Countdown to chomping down!

PEOPLE! In 7 days exactly I will be finding out the news on a new diet from my surgeon! I'm praying that he allows me to begin chewing! Its been a long 5 weeks with no chewing, I will say, and I am very ready to get back into my normal eating! Its actually flown by considering how miserable Ive been with seeing everyone around me eating normal yummy foods!
My last visit to the surgeon was a very positive one. He was going on and on about how great I looked just 3 weeks after surgery! He even had a family come in who's son had just had the same exact surgery the day before... They were worried about his recovery so Dr. Bolding had them come in a talk to me a bit about my process.  I guess our "before" x-rays were very close to identical as far as our jaw and bite.  They were shocked to see how well I was already doing and I reassured them that their son would be just fine.. the first few days seem rough but it DOES get much better quickly.  That was nice to know that Dr. Bolding felt so confident in the way I was looking at that time.  He said my x-rays were looking good and everything seemed to be healing just right.
I didn't really have much to ask him about, as I knew that I would still have three more weeks to go on the no-chew diet.  I only asked him about a small rash that I had developed under my chin along my neck and jaw line.  He informed me that it was just from swelling; as the skin becomes swollen and fluid develops under the skin, the oil glands are forced to stretch out and that might irritate the skin.  That was gone, though, just a matter of days after that visit! Other than that I was good to go! I made my appointment for exactly three weeks from that which will be on the 28th (next Thursday).
As far as my healing goes, I have been feeling great! Really the only thing is just the tightness of my teeth from wearing the bands, and not being able to open very wide (about an inch).  Ive been able to go out and spend lots of time with friends, and even go to class and work.  I'm back to my normal daily activities which is awesome! I think a lot of people thought this surgery would take more of a toll on my life but I really only was out of commission for about the first 4 days, then I slowly began to do more things!
Here are some pictures from my life since the surgery!

Out with my friends! (About 2 weeks after surgery!) (I'm in the middle with the swollen face!)

Royals game! (2 weeks after surgery!) (To the left of the adorable baby!)

Brothers of the Sun Concert!! (A little over three weeks since surgery! (Far right!)

Best friend! (4 weeks since surgery!)

Week 5 since surgery! Swelling pretty well gone I think!

 
This whole process has been a lot but I'm so glad that the surgery part is over! I'm just anxious now to get my braces off and be done with it all! :) Well I will write again soon once I see my surgeon again!
DONT FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE BLOG for more info and to see me! 
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBDAILEY10?feature=mhee

Day dreamin

I know I just posted a ridiculously long post today, BUT, I was thinking and I need to write this down:

Due to the vast hunger going on inside my body the past 6 days, I have thought up a list of the foods that I will definitely be devouring as soon as I am able. Now, some of these foods I rarely even ate when I could, but let me tell you- You never know how much you love something until its gone :)

• Fried pickles
• Bacon Cheeseburgers
• Fried Chicken
• Kettle cooked chips (that's thanks to my family who is continuously munching on those in my ear)
• Lasagna (MY FAVORITE)
• Cookies, cake, ect.
• Corn dogs
• French fries... preferably McDonalds... oh salty salty goodness..
• Buffalo wings- its crazy how many commercials are out for these by the way
• Salad with lots of crunchy veggies 

Now I'm sure this list will expand widely in the next 5 or 6 weeks but this is a nice start!

After surgery update!

WELL Its been awhile since I've made a new blog post! I guess it has just been super busy, plus I started a YouTube video blog as well, so I have made newer posts on that.
I had my surgery last Wednesday (the 16th)!! It went well and everything turned out great.  My surgeon is located in Springdale, AR, which is about 3 hours away. So my parents and I went down the day before for my Pre-op appointment.  During this appointment the nurse just informed us of what to expect and what to do for after the surgery.  The doc made some last minute measurements so that night he could do a "trial-run" of my surgery to make sure all was ready and precise.  That made me feel so confident in him! After that appointment, my parents and I went out to a nice dinner (this would be my last).  I had a great steak, baked potato, shrimp, salad...hmmm my mouth is watering RIGHT NOW.

Last supper :(

The next day I woke up very nervous about my surgery, but ready to get it over with.  However, my surgery was not until 2pm so that meant no eating, or drinking (not even water) the whole day. We arrived at the surgical center around 1:15, but they were a bit delayed so I did not get taken back until around 2:15.  I entered a room and was presented with a lovely surgical gown.  I put it on and then waited for a nurse to come in to wrap my hair.  They did this so that during the surgery, my hair would be out of the way and would not interfere with the surgery.

Right before surgery with my hair wrapped up!

Next, the anesthesiologist came in to talk with my parents and I about what exactly he would do and how he was going to take great care of me.  At this point, I was very ready to just get it over with.  In the next couple minutes, Dr. Boldings nurse, Whitney, came and got me and took me back to the operating room.  I laid down on the table/bed thing, and they started my IV.  They did something else that was very interesting to me. When they started the IV, they took a couple vials of blood that, during the surgery, they would spin down to its richest form.  Then when the surgery was near completed, they would use that blood to place back into my jaw areas.  This promotes better healing and reduces after-surgery swelling!  How neat! :)

So then the anesthesiologist said he was going to give me a little cocktail. And some cocktail it was! I remember starting to cough for whatever reason and then the whole room began to twirl and spin... and that was it.

Until I woke up...  Oh man.

Not the greatest feeling ever.  I was so sick... Throwing up blood. Actually spraying blood because of course, I could not open my mouth.  It was the worst I think I've ever felt.  Sorry to scare any one reading this prior to surgery-- This may not happen to you! It was just my reaction to the drugs, I believe.  So after sitting there for however long just thinking about what all just happened, they finally told me I could go up to my suite where I would stay the night.  They wheeled me up and got me into my bed.  For whatever reason, I decided to call a few friends (they tried their best to understand me).  Then I was out again.

The next morning I started off with a yummy Ensure drink and some meds! The doc came to visit me and then we were headed home.  I slept pretty much the whole way home.  And that's it really.  I've had some difficulties since surgery;

• Nausea: because of not eating very much, swallowing a lot of blood as well
• Bloody nose/coughing up blood
• Sleeping through the night, getting comfortable
• HEADACHE- My temple area hasn't really stopped pounding since surgery.. I'm guessing from all the trauma my face has gone through :)
• boredom- although I have had some nice visitors come to see me which was so GREAT 
• Hunger! This one is probably the worst...

Other than all that, things have been getting better! Ive been feeling better with each day which is nice! My swelling is starting to go down, as well.  Ill post back again soon with any new updates! Thanks for reading!

Here are some before/after pictures throughout the process so far!

Side profile

Side profile

front view... ugh never again!

Sorry its gruesome! Right after surgery!

Side profile after surgery!

Looking good :) ha!

One side of stitches (starting to bruise as well!)

Not thrilled about this food!

Right before surgery compared to day after surgery! Its crazy!

Also forgot to link up this with my YouTube account for those interested in following it as well!
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBDAILEY10/videos

Oh maaaan! I got a surgery date! :)

This right here was how excited I was today at my appointment with my surgeon BECAUSE...(drum roll please!)...I got a surgery date! Yes, yes, it's true- May 16th... approximately 1 month from now! Words can't describe how happy I am that it's working out this nicely! I got super lucky because my surgeon is to be leaving for Israel (yeah must be nice being a Dr and traveling the world ha) on the 19th! SO for me to be able to get the date that I wanted is really amazing! I am supposed to be seeing my orthodontist on May 1st, to get my surgical hooks in place and get everything squared away. Hopefully that same day I can have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon as well, but they said his nurse would call me later to get that set up! Its so relieving to actually have a date... knowing that this is actually moving along. :) I'm very lucky for everything.
I will post again soon- hopefully start my video blog process; although I'm still nervous about that part! :)

All smiles!..Shiny, metal smiles :)

YAYYYY whoooo hoooo yippie! Yes, this is pure excitement over my ortho visit this past Thursday. They informed me that I looked wonderful and I am ready for surgery. He said he would get a letter sent to my surgeon telling him that they believe I am ready for surgery for this summer.  He also said I could go ahead and call him to set up another consultation in order for Dr. Bolding (my surgeon out of Springdale AR) to assess my bite to confirm that I am ready, and to look at available dates for this summer that I could do the surgery!

Luckily, Dr. Boldings nurse called me back right away and I am scheduled to have my consultation April 10th.  I'm so very excited to hear all this good news.  I am hoping that continues because I would ABSOLUTELY love for a date towards the middle/end of May.  I know that is so very soon but because of my school schedule, that would be the perfect time to fit it in.

Both of this images show how my bite has changed throughout the last 7 months.  This is my actual bite when I close my teeth together.

My bite the day I got my braces (August 23rd,2012)

My current bite (March 24th, 2012)

It feels like this is all happening so fast right now, and I'm thankful for that. My bite has just gotten so much worse (as you can see in the pictures ^) and not only is it terrible looking, its also uncomfortable to eat, talk, and even sleep. Having this surgery is changing much more than just my appearance.  It's going to change my daily life.  I think that is something that people tend to forget when I tell them about my plans for surgery.  Everyone is quick to say "I cannot believe you're going to go through that," or "You don't need to do that, you look fine already" or "I would never go through that."  But they do not understand my issues that I deal with stemming from this jaw problem.  Yes, my underbite has always bothered me from an appearance standpoint, but in the past two and a half years it has become a deeper concern than just my appearance. That is why I look forward to this surgery.
Well, hopefully in the end of the next two weeks I will find out my surgery date. I will post again then!
Thanks for reading,
Britt

Anxiously waiting!

Hello all!

3 days until my next ortho appointment! So excited for it because they are supposed to be making new x-rays and new molds, to see how close I am to surgery-ready! I'm hoping for a positive visit.. I am envisioning that I will get there, they will do the x-rays and molds and tell me they think I'll be ready by the beginning of the summer. Of course that will be up to my surgeon, I know, but I'm praying for that to be the news. I can dream right?! 

Speaking of dreams, still having these teeth dreams. Last nights consisted of me having my surgery but the surgeon forgot to wire me shut, so when I got home I tried to eat and my lower jaw fell off... ha I'm not real sure about these...

Another quick thing- I have posted a video similar to this one before, but I've found one that goes into a little more detail than the first one! (It's in Spanish but you get the gist.)

Dbl jaw surgery

I will post again after my visit, if I'm in a good mood :) 

Crossing my fingers!
Britt

Bad dream!!!

Hi Friends!
Today I am suffering from a migraine so I came home from work early and was going to try to sleep it away. But during my nap, instead of sleeping blissfully, I had an awful dream regarding my teeth. Yes, my teeth, because only someone that is going through or has gone through this traumatic experience will have dreams or nightmares about their teeth ;).
It all started as a regular ol' dream; the ones you cant really explain. Then it got crazy. I was at home taking a nap, coincidentally, and when I awoke I realized that my bottom wire had came loose. I went to the bathroom and it just fell out. So I called my dentist in a panic because it was already about 5:00 pm and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to get me in.  Thankfully, there was someone there and they told me to go ahead and come in.  I get there and it was not my normal dentist but some man and woman that immediately started getting to work on me.  They grabbed syringes and say they have to give me some drugs so I wont feel any pain. I begin to freak a little because its only a WIRE! Then, for whatever reason they start to put in a power chain, which I haven't had and I start kicking a screaming! That's really all from the dream that I can explain, but I will just say it was very strange.  It isn't the first dream I have had about my teeth/braces. I had one a couple weeks ago in which my whole set of teeth, top and bottom, came out as a whole, from my mouth. Yeah, pretty weird.
According to many google searches, my dreams about teeth have other meanings. I feel financially unstable.  Hm... yep, got it. :)

Well I guess I can say at least they haven't really fallen out, and within HOPEFULLY at the least 6 months, I will have a beautiful set of choppers.

Ill post soon!

Tears of joy

Well, I'm spending my Friday evening searching YouTube vids on dbl jaw surgery.  I don't know if it gets much better, right? It was going great until I stumbled upon a particular video.  Not only did I sob through the whole thing, but it really made me think about my own situation.  The clip is from a show called "Life Changers" with host Dr. Drew (whom I loveee!). He has people on his show and listens to their specific situation, then helps them out with whatever endeavors they are going through.  The particular one I was watching was about a young girl in serious need of double jaw surgery.  Her insurance was not willing to pay and her parents could not begin to afford this almost $50,000 surgery. Dr. Drew and his connections surprised her, agreeing to take care of the whole process including the braces! Her story really got to me.  I felt her sadness because I, too, feel like I'm always being gawked at because of my underbite. Eating is hard and the jaw pain is worse.  So amazing that she is getting her surgery and braces done.  It makes me sad to think that there are people out there that need this process, but yet cannot afford it or their insurance wont cover it.  There are people in serious need of medical/orthodontic work that have to go without.  I thank GOD that I am fortunate enough to be starting my jaw surgery process.
Here are some links to the YouTube clips!

Unaffordable Surgery & Family Heartbreak

She Needs Surgery & Cant Afford it

A Dream Becomes a Reality

Vent shesh

Hey friends! Just got back from my latest ortho visit! And I would just like to say, that I am so utterly sick and tired of this mouth full of metal.  Every visit to the ortho I have such a positive outlook, and every time I leave it feels like a waste of time.  I know I know, it takes time.  But I just am so eager to hear my ortho say "Well Brittany, you're surgery ready!" But noooo, its just "Welp, see ya in a couple months!" BLEH!
Enough of the venting, and more to the details.  Today at my ortho visit, they applied a thicker wire and gave me stronger rubber bands.  He said I am progressing just as I should and everything looks great.  My next visit will consist of getting new pano images and then they will be moving some brackets around to different spots on my teeth.  That's about all that has changed with my teeth! Boorrrinnggg.
Oh, and let me tell you... having braces while at 21 is so awesome (hint of sarcasm).  Out at the bar the other night and a man approaches me- "Do you have BRACES!?" Obviously all I can say is "Well, yes I have braces." Then he proceeds to inform me of how "cute and adorable" I am with my braces. NOT exactly the attention I want to be getting ha! I wanted to say "Well you just wait mister! Because when I get these off I will be smokin' hot!" lol too far?
For some comic relief: I can imagine these are the looks that some may have given in response to my appearance with these disgusting braces and my awful bite...

whaaaaaa?!

oh my gooshhhh!

AHHHHHH!

Because those snapshots depict me so fabulously, I'll throw this one in too :)

Well that's all for now!

My not-so-awesome wired life.

After having my braces for just days over three months now (oh my, is that all..really?) I've realized how much I despise the stupid little, pointy brackets, tiny little wires, and small stretchy elastics.  Not only am I beginning to sound like a slightly girlie Elmer Fudd, but eating in public without the gawking of passerby's is virtually impossible.  I am in a lot of pain, as well, due to some gruesome sores as a result of those precious brackets making their way deep into my tongue, cheeks, and lips.

I am making it through each day by religiously researching other peoples ventures through jaw surgery, reassuring myself that I will, in fact, make it to the day in which my face will be transformed.  I am beginning to wonder how these other people weren't going stir crazy waiting for their own surgery date to come.  In their videos and blogs they seem as if they're just going along their daily life, calm, talking about the surgery they are anticipating.  I can honestly say that every time I look in the mirror I try to picture what I will look like when its all said and done.  My smile is getting worse and worse, looking more disfigured by the day. I guess the main reason that I'm so eager for my surgery is that the pain is becoming more difficult to cope with.  Actually, I would say the pain has slowly increased, but the comfort level of my bite is almost unbearable.  I find myself in class searching for the best way to rest my mouth to where it doesn't feel unnatural.  I'm just glad that it will not be like this forever.

On a positive note, I just got back to reality today from Thanksgiving Break.  It was amazing! I got to go to Little Rock, AR, with my family to see the rest of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins, mamaw, and papaw).  It was a great time and a much needed break!  Also, our football team (Pitt State) is going to the 3rd round of playoffs this Saturday and I'm very excited for that!

I do have to touch on one thing, before I complete this slightly long rant.  I am so thankful to have the friends and family that I have around me.  They love me even though I look ridiculous and complain about it more than the normal human being.  Also, a thanks to my boyfriend, Colby, who is really the one who puts up with the whining.  I know its no fun to hear me cry about how stupid I think I look, how I hate talking in front of people, and how these sore HURT so bad! ;)  Anyways, I guess I'm trying to say I love you all who are constantly here for me through everything.

I've included some snapshots of the people that mean so much to me.  For those of you that are looking at these pictures for jaw surgery purposes, keep in mind that I've become very well at hiding my underbite/crossbite, so these pictures do not show it very well! I'll include some raw footage of that later ha!

My loving boyfriend, Colby, and I

Part of my wonderful family! (Dad, me, sister Andrea, sister Renee, Mom)

High School friends (Erin, Lindsey, me, Angie, Kelly, Taylor, Lindsey)

Best friends from AU (Nicole, Sara, me, Jaysa)

Best friend! (Lindsey)  GO PITT! :)

 Roomiesss! :) (Me, Lindsey, Fay, Stephanie)

More posts to come,
Britt

Too anxious

Hello! I still have such a long long time until my surgery, obviously, but I really do not think a day goes by when I don't think about it.  Spare minute? I'm researching on the net anything and everything I can about the surgery.  Which, by the way, I found a girl online who has an amazing blog over her jaw surgery.. I've actually been reading it and it has gotten me so excited to have my surgery. She explains everything so detailed and the way she feels is exactly the way I feel.  It is so nice to see that other people have the same feelings towards this situation. 

I forgot to make a post about my last visit to the ortho! I had to go in a couple days ago because I was in a ton of pain because of the new molar rings that I had put in place.  They just clipped a tiny little wire that was poking out and I was on my way and it felt a LOT better! So thank you to that nice lady that did that for me :)  This was a boring blog I just realized... but I just felt like posting!

I will write a more interesting blog soon! :)

Thanks for reading!

Pain: weakness leaving the body? No thanks.

Two days after getting my molar rings put in and I want to yank my braces right off my teeth... I just don't teeth anymore.. nope.. don't like this one bit. These dang things have taken eating to a whole different level of difficulty.  My teeth aren't really that sore, its just that they are DIGGING, pinching, pulling, and tearing away the inner parts of my cheeks :(. NOT COOL. I woke up this morning in tears because my cheeks hurt so bad, along with my jaw pain, so my loving boyfriend got me cold water to sip and an icepack to put on my face. So sweet! :)
Our college had a football game today so we of course tailgated all day long... and let me tell you... I'm not the prettiest sight while eating right now, and tailgate food is the worst. Not to mention that I have to brush my teeth after every bite! Oh man oh man-- this is a complete vent sesh.
I'm now trying to determine the best way to get my mouth pain under control.. I wish there were a numbing mouthwash that would last a long amount of time... Advice? So for now I guess I'll have to stick to Aleve (all day strong, all day long.. I HOPE), an abundant amount of wax, and soup for every meal.
Pray for me people ;)

PS- I just re-read this and I sound like a big cry baby, which I am most of the time, but that's what these things are for right?

Mouth-o-metal

Today was my third visit to the ortho. It went fairly well. I had spacers on my last visit to space out my molars, so that today I could get the rings on my back molars.  The appointment took about an hour and a half, longer than I thought it would. (Sorry to Colby, my boyfriend, who tagged along because I told him it wouldn't take long :) hehe!!) Not only did I get the back rings on my molars, but my rubber bands are now in a slightly different spot, same top tooth but one back further on the bottom.

Dr. complimented my teeth saying how white they were and they had great shape... my response was that they'd look a LOT better if they weren't covered in metal!! :)  One day....

My next appointment isn't until January 17th! That seems too far away to me! Well, I will write again when there is new details!

Right back molar rings

Left back molar rings

Spacers

Last Friday I went back to the ortho for the first time since I got my braces on! It was a very very quick visit, about 5 minutes.  I just went in and got spacers put in between all my molars (I got 8 in total, two in each quadrant.)  I was in a lot of pain and still am having trouble eating. I go back again on Thursday to get them out, and get rings around my back molars that will continue this process of moving my teeth around! I'm getting more anxious as this process goes along because I feel like my teeth have already moved so much!

Spacers on the bottom

Spacers on the top (sorry for the nares shot!)

One thing that has been getting my down is that because my teeth are moving around so much and my bite has changed a lot,  my speech has also become affected.  It's changed so much that my words are becoming more difficult to get out and I sound like I have a lisp.  This is getting very annoying as I do enjoy talking, a lot :)  I get nervous  thinking about how its only going to get worse before its better.  Eating is also becoming a task as my teeth don't really allow me to bite correctly.  I'm hoping I get to talk to my ortho a little on my next visit this week to see about how they feel I'm progressing!

New Difficulities...

I've had my braces for over a month now and I've definitely noticed some changes.  My underbite has become more prominent and my crossbite looks more noticeable as well.  This has caused some problems, unfortunately.  My TMJ is more painful now and the popping and locking is happening more often.  Eating is now a chore.  This is the worst part because, if you know me, you know I love to eat.  Because of my bad underbite, my teeth do not close so chewing or biting certain foods doesn't go over well!  Another big thing is that I've developed a slight lisp with the shifting of my teeth :-/.  Also a big issue because I love to talk!  These downfalls are very annoying but I have to just keep telling myself that it will be worth it in the end! I'm excited for my next appointment with my ortho (Oct. 28) so I can hear their thoughts on my progress.

Till next time!

This is for my sis, Renee, because apparently my blog needed something to "keep her interested"!! ;)

Mandibular advancement maxillary setback surgery!

youtube.com

This is a link to the surgery that I will be having hopefully by the end of next summer (June or July 2012)! It seems so far away but I'm praying it goes by quickly!

UPDATE

It has been awhile since my last post! Nothing really new has happened except for my bite has already changed so much! I haven't been back to the ortho since the day I got my braces on.  I'm not due back until the 28th of October! And then back again a week later! I believe I'm getting spacers or something like that.  But yes, back to my bite, it has changed a lot and is making eating very difficult... my teeth don't really touch anymore which is strange!  My jaw seems to be popping and locking more, probably because my bite is changing.  I'm just excited to go back to the ortho so they can see and monitor my progress! Might be a stretch but it'd be awesome if they said I was ahead of schedule! Ha! FAT CHANCE! Ill post again after my visit!

Braceface :-/

Welp, I'm officially in braces... NOT thrilled about this. I already looked like I was 12 before this, now I definitely look like a little kid!! Oh man... but the process went okay. I have 6 ceramic brackets on the top front teeth.. but all the rest are as metal as they come.
UGH. I also have rubber bands running from top teeth to the back bottom teeth. I had braces for four years as a child, and I have deja-vu.. and its not the good kind! Hopefully this year goes by quickly! In the meantime, I will be isolating myself in my bedroom so no one has to see this! ;) hehe.

New Details!

Okay so here's an update on my teeth stuff! I had my consultation with my ortho and the surgeon on Thursday! The ortho told me that they decided to go on with the braces without doing the RPE (rapid palate expander) and instead doing consistent rubber bands going from the inside of the top teeth, to the outside of the bottom teeth, to try and pull the top teeth outwards.  I will have the braces for approximately a year, and then the surgery will occur, and then the braces for about 4-6 more months after the surgery! 
My next appointment was kind of the determining factor for it all, because I met with the surgeon who would tell me whether or not my disc needed to be replaced.  After a long wait, he determined that my disc was just fine and that fixing my bite would most likely fix the TMJ problems! This was great news because it ruled out another surgery! He said the ortho would just need to monitor the joints and possibly use some splint therapy to help my jaw. 
But for now the newest news is that on Tuesday, August 23rd, I will have a full set of braces :( Bummer. I'm most definitely not looking forward to this.  I know that it will all be okay in the end... I'm just not excited about dealing with braces for a year!
Well I will write again when I get the braces on!

M.. R.. I'm SCARED!

     Well today was my first EVER M.R.I!  The M.R.I was to take images of my jaw to check for a possible disc displacement on my left side.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, but still it was still uncomfortable. 

      First, after waiting in the waiting room of course, I had to go into the the FREEZING cold room and lay on the table.  The tech gave me ear plugs because the machine would be loud during the process.  Next, she positioned my head correctly for the pictures, made sure I was comfortable and gave me a little ball thingy (technical term, obviously) to squeeze in case I needed to come out.  She left the room and I was put into the scanner.  At first I thought, "Well this ain't too bad!".  However, I didn't realize how long I was going to be in there, without movement! EEEK! I about had a panic attack! Then after about 30 minutes, I came out so she could put a gauze ball into my mouth to keep my mouth open.  Back into the coffin, I mean scanner, I went.  For another about 10-15 minutes I laid there still again and finally I was D.O.N.E.. I practically jumped off that table.  She burned the images onto a disc and I was on my way!

     Now all I have to do is wait until the 18th of August to meet with the Oral Surgeon so he can read the images! Can't wait! Ill write again then!

Tick..tock..

So it is exactly two weeks until my consultation with my ortho and the facial surgeon to discuss the plan for my treatment and the MRI of my jaw.  It could not be going any SLOWER!  I just want to get this process started!  I have so many questions! I'm beginning to have all these thoughts like, what if they say 'Nevermind, not doing any of this!' and I've gotten so excited for nothin! Eeekk that's nerve racking! I have to say that after researching this so much I am actually terribly ecstatic to do this whole surgery braces surgery braces thing... Partly because it will change the look of my face which I've always sort of had an issue with and most of all ease this pain that I'm currently dealing with. Ugh, it could be because I am thinking about it more, but the pain in my jaw seems to be getting more irritating.  It's causing more painful headaches and more discomfort at night.  Jeesh!  I sure pray that this treatment process will take action quickly!

Photos of me!

Front profile

Side profile

Open mouth

Closed bite

Pano

Xray- profile

First ever post!

Hello all!

After reading so many other peoples blogs online about them having the same experience as me, I decided it would be fun and a great stress reliever to start one of my own.  I hope that I am helpful like other people have been in easing my anxiety and increasing my knowledge of the dental work that I will be soon be starting!

My story begins when I had become in a lot of pain around my jaw area.  This was all due to some TMD problems that I have been having for about a year or so.  I talked with my mother and thought it was best that I visit the dentist to get this figured out.  The dentist was in shock over my bite, or teeth alignment.  I have what is called a Class 3 Malocclusion, underbite. She referred me to an orthodontist that would talk with me further about what needed to be done.

I finally had my appointment with the orthodontist and within the first 10 minutes of our meeting they knew exactly what the plan was.  First, I needed to set up an MRI with an oral surgeon to see about a possible disc displacement on my left side, which if necessary would involve surgery to fix.  Then, I would need to have a surgery for a Surgically Assisted Palatal Expander.  After that, I would have braces for about a year.  Next would involve a Maxillary Advancement with Mandibular Setback Surgery.  Then I would have to have braces for awhile longer and finally the process would be over.  THIS was all a huge mind blow to me! Needless to say I left the office in tears, scared of all of this, especially having braces at age 21!

Now, I'm just waiting for my next consultation with my ortho and my parents so we can determine the plan for all of this... Im scared, nervous, anxious, but excited to see what the results will be.  After researching online all the other people that have had these changes, it seems that everyone is very pleased with the results.  I hope I will be the same!