo happy!!!!

Looking Back

2007-03-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Questions

2007-03-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to feel a little anxious about by upcoming "debanding". Just wanted to share a few of my concerns (because I love sharing, right?).

1. will it hurt to get them off? (I'm still very sensitive when it comes to my teeth)

2. will my speech improve once my braces are off?

3. will I have more difficulty speaking with my upper retainer?

4. will I be totally happy with my new smile?

5. will my teeth begin to move in spite of wearing my retainers?

6. will I have much staining to deal with? (I drink a lot of Diet Coke and coffee)

7. are my braces really ready to come off? (I've really been studying them, can't find any crooked ones but I have been looking at them a lot lately)

In any case, I am getting super excited about running my tongue over perfectly smooth teeth. Just a few more days to go now!

Save The Date (again)

2007-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

My braces are coming off on the 27th!

March 27th!

13 days from now!

Woo! Hoo!

My ortho must have looked at my teeth for what felt like 5 minutes this morning. So long that I thought he might actually take off my braces today. But I have a tiny gap between two of my lower teeth so they want to close that up over the next couple of weeks. I now have powerchains on both my upper and lower arches (6 to 6 on both) . They also took a mold of my lower teeth in order to fabricate my lower retainer, which will be glued in place (similar to what I had in the past). So 3/27 at 0830 I will have my braces removed and am scheduled to return to the office for my upper retainer on 4/3.

I am so excited!!!!!!!

Things Just Keep Gettin' Better

2007-03-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

Just a couple random posts for today, to encourage all my fellow orthognathic surgery survivors.

-One of my co-workers returned from her 3 week vacation today. It was great to have her back in the office. It made my Tuesday when she greeted me cheerfully and then exclaimed "Look how much you face has changed since I've been gone!". Really?, I thought...good to know. More and more I am feeling like my old self, only improved. Less and less I see a stranger staring back at me in the mirror.

-I caught myself just ripping into Red Vines today at work. Tearing them apart with my front teeth! There is hope for you Amy...when you are ready you'll be using those front chompers like you never have before.

-Lastly, I had the best workout tonight. Ran 7.25 miles and it. felt. great. I'm not trying to sound boastful, it's just that the former runner in me is finally returning full force.

Today was a very exciting day for me -
Even at 25 weeks post-op things are still improving :)

24 Weeks Post-op

2007-03-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

I received the official 'ok' from my surgeon at today's appointment for the removal of my braces!!! Now it's all in my orthodontist's hands to determine when they are ready to come off. I see Dr. Bloore next Thursday, so I will definitely be asking when the anticipated removal date will be.

Now?

How 'bout now?

...I'm a bit anxious.

Interesting tidbit of information from my appointment today. I am able to open my mouth 34 mm as of today's visit. That's only a 2 mm improvement for me over the last 10 weeks or so. Dr. Arnett let me know that this is to be expected as there is scar tissue, that is now hard, after surgery in my joints. He says that this softens up at about 1 year post-op. So for now, I am just to keep stretching. Everything else looked good, no signs of relapse (sounds like my jaw has been in rehab with Britney Spears). My bite is midline, not narrow, not wide, overbite 3 and overjet 0! He also commented that my upper 7's are open. Apparently since they were 'released' by my ortho they have settled a bit upward. I'm not sure if this is just all part of the normal process or not. My ortho mentioned that when he released them from the archwire, they needed time to settle before they would take off my braces. I'll have to ask on Thursday (or if anyone has insight into this please let me know).

I took this photo today before my long drive up the coast to Santa Barbara. I have a little bit of swelling that is hanging on. Today it's 'ok', some days I look better than I do in this photo. My smile looks a little wonky too, but I think that's just me smiling a bit oddly, but this was the sharpest photo I could take myself.

You'd Think I Lost My Camera

2007-02-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have posted new photos here. I know I'm a slacker. This is for a number of reasons.

1. My surgery/recovery is on my mind less and less (this is a good thing- no a great thing)
2. My recovery/changes in appearance are so minimal at this point, that it seems silly to post photos that all look essentially the same.
3. I still have a certain amount of frustration with my appearance. Some days are really difficult, in that I really don't like the way that I look. I don't know if on those days, the swelling is worse or that on those days I miss my old face. It's silly, I know, but I am definitely still struggling with my new look.

With all this said...I'll find some time soon to get some new photos up (even if I don't like them).
Promise :)

Forgetting

2007-02-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

I guess it's a good thing to have moments in my day when I forget that I had my face surgically rearranged 5 months ago. Like this morning...after finishing my bowl of oatmeal I threw myself back onto my bed, dreading going to work. In doing so I moved my jaw all crazy and it really hurt! Ouch!! My husband, the joker that he is says to me "oh my gosh your face is crooked now!". I jumped up to look in the mirror as the reality set in that I am still healing. Phew! Everything still appears to be in the right place. Wonder when this all will be a non-issue?, probably a very long time from now.

Retainers

2007-02-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

I found this cool site that makes custom orthodontic retainers myretainer.com There is no way my orthodontic office does anything this cool. I could only dream of such acrylic artistry. My favs are the Kitty and Cherries. Maybe if I had had such a cool retainer when I was 12 I would have actually worn it.

On the other hand, this is taking it too far -

Adjustment Number 1000

2007-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

...well it feels that way at least. Today I had an appointment with my orthodontist - again. How do three weeks go by so quickly? Seems like I was just there. But as always it was good to visit with Dr. B and his office staff. They were so pleasant as usual. I have to say that today was the first visit, post-op, with them that I wasn't cringing during my adjustment. My nerves are finally starting to get back to normal. The assistant's gentle pulling on my lips/etc didn't seem to bother me today. Dr. B removed my upper archwire and cut it at both ends to "release the sevens". Now my back molars are free to "settle" over the next few weeks. I guess this is something that is done during the final weeks of orthodontic treatment. It feels good not to have that long span of archwire between my upper 6's and 7's. Hopes this all is making sense. He then placed a new power chain from my upper 6's to 6's in an bit more progress and reminded me that I will still need a bit of "restorative work" in the future.

I gave him the latest update from Dr. Arnett as well, happily telling him that at my next visit I hope to receive his surgical clearance to remove my braces. I flat out asked Dr. B how much was left in my treatment and he said not much of anything. He thinks that it is a very real possibility to get me de-braced by May! Yippee! Things are still looking good for a brace free 35th birthday.

My teeth are already sore from today's adjustment. Either my teeth are starting to move around, or my nerves are finally beginning to wake up - both are a win/win situation. My next visit with the ortho will be the second week of March, after my next appointment with my surgeon :)

20 Weeks Post-op

2007-02-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Twenty weeks!

On my drive up to Santa Barbara to see Dr. A today I had to stop and try to remember how many weeks post-op I am. Everything went well at my follow-up appointment. Dr. A says that my over jet is decreasing nicely with the help of my orthodontists. He complimented them, beaming about how great they are to work in conjunction with. No signs of relapse - my bite remains just as he wants it. He did comment on my facial animation and swelling, stating that it will only continue to improve. All in all, he said I look amazing. I complimented him on his work - I am finally beginning to like what I see when I look in the mirror. I asked him about when he will give the 'ok' to the orthodontist to remove my braces. I was hesitant in asking, thinking that I would only be disappointed in his answer...but I wasn't. Dr. A won't allow any of his patients to have their braces removed prior to the 24 week mark. But he said if everything is as it was today at my next visit (3/8) that he will send me home with a letter for my orthodontist giving them the 'green light' to remove my braces!

I left so happy! Looks like being 'debraced' by my 35th birthday in May is a real possibility!

Just a photo...from this weekend

2007-02-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

17 Weeks Post-op

2007-01-17T18:14:00.000-08:00

I got my hook out, I got my hook out! Happy Day!

I met with Dr. Arnett today and I am happy to say that I no longer have any external hardware left in my mouth. After a little topical numbing ointment he took my lower surgical hook out. Let me tell you it was a little bit unsettling, but I am still ecstatic to have it gone. What's a few seconds of pain after all that I have been through? He looked at my most recent CT scan of my jaw joints and once again said "You have some crummy joints, kiddo, keep taking your medications". He had commented pre-operatively on my joints as well, stating that I have a great deal of arthritic changes in them. Basically, he wants me to stay on my post-op meds for a year to minimize my chance of relapse. In addition, he wants me to keep banding my mouth shut at night for at least another three weeks. I guess I can live with that.

All in all, he said everything looks really good. I have been released back to a regular diet with the exception of jerky, hard candy, ice (chewing on it) and gum (yeah, they never want me to chew gum again in my lifetime). So this is all good news. I'm on Pen VK for another 3 days because of the hook removal and then back on the Doxycycline (to help with the inflammation in my joints). My next visit with him is in 3 weeks :)

Oh, the hook....want to see a picture? I actually was brave enough this time to ask to take it home. With the screw removal I didn't even see it after it came out, let alone, ask too take it home. Enjoy! Click on the image for a larger view.

So Excited!

2007-01-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

How can I be so excited about getting my hook out tomorrow? Well I am....I am totally excited. That little hook has been such a nuisance. I am hoping that having it out with help speed my recovery by minimizing the ever present abundance of drool as well as my speaking ability. We shall see! Tomorrow - 2:40 pm - yippee!

I'm so happy about it that I made a countdown ticker :)

15 Weeks Post-op

2007-01-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of the 'Orthodorks'. I feel like I have been in a bit of a time warp the last few months during this long healing process. I took this photo today. Thursday I will be exactly 15 weeks post-op. Life continues to be more and more normal. I started running again this last week which has been so nice. I never really considered myself a runner (although I have run 5 marathons)until recently. Not being able to lace up and hit the asphalt has been one of the hardest things about the last 3.5 months. I guess I'm pretty addicted. Finally nothing in my mouth feels 'wobbly' when I run although I still can feel a great deal of swelling in my mid face.

I had an appointment with my orthodontist today. They took molds to replace my upper archwire next visit and changed my upper powerchain. Looks like my gaps are beginning to close up, but the 6's and 7's remain open on the right side. More elastics in my future to help with that. Nothing else new to report. I don't really know how much I will keep posting on this blog, as my orthognathic journey is coming to an end. How is everyone else doing in scheduling their surgeries? I know you will all be super star patients and make it through surgery/recovery like champs!

Here's looking ahead to an amazing 2007 :)

Happy Day

2006-12-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

I drove to Santa Barbara today for my 14 week follow-up appointment. To my delight Dr. G (Dr. A's associate) removed my upper screw! He put a little topical numbing cream on the area for about 5 minutes and then simply unscrewed it with a little screwdriver. I asked to have it removed today, 2 weeks early, because it's become increasingly bothersome. I've tried all the tricks in the recent weeks to prevent it from embedding itself in my upper lip with no success. It felt a little uncomfortable when he was taking it out but not at all painful. I have to take a few days of antibiotics to prevent any infection in the bone.

Let me tell you it sure feels good to smile without feeling the tugging of the screw on my upper lip. My speech has also improved slightly since having it out. I still have difficulty pronouncing my "b's, p's and v's". Other than that, my appointment was uneventful, I will follow-up with Dr. A again in 3 weeks at which time the lower hook will be removed, I will be advanced to a regular diet and I will no longer need to wear my front elastics at night. Thinks are progressing quickly now, as I am pushing the limits with my soft chew diet. It is so good to finally be getting back to normal. I feel like I always write that, but in the last few weeks my swelling has really lessened and chewing is becoming more natural feeling.

I Hate Being Sick

2006-12-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

So it's that time of year, when we all pass around the same cold within the office. This week was my turn. Let me tell you it is no fun to have a head cold 12 weeks post-op. Thank goodness I've already received the green light to blow my nose. I've been pretty miserable this week. My teeth are still sore from my adjustment, I still can't close my lips together very easily. I have also noticed the return of some more significant swelling in my central face and my jaw line.

Two steps forward, one step back...just when I was really starting to feel like my old self again.

Picture Time

2006-12-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

Note the white line on the inside of my upper lip....that's my suture line all healed up. I swear the screw on the top is a plain old philips head screw, any volunteers to come over and take it out for me? I am so sick of it!

2006-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Sharing My Love of Mashed Potatos

Just a Comment

2006-12-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

There is a striking similarity between my Blogger profile picture and my 12 week post-op photo. I found that interesting. I no longer have to "fake" my profile when taking pictures to look the way I want to. Crazy that it's taken 12 weeks for my facial swelling to settle down enought that I am starting to look like me again.

First Post-op Adjustment

2006-12-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I visited my orthodontist for my first adjustment post-operatively. I was a little bit apprehensive driving there, wondering if it would be painful. Thanks to Nancy (the ortho tech) I had nothing to fear. She was so gentle with removing my hooks and archwire. I realized right away that I had nothing to worry about. My surgeon had given me a letter to hand carry to that appointment with his instructions for my post-op orthodontia.

Here's the rundown of what was done: For the upper - my archwire was removed in order to take the springs off that had been maintaining the space in front of my incisors (since March). Then I got to brush with the archwire out...so nice. It was then placed back into position with a power chain placed from the left six to the right six. Hooks were placed back on my 3's, 6's and 7's for use with my elastics. For the lower not much was done (not much needs to be). The surgical hooks were taken off the front four teeth as I have not used them at all since surgery. I was also instructed to wear an elastic from the inside of my right upper 6 to the outside of the right lower 6 and a second elastic making a box from my right upper 6 and 7 to the right lower 6 and 7. This is a nightmare to get on correctly. Ugh! Oh well, whatever it takes. I am surprised that my teeth are not really too sore today. Maybe I have just grown accustomed to my mouth hurting.

I am told that my overjet needs to be decreased, minimizing the space that was created pre-op and the 6 and 7's are open on the right side. Once these two things are done, it's just about finishing work...making everything just perfect before my braces can be removed. It felt like a received an early Christmas gift, having some of the extra hardware removed from my mouth! Every little bit makes a difference. Now it's just up to me to wear my elastics faithfully during the day (on that right side), in order to finish things up.

Next appointments:
Orthodontist in 3 weeks
Surgeon in 2 weeks

12 Weeks Post-op

2006-12-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I will be 12 weeks post-op! Yay! I made the trek up to Santa Barabara today to see Dr. G for my 12 week follow-up appointment. Totally uneventful, just like I like it. He took measurements, told me to continue wearing my elastics at night and to see him again in two weeks. At 16 weeks they will remove my screw and hook and I can resume a regular diet. So that is something to look forward to.

My upper lip is still pretty numb and my chin is a bit hypersensitive. But overall, everything is improving little by little each day. I feel like I keep posting the same thing, but life is pretty much back to normal. I am still having difficulty pronouncing my b's and v's but the doc tells me this will resolve once the external fixation hardware is removed. Thank goodness. The last bit of swelling is still lingering...but I am told this is normal.

As far as eating goes, I think I have been pushing it a bit. I went to Mexico this last weekend and ate so much fish and guacamole! It was so good. I also am eating my fair share of oatmeal, yogurt, really small pieces of chicken, soft pastas, pizza toppings, rice, mashed potatoes, etc.... This last week was also really great because I can finally make enough of a seal with my lips to use a straw. This is a huge accomplishment for me, making drinking on the go a whole lot easier.

I stopped at the local independent coffee house in Santa Barbara before heading home and ordered a blended latte (this is the first I have had since my surgery) As I drove down the coast sipping on my latte, it seemed like just yesterday that I was having one the day before my surgery with my mom. How time flies :) I am so glad to have these last few months behind me.

Happy holidays to everyone! I can't wait to read about all of your individual journeys as your surgery dates get closer.

10 Weeks Post-op

2006-12-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

Now a week into my soft chew diet, life is beginning to return to normal. I am now able to find lots of menu options, which has been nice for dining out. Seems that we all get a bit more social during the holiday season.

I also returned to the gym this week. Spending a bit of time on the elliptical machine as well as the treadmill. I've been instructed to stay away from the weights as this encourages jaw clenching. I have even tried to jog a bit. It's not at all painful, but I just can't tolerate the pressure of my face bouncing at all. When I run I can really tell that I still have a significant amount of swelling.

So. it's been a good couple weeks. My follow-up appointments have been routine and I see Dr. B for my first archwire change since my surgery next week. As it turns out when I saw him a week ago, he just wanted to check my bite and my braces for any loose brackets, etc... No adjustment was done. I'm going to do my best to post some photos this evening :)

Turkey Dinner?!

2006-11-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't have it all for Thanksgiving - even if you can't chew. Jones sells a set of soda that contains flavors like "Mashed Potatoes" and "Turkey and Gravy". Click on the image to see a larger size. I saw these at Target and was tempted to buy a set just for the novelty :)

Today For Breakfast...

2006-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

I ate pancakes!!!! Yay pancakes!

8 Weeks Post-op

2006-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

I had my eight week follow-up appointment with Dr A today. The big news is that I no longer have to wear my elastics during the day, only at night! I'm actually a bit freaked out by this. It's easy to keep my jaw nice and relaxed when the elastics are on. But I guess this is all part of regaining the strength in my jaw muscles. Oh, also next week I can advance to a soft diet - scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, pudding, etc... How does he expect me to wait one more week? I wonder if some magical healing happens in the next few days - I bet not.

The most interesting part of my visit though was the waiting room. It was a busy busy day for Dr A, the waiting room was full when I arrived. Here's the rundown of who was there: Bill (5 days post-op), a young lady (10 days post-op), another girl scheduled for surgery on Thursday and myself. Quite the diverse patient group. I was the last one called in to be seen, so I was questioned by all the friends and family as I waited. What to say? I tried to be as honest and yet as encouraging as possible to them. Both of the post-op patients looked great, I reassured their families - they all looked so scared. I remember being at that point, I wish I had had the opportunity to see and speak to another post-oper. The one thing I said to all of them was that everyone thinks they are going to be the super star patient. Everyone thinks that they are going to heal faster and feel better than any other orthognathic patient ever has in the history of orthognathic surgery. But healing takes time. This process is a lesson in patience. My only frustration has been with the slow healing process. Even though Dr. A says I look amazing and am progressing faster than most. So I told them to take it one day at a time, measure your progress in small milestones. Every day gets better and better. I was also thinking that I am sure glad that the worst if long over for me :)

When I was called in to see Dr. A, he came into my exam room and said that I had saved the day. That the girl scheduled for surgery on Thursday was absolutely freaked out until I walked in. I get the impression that some patients really have no idea what they are in for when they start this whole process. Her name is Chelsea - I wished her well....she'll do great. I laughed with Dr. A and wondered if I should hit him up for a refund on my surgery fees :) Thinking I could just sit in his waiting room and encourage patients. Ha ha, right.

6 Weeks Post-op

2006-11-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Week 6 Update

2006-11-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting a whole lot, cuz there's not a whole lot to say (this is good). I saw my surgeon this week for my 6 week follow-up appointment. He says everything is looking good. That my level of swelling is normal and my bite has no signs of relapse. I can now open my mouth to 25mm or so - some days are better than others. He stated that in 2-3 more weeks I will be able to advance to a soft chew diet. More good news. I have grown quite bored of my pureed diet. I am not the kind of person that is going to try and drink spaghetti, so my options have been limited.

Last night though, I did experience some of the worst pain I have ever felt. I wasn't doing anything - not talking, not drinking, not yawning - nothing, when I had the most intense pain from my lower hook. I'm talking bring you to your knees, make you sweat and want to vomit pain. My husband and I really didn't know what to do. So while I sat on the bathroom floor and cried, he called the on-call MD. The doc told him to cut the rubber band off, leave it off for the night and call the office in the morning. Which we did, and the pain gradually subsided. What a night.

I called the office this morning and the surgeon says this sometimes happens when nerve regrowth occurs close to the external hardware. Lucky me, I am one of the peeps that gets to experience this. He said to try to place the rubber band again in 3-4 days, if it still hurts to try again in another few days and repeat. If I can't get the band on once before I see Dr. A again in 2 weeks, they reassured me that all would be fine. This made me feel better. I don't want to have a relapse because of a wimpy rubberband standing in my way.

I'll post some photos tonight. Note that the swelling is really hanging on especially in my lower face, and my upper lip is crazy big. Talking is still a major challenge. Letters like "b" and "v" are impossible for me to say because of my limited lip movement. This proves incredibly frustrating at work and totally humorous at home.

All in all I don't have much to complain about. My energy level is pretty good as are my spirits. The days are just slipping by. I'm sure soon enough this will all be a distant memory.

Oh - one last note. I have my first orthodontist appointment on 11/27 for my first post-op adjustment. Let get these braces off! :)

Looking Back

2006-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

I ran across this photo that was taken the morning of my surgery...boy so much has happened in the last month. Thought I would post it just for fun. Maybe I don't miss my old face as much as I thought.

4 Weeks Post-op

2006-10-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

So four weeks after surgery, here I am. I still have quite a bit of swelling (the right greater than the left). I am working really hard on trying to hold my lips closed as it is a bit disturbing to me that my right lower lip droops down a bit. I saw Dr. A this week at my follow-up appointment. He said my bite is great, no signs of relapse. I was instructed to continue my jaw exercises twice daily - open/close, side to side, and forward. In a few more days, he wants me to start pulling on my lips to help minimize any problems with my incision lines and scar tissue. He encouraged me by saying that I am healing just as expected. All good news.

As far as my diet goes...four more weeks of pureed food. I should be all set to eat a little mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie (sans crust) on Thanksgiving :) Nothing much else to report this week.

Random Stats

2006-10-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Stats: Day 23
Meds: Doxycycline, Vitamin C and E, Motrin (maybe once every other day)
Days back at work: 7
Food: Blended soups, Jamba Juice, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Drinkable yogurt
Favorite Treat: Hot cocoa with whipped cream...yum!
Pounds lost: 10

Favorite TV Shows: Boston Legal and Studio 60
Oral Hygiene: Brushing everywhere now! Feels so fresh so clean :)

Nobody Told Me There'd Be Days Like These

2006-10-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

I posted yesterday's photos with some hesitation. Lance took about a dozen of them before we could finally agree on one 'front' shot to post. It's really hard for me to look in the mirror any more. When I look in the mirror I see a monster. I can't move my upper lip at all. I am told this could take months to change due to nerve issues, swelling and scar tissue. I didn't realize how much I smile until I couldn't any longer. Now when I smile I look like a clown.

I miss my old face - never thought I would say that.

I am still terribly swollen (the photos are a bit deceptive). I don't look like I once did, and I don't know what I look like under all the swelling and stiffness. I cried last night because of this. I know this is silly but I don't know what I look like anymore. I didn't really anticipate such a huge change in all my features post-operatively. Thank goodness Dr. A didn't do the genioplasty or I would be really lost when I look in the mirror. Maybe I sounds like I'm out of my mind...let me know.

I also haven't posted a whole lot lately because I've been back at work all this week. Wow! Work has been an adventure all in itself. Trying to figure out how to eat and rinse and drool with no one thinking I'm a freak. It's been hard. I feel pretty good, just low on energy. I still have a little bit of pain in my ears and face. With the feeling coming back in my face I get little 'shocks' of pain intermittently. I have affectionately begun to call them 'zingers'. But this is my reality - my swollen face, my slurred speech...I know it will get better - for goodness sakes, it has to :)

3 Weeks Post-op

2006-10-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Shameless Plug

2006-10-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

I flipped through this book in my surgeon's office, there are so many photos, just amazing. Oh, and it was written by my surgeon...he totally rocks!

Flowers Make Me Happy

2006-10-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Lance bought me these at the grocery store along with some really great potato soup and Naked juices...I love him!

Day 13

2006-10-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm still really numb, and unable to move the majority of my face. At least the swelling lessens a little bit everyday, now if only I could move my lips and smile I'd be all good :)

Look I'm Filled With Titanium!

2006-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Everything went very well at my follow-up appointment yesterday. Dr. A was out, so I was seen by Dr. G. First he removed all my rubberbands and gave me a few minutes to practice opening and closing my mouth. I don't know how else to describe this except that it felt like my lower jaw was going to fall off. This sensation only lasted for a few seconds. He then took measurements of my bite - it's official I am no longer a class II maloccusion! He said everything looks just as it should - bite and suture lines. He also let me know that my stitches are absorbable and not to be alarmed if they start falling out in the next little bit. Eek! more grossness to deal with. I then got to brush my teeth! I am never been so excited to brush. Amy, I think you said that when you could first brush after your SARPE, your teeth felt like wood. I would agree with you, just like wood. Then I worked with one of the assistants while she instructed me on my 'jaw exercises'. I have to work on opening and closing my mouth, stretching those muscles for 15 minutes twice daily. Yesterday I could only open my teeth enough to poke the tip of my tongue out. Even so, it felt great. Not at all painful, just tight. Lastly, I was shown how to replace my rubberbands. Now I think I am pretty tough, but this rated very high on the gross out factor. The two on the sides were no biggie, but the one in the center...I have to place one end around a screw that sticks out above my upper teeth and then pull it down to meet a large hook that stick out below my lower teeth. I have to get picture of this as soon as the swelling is less...oh so gross.

Oh and I forgot the best part of the visit - new x-rays. They are crazy. Lance thinks it's insane that his wife's face is now full of metal. I was also given the green light to advance my diet to a liquid one with particles. Anything I can blend and drink out of a cup is fair game. Finally I can have a smoothie.

Day 11

2006-10-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Syringes

2006-10-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

There seems to be conflicting information about using syringes for drinking after orthognathic surgery. My surgeon's office told me not to use syringes. The reason being that they eject the liquid too forcefully and can harm the incision line. In the worst cases, they can blast out the stitches. Plus, they increase the risk of infection. I took this as terrible news at first. Now I see that it really didn't matter. I also had bought a couple toddler sippy cups and ended up never using them. The easiest way for me to drink post-operatively was from a small plastic cup while looking in the mirror. I was so numb at first I couldn't even tell where my lips were parted. This has improved over the last week or so - no mirror now. I still have to hold a small towel to my chin to catch the drips. I know, I know - I'm bringing sexy back in a big way.

Things I Love

2006-10-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I thought I would write a post about the items that I have grown to love in the last couple of weeks while recovering:

Blistex - my surgeon required that I go to the hospital with a tube of the stuff. I think the nurses had orders to apply it to my lips as needed. It has been a lifesaver in terms of lip dryness. I suggest buying a few tubes of the stuff. Even 10 days out I am using it religiously to avoid cracked lips. So far so good. I try to apply it after every time that I rinse my mouth - 8 times/day. Get the kind shown here, that you squeeze out.

Plastic Cups - preferably 8-10 ounces in size. Plastic cups have a more narrow rim and are therefore much easier to drink out of. You are going to be super numb after surgery and beyond and will need all the help you can get. I am still using them.

Hydrogen Peroxide - for oral care/rinsing. Once given the ok by your surgeon, make a mixture for rinsing. You will get all kinds of good stuff out of your mouth. Ewww! Mix one part hydrogen peroxide with four parts water for oral rinses. Use twice a day. This has really minimized that 'fuzzy tongue' feeling.

Ocean Nasal Spray - for nasal decongestant. I have never used nasal sprays prior to surgery, but this is just the best non-medicinal way to break up the junk in your sinuses. I used Afrin for the first 3 days after surgery, but if used much longer than that, Afrin can cause congestion, rather than take it away. The ocean nasal spray is just saline and can be used as much as needed. This is key, as I am instructed not to blow my nose for 8 weeks and this causes infection.

Day 9

2006-09-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Is it only Day 9?! No wonder I am so bummed out. I think my expectations for recovery have been a bit unrealistic. Yesterday was really difficult for me, so lonely at home all day with the dog. Not feeling bad enough to warrant laying in bed all day, but not feeling good enough to do much of anything. The surgeon said that I would have a few days of mild depression; partially from all the steroids leaving my body, but partially from process in general. If I had to pinpoint a 'low' it would be Friday morning.

Lance must have known this because he came home at around 2 to check on my and make sure that I was drinking enough. After he left, I took a shower, all by myself and even blow dried my hair. Read a bit of a magazine and googled a bit online. When he returned home from work I went with him to pick up some dinner. Later in the evening we went to Blockbuster. Yep, I went into the store - thought it was time to scare a few small children. Thing is, no one seemed to give me a second glance. Maybe I don't look as monstrous as I feel. So Friday, which started out horribly, ended really well.

When we got back from the video store I was done for - soooo tired. Back in the PJ's and on the couch - who knew picking out a movie to watch could be so exhausting.

Stats: Day 9
Meds: Keflex, Ultram - once at bedtime, Claritan with Dr. A's ok (ears much better), Afrin
Diet: Particle free still - water, Instant Breakfast, coke, gatorade, cranberry juice
Pounds lost: 9
Biggest complaint: swelling going down, just not as fast as I would like it too

Sleep

2006-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

An interesting tidbit of information: my post-op airway is now three times the size it used to be! per my surgeon. No more snoring for me I guess. I am told that I most likely used to sleep only on my stomach in order to increase the size of my airway while asleep. Sleeping on my back, post-op, has been one of the most difficult things for me. Sleeping on my back and sitting semi-upright - almost impossible. But over the last week, I have learned to adapt. I am no longer sleeping at a 30 degree angle, just on two pillows. The top pillow of soft down so that I don't move my cheek implants. Dr. A used a moldable material for my cheekbone augmentation. It remains pliable for 4-6 weeks. Crazy huh? I am so afraid that I am going to roll over in my sleep and end up with a cheekbone on my nose! It can't be that easy to move around. This is the area of my face that I am most unsure about. I really have no idea how this is all going to end up looking. Time will tell.

The Droning Continues

2006-09-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's once again Saturday. This Saturday is so much better than last. To pick up where I left off in my last post. I made it through all the challenges of Thursday night and into Friday morning. Dr. A stopped by on Friday morning at the hospital to have a last look at me and let me know that I could be discharged as soon as I met a few of his conditions: drinking a half a liter of fluid without vomiting, peeing on my own and walking around the hospital floor. Man, I wanted to get out of the hospital as quickly as possible and set out to accomplish the tasks at hand. I rang the nurse and asked her to remove my catheter, so that I could get to peeing, and started sipping on my Sprite. It has been interesting to me that while on a liquid diet, all the flavors are more intense. Soda is so bubbly too. I can't even stand the taste of my most favorite beverage, diet coke. Gatorade and straight up water are my favorites.

My husband left to pick up my mom and return after they had grabbed some breakfast. I told Lance that I would be all set to go back to the hotel with them when he returned. He looked at me like I was crazy. In the hours that he was gone I accomplished 2 of the 3 tasks at hand. Liquids - check, pee - check, check. Nurses make the worst patients. I never rang the nurse to help me get out of bed, stupid I know. I just disconnected myself from my IV and took care of business.

Lance and my mom returned around noon or so, and I was ready for a walk and discharge. Quick loop around the nurses station and I was all ready to go. So with more flowers than the three of us could handle (thanks everyone) I was wheeled out to the car. Whew! free at last.

Driving back to the hotel I was a bit worried. Worried that I wouldn't be able to drink enough fluids and would be back in the hospital within a few days for some IV therapy. This really was my biggest concern. The pain was not bad at all at this point, my entire face numb and heavy with swelling - I just wanted to sleep.

Where to Begin

2006-09-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

This week has been a long one. I am so overwhelmed by everyone's support and have to much to tell, that I don't know quite where to begin. So let me go back and start at the beginning. Thursday morning, the hopsital staff was all fantastic in getting me ready for surgery. Dr. A took a bit longer with his first case on Thursday than expected, so I had a little extra time waiting prior to surgery. I acutally wasn't very nervous at all. The whole morning was so surreal. I knew that Thursday would be a much longer day for my family than for me. Thursday to be an easy day for me. Dr. A greeted by before surgery, bright eyed and ready to go. I said goodbye to my husband around 1030, not having a clue about what was to come. Once wheeled into the pre-op I met and talked briefly with my anesthesiologist....he was fantastic. He effortessly started my IV and I told he to go easy on the drugs, cuz I'm a lightweight. Then he gave me a wonderful drug called Versed, that I have administered many times in the ER. It is usually given prior to procedures, keeping the patient awake although creating totally memory loss of the experience. I am told that I talked with Dr. A once more before surgery, I have no recollection.

I don't remember anything about the recovery room. Nothing until I got to my room for the evening. I was told that I was very easy to recover, waking up with no problems. Thursday night was exhausting. I was awoken every half hour by the nursing staff for vital signs and a neuro check. I can remember just wanting to be left alone to sleep. It was a scary first night, my face so swollen that it felt like a pillow was being held over my face. I learned to get quite proficient with the suction catheter. I had a morphine pump, but only pushed the button to administer it once during the night and once again in the morning. I threw up only twice, once was a lot of blood - totally freaking out my husband and once with mostly dry heaves.

My impression of the first day....mixed. Harder than I thought it would be, but yet everything went extremely well, no complications whatsoever. Dr. A said I was his star patient. As it turns out, he didn't feel that the genioplasty was necessary. They took a 'vote' in the OR and said 'no' to the chin. Other than that it was extremely strange trying to swallow with a whole new mouth. So big and so strange. Well this is long enough, sorry if I have droned on....I'll be happy to drone more later.

Stats: Day 6
Meds: Kelfex, Tylenol, and occasionally Ultram
Liquids: particle free liquids - gatorade, instant breakfast, water, snapple
Pounds lost: 7.5
Biggest complaint: My ears have sooo much pressure in them when I lay down - ouch!

Day 5 - is coming

2006-09-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

I think she is still smiling... can you tell?

Day 4 and counting

2006-09-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the encouraging comments. It's been a rough couple of days, I'm not going to sugar coat it...but everyday is getting a little bit easier. Lance will post some updated photos tonight. He and my mom have been super-duper. I am excited to see my profile once the swelling has subsided a bit more. I think it has peaked already. Tomorrow is day 5! As it turned out, Dr. A didn't move my chin at all. What you are looking at is my same old chin, in a whole new time zone :) He also ended up doing a little bit of work on my septum....with that said, I think my nose will be a bit altered (not piggish at all though). I will hopefully write more tomorrow. Time for more pain medication and sleepies :)

Smiles everyone... Smiles!

2006-09-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Kelsie and I really appreciate all of your support!!!

Wow,look at this profile:

Reporting live from the scene...

2006-09-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

The day we have all been waiting for has finally come. Now at 9pm, PST - I bring the up to the minute coverage of Kelsie's big day. By the way, the skulls in the first picture are a part of Kelsie's official surgery day sweatshirt.

Pre op:

Post op:

(sorry its a blurry one, promise to get a better one later!)

-Lance

It's Surgery Eve!

2006-09-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Well guys, in a few hours I will change into my hospital gown, get my IV started and get wheeled into the OR. How am I feeling you may ask? I feel scared and nervous, but mostly excited. So much has happened in the last year ...all in preparation for tomorrow. TOMORROW! Did I mention that my orthognathic surgery is TOMORROW?

I had a great 'last supper' tonight: lobster bisque, grilled salmon with a thai pesto sauce, grilled veggies and fresh strawberries - battered and deep fried and covered with cinnamon and sugar. It was gooooood :) The company was better than the meal - my husband and mom shared the meal with me. Lance drove up to Santa Barbara this afternoon and will be staying with me throught the weekend. He's the photographer, you know ;)

Interesting bit of info - Dr Arnett will be advancing my lower jaw 18mm tomorrow morning! 18mm - that's not a typo. That's really the only number that sticks in my brain. Crazy big advancement! My husband will be blogging as soon as he is able, at least to let you all know that everything went as planned. Thanks to everyone (Mrs. Shanton, Amy, Graham and Brandy) for all the kind words. I really feel like 'we' are all doing this together :) Well until I blog again - bye!

Pre-op Photos

2006-09-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

My mom and I arrived in Santa Barbara on Sunday evening in preparation for this week's big surgery. Today included two appointments at my surgeon's office for my final pre-operative consultation (final molds, measurements, pictures, etc...) and presentation of Dr. Arnett's final surgical plan.

These are my pre-op photos (ugh! - I hate them) Me in all my overbite glory. These photos were taken by Dr. Arnett this morning in his office. Today was actually my first face to face meeting with him. Can I just say that I have the utmost confidence in him. I spent a total of five hours in his office today (two sessions)...fantastic! He has revised my surgical plan to include the following:

1. Upper jaw - One-piece osteotomy (initial plan was to include a multisegment osteotomy)
2. Lower jaw - Bilateral sagittal osteotomies
*both to include bone graft placement with resorbable hydroxyapatite and vitoss placement
3. Chin repositioning - Dr. A is going to see how things look after the lower jaw is advanced, as this may no longer be needed
4. Cheekbone augmentations - I am very excited about this part

The agenda for tomorrow includes my pre-op history and physical by a local physician and my pre-admission appointment with the hospital. I learned soooo much about the surgery and post-operative care/expectations and will try to blog more about things tomorrow.

I've Got Hooks!

2006-09-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

My surgical hooks were placed today by Dr B in preparation for my orthognatic surgery next Thursday. Next Thursday! Wow! My husband tagged along today to meet the two men that have been reshaping my mouth this past year. Nothing too exciting to report. All of my teeth are now wired tied with little tiny hooks. Man, I thought I got food stuck in my teeth before, now it's 10x's worse. They aren't bothering me too much, except on the bottom front teeth. What you don't see in the photo, is the inside of my mouth all torn up. Time to look for that wax, I haven't had to use it for such a long time.

Two Weeks!

2006-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from now I will be post-op! I'm starting to really get anxious/nervous. When I first consulted with my ortho the surgery part of this process seemed so far in the future...boy how time flies. Two weeks...fourteen days. Eek!

Any Excuse to Shop

2006-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

So with my surgery date drawing closer and closer, I decided to do a little bit of shopping this past weekend in preparation for my hospital stay and recovery period (not that I plan on lying around in bed very long). I'm always looking for a bargain, so I went to Nordstrom Rack and found some cool things. I bought the cutest pair of cotton pajama pants with little turtles on them (12 dollars) as well as some chenille slipper socks with rubberized bottoms (5 dollars). Like I said, any excuse to shop. The slippers looked like they had been dropped on the store floor a few times, so I gave them a quick spin in the washer and they are good as new - so soft and fluffy.

Oh, I also went over to one of those Staples/OfficeMax-ish type places, they were having their back-to-school sale, and found a cool dry erase board. It's about 10x10 inches square and black! It came with opaque markers in green and pink. I figure I can use it in my cubicle at work afterwards. So fun! I love new pens and markers, etc... Right now the board is in my kitchen where my husband and I have been writing notes to each other.

Hmmm....wonder what else I will 'need' to purchase before my venture up to Santa Barbara in a few weeks :)

One More to Go!

2006-08-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I had an uneventful visit at the orthodontist this morning. My surgical grade/weight wire was placed on my lower arch (it had been out for a few weeks, replaced by a lighter wire). Dr B made a few additional tweaks to my lower archwire. New powerchains were placed on my lowers and new ligatures on my uppers. I went with boring grey again. My springs are still in place, keeping my big beautiful spaces ready for the surgeon. My teeth are already a little achy...no biggie. I will see Dr B one last time about a week before surgery to get my surgical hooks placed. I made an appointment for 9/13.

Hmmm...very uneventful.And that's really all I have to say about that :)

Interesting Case Study

2006-08-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

I ran across this case study using Google. Thought I should pass it on. It's loaded with photos and xrays although nothing graphic. Enjoy!
Class II Malocclusion Case Study

New Dentist

2006-08-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my upcoming orthognathic surgery, I visited the dentist today. This was a new dentist for me, due to a change in dental insurance since my recent career change. He seemed really down to earth. When I told him about my upcoming surgery, he said had orthognathic surgery 30 years ago! Can you imagine? He said that he was wired shut for 6 weeks. He says it's nothing to worry about. He also mentioned that I am going to look totally different after surgery (well, once the swelling has gone down). My curiosity is killing me; I am so afraid that I won't recognize myself after surgery. He recommended taking pictures pre-op....little does he know that I have been totally obsessed with this whole process.

Good news though, he says my teeth are really clean, that I am doing a great job with my oral hygiene. That made me feel good...all my flossing is not in vain. I am going to revisit his office twice before my surgery, for a two part cleaning. But no new cavities to report today! He did scold me that I haven't been to the dentist as much as I should since getting my braces. He recommends cleanings every 4 months! I had never been told that. I have to say that taking time off of work for all of these appointments is getting a bit difficult. Between the surgeon, ortho and dentist.... good thing my boss is understanding.

My last thoughts walking out of the dentist were memories of my childhood dental office. I remember there being a goodie drawer with plastic toys and tooth brushes. So sad, today there was no goodie drawer and no free toothbrushes.

Kobayashi Hooks

2006-07-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post this great photo of surgical hooks posted on Flickr by Cori W. She has uploaded quite a few photos from her orthognathic surgery.

A Real Live Surgical Patient!

2006-07-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

I went to my orthodontis this morning for one of my adjustments prior to surgery. Dr. B is always so encouraging, telling me how great my teeth look. I really have nothing to do with how my 'teeth look' so maybe they are actually giving themselves a compliment...hmmmmm. Anyways during my visit, there was post surgical patient of Dr. Arnett's (my orthognathic surgeon). She was really pleased with the results of her surgery and was kind enough to let Dr. B tell me all about her teeth. Oh, it was so great. She is 10 weeks post-op and looked great! She said that she still has a little bit of swelling, but not knowing her, I couldn't tell. She did tell me to gain a little weight before surgery as she has lost over 15 pounds. Hmmm, I don't know about that. I am just trying to stay healthy and maybe put on a little bit of muscle at the gym. It was great to meet yet another satisfied customer of my surgeon's.

As far as me, nothing much to report. He made a few adjustments in my upper archwire. I am going to see Dr. B again in August. On that visit he will place my surgical archwire on my lower teeth (I've had one on my uppers for months now apparently) on that visit and probably not much else. Then I will visit the office the week before my surgery for the placement of my sugical hooks, final xrays and photos. I doubt that I will have any soreness after this visit, but I still stopped at Starbucks on the way to the office for a little coffee frap - man it has been hot here in Southern California!

Ashley's Orthognathic Website

2006-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

I found this link to Ashley's Orthognathic Website on the Yahoo Orthognathic Surgery Support group page. She provides a comprehensive overview of the entire process. Her site also has lots of photos. I've got to hand it to her, her attitude about the whole process is so positive!

Paid In Full

2006-07-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

One more hurdle jumped...I paid my surgery fees today. My orthognathic surgeon's office requires that anything amount not covered by my insurance be paid in full two months prior to surgery. Non-payment results in the cancellation of surgery. Guess I am really committed now. I don't even want to talk about how much money I had to front for my surgery fees. Let's just say, I could have paid cash for a new car! The good news is that most of it will be reimbursed to be by my insurance, less my annual maximum out of pocket amount. The bad news is that I will have to deal with my insurance company again to ensure that I am reimbursed the correct amount. If you have been reading my blog, you know what fun I have had with all the reps at Blue Cross up until this point!

As each week goes by, the reality of September 21st is increasing. I have started to make all the necessary arrangements for my absence at work. Because there isn't anyone else in my office who has my exact skill set, I have to train someone to cover me while I am out. This is only adding to my stress about the surgery. When I told my boss about my surgery, I let her know that I will be out of the office for two weeks. I hope to be able to work from home sooner than that, but we shall see.

Nothing else new to post about in regards to my teeth/mouth. My next orthodontist appointment is on 7/26. I think it will be one of my last before all my surgical wires and hooks are placed.

Snoring

2006-07-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

My husband says that I have been snoring soooo loudly in the early morning hours that I wake him up. I wonder if I am getting some serious Zzzz's because I am taking Elavil before bed. Has anyone heard your snoring is lessened after orthognathic surgery? My husband would sure like to know.

Follow-up on Feldene

2006-07-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

I had an appointment with my primary care doctor yesterday. You know, thought I'd get a good 'once over' before my surgery. I don't want any surprises, especially after having waited almost 4 months for my surgery date. I talked to my doctor about my reaction to Feldene. He said that he had never heard of the swelling occuring to someone as young as myself. He mentioned that I should be extremely cautious when taking any NSAID after having that type of reaction to Feldene. Apparently my kidneys didn't care for the medication, and I ran the risk of going into heart failure, worst case scenario. In addition, he just didn't understand why the surgeon would have me take such a potent anti-inflammatory, so many days before surgery. It's always good to get a second opinion.

Just a Comment

2006-07-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for my surgery. I was looking at recent photos last night and I absolutely hate my face. In preparation for my surgery my overbite has been made profoundly worse. Has anyone else experienced this? No turning back now I guess. I can't wait to have my surgery behind me and see what my new face looks like. Ten weeks from tomorrow...feels like forever.

Medication Update

2006-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

I have been taking my pre-operative medications for about 3 weeks and thought I should post a little bit about how this has been going. Taking the extra vitamin C and E are no big deal. The other medications have been a different story.

With the amitriptyline I have found that if I take it too late in the evening, like eleven or twelve pm, I am soooo sleepy in the morning. This makes it a bit of a challenge to get out of bed. So I have found that taking it around 9 pm is the best way to go. I have noticed that I don't wake up in the morning clenching my teeth anymore, so that's good.

The doxycycline has been going down without a problem as well. Although the pharmacist was serious when he said to make sure I don't lay down after taking it, in order to minimize gastric reflux (heartburn). This is really only an issue on the weekends, when I take my meds and have time to lay around and be lazy in the morning. I also noticed that for the first few weeks the doxycycline left me with a strange taste in my mouth. This has since resolved.

The feldene...oh the feldene. I don't like feldene at all, and either does my body. About 5 days after starting to take the feldene, my lower legs became swollen. Swollen like I have never seen before - we're not talking about the kind of puffiness you get after a long night of dancing in heels or working a twelve hour shift - no - this was more like elephantitis of the legs. I called my surgeon's office to let them know about this problem and they have since had me discontinue the feldene. Good news is that the swelling resolved completely in 4 days. Thank goodness, I can finally wear shoes again! I am following up with my primary care doctor next week. My surgeon may or may not start me on an alternate anti-inflammatory medication.

The surgeon also told me that the doxycycline is actually the most important medication pre-operatively. He has me taking it, not because it's an antibiotic, but because it has a secondary benefit of joint stabilization. Hence the reason I am taking it for three months. I really like the other secondary benefit, that it has totally cleared up any adult acne that I had on my face...nice.

A Word About Powerchains

2006-07-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new respect for the Powerchain. My visit to Dr. B today included a new bottom archwire, complete with a Powerchain connecting all of my bottom teeth. It's been approximately 2 hours since it's application and all I have to say is "wow, that hurts". Time to look for a few Tylenol.

Picture Time

2006-06-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

It's not so pretty but here are my latest pictures.
I was just noticing I don't have very many teeth, no wonder my surgeon opted not to have me go through the SARPE procedure. You've got to work with what you have I guess.

Pre-operative Medications

2006-06-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of all the goodies I have to take everyday for the next 12 weeks:

Doxycycline 100mg (antibiotic)
Feldene 20mg (anit-inflammatory)
Vitamin C 500mg
Vitamin E 400IU
Amitriptyline 10mg (at bedtime to reduce clenching/grinding)

I've been on these meds for about a week. It's not been so terrible. I bought a cute little pill case that I fill up at the beginning of the week with all my colorful pills. It serves as a great reminder to take them. I highly recommend purchasing one, come on you can part with the two dollars. I am sensitive to many medications so I was a bit hesitant to take all of these new medications. My biggest complaint is that I have a little bit of dizziness for a few hours after taking the antibiotic. I know this will diminish with time as I had the same problem when taking Minocin (which is the same class of antibiotic) for my acne a few years back.

Other than that, I am trying to drink extra water as recommended by my doctor, which means less diet coke :( I also was cautioned by my pharmacist to stay away from other aspirin containing meds and other NSAIDs such as Motrin while on the Feldene. He says Tylenol is A-ok. I know that patients have had their surgery cancelled due to a lack of compliance with their pre-op meds. Maybe because of my nursing background, I just look at it as fairly temporary and am determined to power through these next three months.

A quick word of advice regarding insurance and medications: My surgeon called in my prescriptions for a 90 day supply to be dispensed all at once. Blue cross won't cover more than 30 days of any medication being dispensed at once. The pharmacy said that they would be happy to re-do the prescription with a 30 day supply with 2 refills but I opted just to pay cash for the 90 day supply all at once. If you do the math it only makes sense, and saves me two trips to the pharmacy, which makes me a happy girl.

My prescription Co-pay is 30/per rx = 30 x 3 = 90 dollars/month
Three months at 90 dollars = 270 dollars total

Cash pay for all the meds at once was 150 dollars. 150 is less than 270. What a game! Maybe this is all gibberish, but if I can help someone out with this information then it's all worth it.

It's A Date!

2006-06-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's all official, on the morning of September 21st I will be rolled into the OR for my orthognathic surgery! After months of working with Blue Cross and my surgeon's office, all of the financial mumbo-jumbo has been worked out and I have scheduled my surgery date. My surgeon (Dr. A) requires 12 weeks of pre-op medication administration, hence the far off surgery date (14 weeks from this Thursday).

I drove to the Beverly Hills office of my orthodontist today with mixed feelings. I was anxious to let them know of my surgery date and yet fed up with driving across town just to have my ligatures swapped out for new ones. In any event, Dr. B was happy to hear that I am on the surgery schedule, and was kind enough to say that the weeks will go by quickly.

On the bright side, I have a bit more time to get my finances ready for the high surgery cost, more time to plan my absence from work, and lots of time to enjoy the southern California summer sunshine :)

...and even more waiting

2006-06-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick word of advice to anyone in the process of getting their orthognathic surgery pre-authorized/approved by your insurance...you have to make tons of phone calls. I have had to call Blue Cross as well as my surgeon's office everyday, sometimes twice daily, to make any progress. After weeks of phone calls I have learned much about the process, it's not an easy one. It's almost like the insurance company hopes you will get so frustrated you will just give up and pay for the surgery on your own ;) It has been a long process for me, and it's not quite finished. Alledgedly, my surgeon's office received the financial disclosure from Blue Cross on Wednesday, outlining how much BC reimburses. I am still waiting to hear from the office, and have left them multiple messages. What this all boils down to for me is how much is left for me to pay. Ugh! I am losing my patience. And I am sure that the orthognathic surgeon's patient account representative is tired of hearing my voice on the phone.

So bottom line, follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!

...and more waiting

2006-05-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

My orthognathic surgeon's 'Patient Accounts Representative' left me a message yesterday, updating me on the latest and greatest regarding my insurance situation. She said that she had received a fax from my insurance carrier stating that my surgery fees were 100% covered by my insurance. Now before everyone gets all excited and wants to know the details of my policy...we are both confused by this information. You see, Dr Arnett is not a preferred provider on my plan so there is no way that it's all covered. So anti-climactic, I know. She said that she is going to call one of the supervisors to verify or deny the letter. What this means for me is more waiting, and waiting. I hope to hear from her by tomorrow.

...Still Waiting

2006-05-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

I battled 45 minutes of side street traffic before work yesterday to make a visit to the orthodontist. I was feeling kind of down going to my appointment because Dr. B hasn't really made any adjustments to my braces for a while. I followed up with the orthognathic surgeon's office to check on my insurance approval. So disappointing. No news. I let the account coordinator know that I had received paperwork from Blue Cross weeks ago stating that the surgery and hospital stay is "medically necessary". She wasn't sure if she had received that paperwork, so I was happy to fax that over to her. She said she would pull my chart and give me a call back on Tuesday. Well it's Wednesday and I still haven't heard from her. I let her know that Dr. Arnett deemed my teeth surgery ready on April 6th. I don't want to be a nagging patient, but I don't want to get lost in the shuffle either.

On the bright side, Dr. B said that all my hardware still looks good and removed the powerchain on my upper front teeth (it was really bugging me). He also made some very minor bends in my archwires to tweak a few teeth. He is so sweet, it's like he spent extra time with me just to find something in my mouth to adjust. He also was so encouraging about getting on the surgical schedule, saying that there are always openings, somehow and not to be discouraged.

I stopped for a coffee frap on the way to work, my teeth sore already, with mixed emotions...I just want to get on that surgery schedule.

Dovie's Post-op Pictures

2006-05-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have been scouring the internet looking for orthognathic post-op pictures, wondering just how swollen and bruised I will be after surgery. It seems that patients are most swollen three days after surgery, taking about 2 weeks for most to get back to some sort of normal life.

In my search I have found Dovie's site. She has compiled a good grouping of images from her post operative period. Click here to take a peek.

Oh Happy Day!

2006-04-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

The mail came today: My Domino magazine, some junk mail and two nondiscript white envelopes from Blue Cross. I looked at the pile, left it and went out to dinner with my husband, bought birthday gifts, went to the grocery store, washed my little dog (Deo), threw in a couple loads of laundry, etc... Around 11:30 I figured I should open the envelopes, thinking that one was my bimonthly bill and one was a change in my policy (Blue Cross recently increased my monthly premium). But, no, I was wrong...they were notifications of my authorization for surgery. One letter for my surgery and one for my hospital stay! Both are now authorized as 'medically necessary'. I am smiling from ear to ear :D

I'm Ready!

2006-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I had yet another appointment with Dr. B this morning. I am a curious patient, so while I was waiting I picked up my chart to take a peek at the orthodontist's notes. I could hardly contain my excitement when I read today's entry - 'Teeth look great! Patient ready for surgery. Start meds now.' I'm ready! I'm ready! The bummer is that I have yet to hear back regarding my insurance authorization. So it's really a waiting game at this point.

I am going to follow-up with my Orthognathic surgeon today to get my prescriptions called in as soon as possible. Pretty cool, huh? I know that Dr. A likes his patients to take their meds for 12 weeks prior to surgery, so it will be at least that long until I go under the knife.

My orthodontist wants to see me in another 3 weeks just to check on my grill, make sure nothing has changed or has come loose. Today the tech just changed my ligatures. How nice to not have sore teeth for awhile.

I left the office today feeling like another hurdle has been jumped :)

In The Mail

2006-04-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

I am so glad it's Friday. Shut down the computer, drove home, checked the mailbox and .... oh my gosh! a letter from my surgeon. Now all of you faithful readers know that my insurance prior authorization was only submitted on the 6th, so I knew it couldn't be related to that. The letter contained information about the prescriptions my surgeon wants me to take during the three months prior to my surgery. So basically I have to read all the information, contraindications and potential side effects of these meds, sign the paperwork, mail it back to the office and call them with the phone number of my local drugstore so the office can call in the prescriptions. Yeah! I must be getting closer to surgery! Makes me nervous though. My surgeon prescribes a 3 month course of Doxycyline, Feldene and Elavil preoperatively. Doxy is an antibiotic. Feldene is an anti-inflammatory. Elavil is an antidepressant - what! He wants me to take it before bedtime every night. I guess it has a secondary benefit of minimizing jaw clenching and teeth grinding. I have to admit that I am a bit leary of taking the Elavil. Hmmm... We'll see how it goes. He also recommends various vitamins and minerals prior to and after surgery. I wonder if this is routine for most preoperative patients of other surgeons. I would love to hear from others if they had to take this mix of medications, and how it made them feel.

I also would love to hear how long others have or are planning on taking off of work for recovery. I am hoping to take a week or a week and a half off of work, and work from home for the new week or two if possible. Just want to know if this is unrealistic. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

Happy Anniversary, sort of...

2006-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's been 6 months since I got my braces put on. Time really does fly. Hopefully in another six months I will have my surgery, and the worst of the recovery, behind me as well.

Hang in there all my bracketed (is that a word?) friends :)

Insurance Authorization Update

2006-04-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

My surgeon's office rep is going to resubmit my prior authorization request for me this Thursday....thank goodness! I am anxious to hear back from Blue Cross regarding the bottom line for my financial obligation for my surgeon's fees. The office told me it takes 6-8 weeks to hear back from Blue Cross, but Dr. B told me that in reality it takes about 2 weeks. My fingers are crossed. I just need to know how the money thing is going to work out....more waiting. This whole process is really an exercise in patience.

As far as my teeth go, they are looking mighty nice. I need to take some more photos. My lower arch is really, really straight. The uppers look good too, except that they are all so far forward. Chewing is becoming a conscious act in order to not drop food out of my mouth. I tend to 'lose' pieces of food out the front as well as the sides. Could braces be more attractive. Oh I think not.

Makin' Progress

2006-03-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Another month, another adjustment...but good new today (of sorts). I saw Dr B today for an adjustment and they had received a letter from my surgeon last week requesting that progress molds of my teeth be made and sent over to his office. My orthodontist thought that my teeth looked sooo good today that they took new molds versus sending the surgeon my molds from a month or so back. So exciting!

So new molds were made today....not fun at all. Having molds made makes me gag to begin with, but it's worse with braces on. The tech really had to work to get the molds out of my mouth because of my brackets. It was a bit uncomfortable, to say the least, in addition to the standard gagging on the 'mold material'. What is that stuff anyways?

Dr. B showed me my molds from last time and how beautifully my teeth will meet when I bite post-operatively. He told me today that I have 'really nice teeth'. I'll take this as a huge compliment from someone who sees a lot of mouths. Dr. B was all excited today, knowing that I am so close to being ready for surgery and that I will have such a good end result. He asked me, again, about my insurance authorization. The best news of the morning (a rainy/cold Tuesday morning) is that he is really pushing to get my surgery done this summer! He has a great working relationship with my surgeon, and really thinks we can get my surgery scheduled before the fall. Oh happy day!

Pain?...Bring It!

2006-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

After four weeks of waiting, I went to visit my ortho today. After looking at my progress molds, Dr. B didn't feel that it was necessary to reposition any of my brackets. Yay for me! I remember having braces when I was younger, and having brackets removed makes this horrible sound that gives me the creeps. Dr. B replaced my existing archwire with the heaviest gauge rectangular wire that they use, upper and lower. They offered me Motrin about four times before I left the office saying that I am going to be really sore, again. He also bent the wire in specific areas to fine tune the level of my teeth, primarily my molars.

We talked about my surgery timeline at today's visit as well...so exciting. My prior authorization should be completed by June. If all goes well, insurance-wise, I will be able to get on the surgery schedule by June. The problem is that my surgeon is soooo busy his office told me that he schedules three to six months out. I left Dr. B know about this, he knows my surgeon well, and Dr. B said not to worry, if I am flexible with my schedule, it won't take six months to get me on the OR table. This made me soooo happy. The thought of just waiting, ready for surgery, for six months is depressing. Oh well, if that's what it takes to go to the best.

So I see Dr. B in three weeks for an adjustment. Dr. B is still pleased with my progress and said today that there will be no problem getting my ready for surgery late summer or early fall. Oh happy day!

Things I Miss...

2006-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Maybe if you are a runner, and have braces like myself, you will appreciate this. I miss finishing a long hard run, taking a big swig of Gatorade and wiping my front teeth off with my towel. I know, it sounds gross, but that's what I do...Run, swig, wipe. Little problem though, I did this today at the gym....totally forgot about my braces and got my fluffy white gym towel all caught up on my front brackets. Oh, the joys of braces. Good news though, my fifth running of the Los Angeles Marathon, first time with the metal grill, will be in just a few short weeks. I am so excited :)

Photo Update

2006-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Front view

Bite - Isn't it lovely? What a mess!

Right side

Left side

Normal...What's Normal?

2006-02-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

I asked Dr. B about my jaw pain - 'Is it normal to have pain/etc?...' To which he replied that nothing is normal about my mouth anymore... great. He says that this type of problem is to be expected when the teeth are moved prior to surgery. His office has a close relationship with my surgeon's office, and Dr. B treats many surgical patients. So my mouth is no longer normal...I am a brace wearing freak. Just kidding. He says that there is a great deal of strain placed on the muscles when the teeth are so grossly misaligned prior to surgery. So I just will need to tough it out, knowing that this is all a part of the process. This is fine with me, I just needed to know that nothing is out of the ordinary.

Progress Molds

2006-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today Dr. B made new molds while I was in the office. Not as exciting as it sounds. These aren't the molds they will send to my surgeon to check on my progress. The molds today were made for Dr. B's use. Based on these molds they will move some of my brackets in order to fine tune my mouth prior to surgery. Well it's progress either way. I was a bit disappointed today. The tech took off my ligatures, wires and springs - the new molds were made - the same wires and springs were put back on my teeth (new ligatures or course). So no real changes were made today. No sore teeth tonight. No more progress in my mind.

I wasn't even able to make an appointment for my next visit. The receptionist said they will call me when the molds are finished and they have a better idea how long my next appointment will need to be. So I wait.

Dr. B asked about my progress with my insurance company in coordiation with the surgeon's office. I let him know that there is a waiting period and that my prior auth. cannot be submitted until April 6th. He said that he had heard similar stories two other times this week. Dr. B seems to think that I will be ready for surgery scheduling before my insurance authorization comes through. This is a problem because my surgeon is booking about three months out at this time.

Jaw Pain

2006-02-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

The last week or so I have noticed increasing pain and decreased mobliltiy on the left side of my jaw. At times I have limited ability to open my mouth. Strange. It kind of comes and goes during the day, so I haven't stressed about it too much. I see my ortho tomorrow and am going to ask him if this is normal for pre-surgical patients.

For instance, this morning I could hardly get my mouth open to take a bite of a banana. I don't know what's going on :( I think that because my bite is soooo messed up at this point, extra strain has been placed on my jaw muscles. I hope this is not going to get worse before my surgery. I experienced a sharp pain when I sneezed today at work, and my jaw actually 'stuck' open for a few seconds. Not so good. Hmmm, more questions for Dr. B, I will be so glad when this is all over.

'Grillz'

2006-02-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Due to my recent frustration with my braces, I have decided that I could have saved a grip of money and still had 'bling' for my 'grill'. Just take a peak at this website. I know this is not a new thing, but a trend that has recently become more mainstream. Gosh, if I took the 9 grand I have paid for my orthodontia and put it towards products on a site like Mr. Bling.com, I could have a different grill for every day of the week, and an extra one for Saturday nights. For full effect, take a listen to 'Grillz' by Nelly - hilarious.

It just makes me laugh. I can't imagine wanting to wear a piece of metal in my mouth just for looks. My husband jokes around and says he should buy a grill from Mr. Bling so he can suffer along with me. Yeah right....maybe if he wore it to work, the gym, to sleep, etc...

Crazy, people are just crazy.

Fark's Surgery Site

2006-01-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

This site is hilarious! A bit of profanity, but yes hilarious. This guy recuited his mom to take pics of him as he recovered from surgery...way to go mom! Check it out. It was refreshing for me to read another's experience. He makes it seem so easy. The Fark.com

Insurance Authorization

2006-01-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

I received a letter from my surgeon's office regarding the status of my insurance prior authorization. Apparently because I had consulted with an ortho about a year ago, my jaw issues have been labeled as a pre-existing condition. So there is a waiting period before I can submit an 'On Demand' review of my case for authorization. My heart sunk as I read this letter. The good news is that I can resubmit my request on April 6th, when the waiting period is over.

So lots more waiting...I am just so anxious. I want to have an official letter stating that my insurance company has authorized my surgery, to know what my bottom line will be financially. Oh and my surgeon's office will be happy to schedule my surgery without as a cash pay patient. I simply need to pay for everything up front....37,000 for surgery, 7,200 for hospitalization and 3,200 for the anesthesiologist.

Reminds me of the MasterCard commercial-
Braces...9,000 dollars
Orthognathic Surgery...37,000 dollars
Ensure and straws...100 dollars
A jaw that closes properly...priceless

No problem, I'll just pick up a little overtime at work ;)

Wire Trimming

2006-01-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

So I have been dealing with my archwire poking into my gums for about a week now. I was using a bit of wax without much improvement. I broke down yesterday morning and called my ortho office before I headed into work to see if they could squeeze me in just to trim this wire. And thank goodness they did!

After trimming the smallest amount of wire off, all of the poking was gone! Amazing. Now I just need to get this huge sore on the inside of my mouth to heal. Sure I have had some irritation from my braces, but nothing like this! I guess this was not normal. I was literally in the ortho's chair for less than 5 minutes and felt like a new woman when I left. So for fun, I stopped at Starbucks and grabbed a coffee before heading off to work. My day at work was still terrible (the ER has been so busy this winter), but at least I didn't have to worry about my archwire poking me like a needle. Huge difference.

Other than my troublesome archwire all's well. The springs have turned out not to be so bad. A little extra soreness after my adjustment, that's all. Lots of people have asked about them, wondering why my ortho is trying to make spaces in between my teeth. So needless to say I have been talking a lot about my surgery.

Update Photos

2006-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

As promised, photos of my 'springs'. Aren't they lovely...I didn't know the ortho could fit more hardware in my mouth.

Springs!

2006-01-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Big day today...orthodontist visit. Four weeks seemed like a long time to go between appointments, but turned out to be well worth it. Sitting in my chair waiting, I could overhear that the teenager next to me was getting her braces off today. Oh happy day...I can't wait until that is me....ok now I am just dreaming. But I was anxious waiting to hear about my progress, debating whether or not to ask Dr. B when he thinks I might be ready for surgery. I know that asking would be so premature as I have only had my braces on for 3 months.

Anyways, Dr. B said that he was very impressed with the way my back molars have come into proper alignment! He can't believe how quickly my teeth are moving. I told him that I have been doing my best to 'wish' them into proper alignment. Ha ha. He also commented again at how clean I keep my teeth and how this helps them move more quickly. I had no idea that every time I floss or brush I am shortening my orthodontic treatment time. Dr. B says that when the gums are healthy that the teeth move more quickly. Who knew? So brush, brush, brush and floss, floss, floss :)

Today I also got two lovely springs placed on my front teeth to create a gap for the surgeon. I see this as real progress (I will post pics soon). I think I got goose bumps when he said that next visit he may make more molds to send to the surgeon to check on my readiness for surgery! All steps in the right direction. I tried to not get too excited leaving the office...after all, my projected time for pre-op braces is 9-12 months. But it's all good.

I stopped for a coffee frap from Starbucks on the way home and called my husband. It has been a really good morning. Makes me think that I need to give the surgeon's office a call and check on the progress of my insurance authorization.

All's Quiet

2006-01-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

I realized it has been quite a while since I have posted. Not much has been going on orthodontia-wise. My bite has been improving every day, in the sense that my molars are no longer hitting on my brackets. This is a big relief as I thought I was going to 'bite' one of my brackets off for sure. Although with this small change my bite has gone from bad to worse. I take this as a step in the right direction. I did notice this morning that the inside of my upper molar was hitting on the outside of the bracket below. I must sleep with a very relaxed jaw.

It is also very strange to go longer than 3 weeks between adjustments. I woke up yesterday (ortho Tuesday) but alas no appointment. Dr B wanted to wait 4 weeks to see me this time so I will see him again on the 18th. I am going to have to remember to ask him about new molds for the surgeon as well as 'how things are going'. It's a bit frustrating to not know what the goal is for my teeth pre-op. I mean non-surgical patients with braces can note their progress by their teeth straightening, but my case is different. My teeth need to be straight, but also in their post-surgical bite position. I guess I just need a little information to know that things are moving in the right direction.

So it's been 3 months since my braces have been on...they really don't bother me anymore. Life has been so busy with moving, the holidays, work and etc... I will be running a half marathon on Sunday as part of my training for my 5th Los Angeles Marathon in March. Yes the braces will be running a marathon :) So life goes on...I am just anxious to have all of this jaw stuff behind me.

Another Adjustment

2005-12-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

Another adjustment has come and gone. These photos were taken today. I am not sure about the blue ligatures. I asked for dark blue...I don't think these are dark blue.
Oh well I guess it doesn't really matter. Braces are braces, and it's all bad. The latest news is that Dr. B placed brackets on my back molars. I asked him why they didn't do this at my first appointment. He said that sometimes they are not needed until later on in the process so why go through the discomfort of them being on until it is absolutely necessary. He also added that all surgical patients need them prior to surgery.

Bottom line...I am in a great deal of discomfort, much like the first few days when my braces were on. I should own stock in Advil. The best part is that my jaw doesn't close anymore. My upper molars now hit the brackets on the bottom molars. I was advised to not eat anything 'hard' (like I even could) and not to worry because after a few weeks the teeth will have moved into their proper position and I will then be able to bite properly. Oh boy, I can hardly wait. I am a bit discouraged because I had been doing so well, I was even eating cut up apples before my adjustment. I just keep telling myself to give it time and then I take a couple more Advil.

All in all Dr. B is very pleased with the way my teeth are moving. I restrained myself from asking him about my surgical timeline. Maybe next appointment. He wants to see me back in 4 weeks.

Messy Eater

2005-12-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

While having lunch at one of my favorite dining destinations (Chipotle) today, I had a great deal of trouble keeping my food in my mouth. This must be due my ever changing bite. Rice kept falling out of my mouth everywhere.

Was I eating too fast? No.
Was I talking with my mouth full? No.

I was just enjoying a quiet lunch with my husband, who had been out of town the last few days. He commented, only after I mentioned it, that I have been a very sloppy eater lately. We both laughed. Good thing he loves me. Oh, and he still thinks my braces are adorable. I better hold onto him.

Crooked Bite

2005-12-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

My orthodontist told me all about how my jaw/bite would get worse before surgery in preparation for my post-surigcal bite, but wow I had no idea. It seems that my teeth have really been doing some moving. My jaw muscles have been feeling the strain. My teeth only touch on the right side (this week) because my whole bite has shifted causing strain on my jaw muscles on the right side. It's really weird. Make sense? Does to me...I hope things are moving in the right direction and fast. It is exciting to see the changes, I really didn't think that my teeth would move so quickly. I see Dr. B next Tuesday and am anxious to get my bands on my very back molars!