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.

What comes around goes around...

So, I've already had the flu once this year.  Who really wants a repeat of that?  As if the first time wasn't enough, I think I'm coming down with it again.  That sore throat I mentioned a few days ago...has slowly evolved into an irritating cough.  So far, no sign of  a fever.  Maybe it'll just be a virus or something.  I really don't want the flu again.  That was horrible.  I'd never wanted a new set of skin before in my life.  Who knew that the flu could make your hair hurt?  Aside from that, this could mean putting of my braces YET AGAIN!  I don't want to sit in that chair with my mouth pried open for four hours when I have such an irritating cough, not to mention infecting the whole office with my tainted breath...

Ugh.  

Time will tell.  

It Starts....

Okay, this is the first post of what is going to be a very long, drawn out, process.  I don't have time to go into all the details just yet, but never fear...I will indeed go into ALL the juicy details.  Basically this blog is going to chronicle my journey through a surgical procedure known as Sagittal Split Osteotomy.  

It starts with...you guessed it:  Braces.  

I just had my spacers put in two days ago.  Next tuesday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day...so much for the luck of the Irish), I will be getting my braces put on for the second time.  Yes, the second.  I was stupid enough the last time around to put off this necessary surgery.  But, I guess it all works out for the best in the end, because now I have excellent insurance that will be paying for the whole shebang sans my $25 deductible...and the braces ($4k--groan).  

I've been doing a lot of research lately and have found not a lot to help me learn more about what's going to happen to my face.  I've read other peoples blogs, but they weren't having the same exact surgery as me, I've looked at Oral Surgeon's websites and not seen illustrations showing what they're going to do to me.  

That got me thinking...maybe I should do my own blog and fill it with all the information I wanted to know before having my surgery.  If all goes well...I'll help at least one person feel well informed before they walk into that operating room.

All for now...