Déjà Two

Enough said...

Tomorrow can't come slowly enough...

I'm not sick. I have no other excuses. The bill is paid. The date is confirmed.

Tomorrow, at approximately 1:45 p.m., I will be getting my braces put back on for the second time in my life. This is the beginning of a long pro

cess that will eventually result in (hopefully) me no longer experiencing pain in my jaw or the continued deterioration of the joint. Just for a point of reference, I am adding some pictures from before I get my braces so we (you...or maybe it's just me) can watch the progress leading up to and beyond the surgery.

The first picture (left) is just a regular

old frontal picture of me smiling. From the looks of it, my teeth are straight and there is no obvious problem. But, you also can't tell that my nose protrudes approximately 3 inc

hes from my face. Nah! Just kidding. But, in reality you can't tell much from this picture. Looks great, right? Well, lets take a look at my profile.

As you can see (at least I can anyway, and so do my doctors), my lower jaw is recessed...or shorter than my upper jaw. This has caused an incorrect bit, which causes pressure in my joints, which causes the cracking and popping and the occasional inability to open my mouth wide enough to stick a toothbrush in.

An X-ray even revealed that my joint is starting to deteriorate because of the abnormal pressure. AKA--I have arthritis in my jaw. Fun! Fun? No...not really. Because, not only does it make chewing difficult and causes migraine like symptoms on occasion, but it hampers a lot of other activities as well...but I digress.

So, tomorrow officially begins my Journey into the realm of Sagittal Split Osteotomy. Stay tuned folks, it's gonna be a thriller!

Retake # 2,785,094

At least that's what it feels like...

Whatever it was that lodged itself in my throat caused me to cancel my orthodontist appointment three times.   THREE!!!  There is still a slight tickle lingering in my throat, but not enough to keep me out of my braces any longer.

Sounds almost as if I want my braces back on, doesn't it?  Well, let there be no mistake...I don't!  The illness I was experiencing could very well have been psychological.  My deep-seeded anxiety about not wanting braces again manifested itself in some phantom symptoms to give me an excuse to postpone the inevitable.  Maybe.  

Moving on...

So, the date is set (again) for next Tuesday.  (that reminds me, I should probably tell my boss)  I tried calling Dr. A's office a few weeks ago to find out what I need to do with them, but never got a response.  I'll try that again tomorrow.  It would be nice to know that they haven't forgotten about me.  My guess is, I'll have to go in and sign some papers and become an official patient.  Up until now, I've just been "a consult."  No patient ID...which they always ask for when I call and I have to keep telling them that I don't have one and explain that I'm still "IN THE PROCESS" of getting "THIS BALL ROLLING."  

Oh well.  

Until we meet again.