No Pain No Gain

No pain, no gain.

What a stupid saying! Who wants pain to gain something, just have no pain and gain things. I know, I know, it will make you appreciate it more, you will feel like you achieved something etc etc. Well I appreciate good things when there is little or no pain involved, I will appreciate my nice lovely teeth and bite when I have them, I promise.

The 3rd brace tightening went well by the way! I had my bottom wire changed for the first time, and had 2 new brackets fixed on my very back molars. I think that's the reason why I cried when I brushed my teeth this morning, my poor little teeth are being pushed, pulled and forced into a new position. I thought they were safe, and had escaped further adjusting, oh how wrong I was! I also had a strange bit of glue (maybe, not sure what it is) fixed onto my lower wire, bit odd, should of asked why it was there but I forgot by the time he had finished and I had my top wire tightened, not changed, so my top teeth are a bit tender too.

So I'm back on soup, yogurt and ice cream and sobbing while I brush my teeth.

Although I did have a funny moment this morning when I was brushing my teeth. I was in my really old skanky PJ's, hair everywhere all in a mess, panda eyes because I never take my make-up off properly (bad I know) looking like a right mess, sobbing away, with my toothbrush in my mouth gingerly brushing my teeth, doing the tense shoulder, squinty eyes and scrunched up face waiting for the pain to come as you brush your teeth thing. And I just looked up at the mirror and saw myself and burst out laughing, spraying toothpaste everywhere but it was just funny how one little 20 min appointment had reduced me to that. I need to man up before my operation!

And on that note my Orthodontist has given me a tentative, indication, I'm not promising anything, but possibly, maybe, you could be ready for surgery by May/June next year, maybe, things might change, and it depends on surgery slots, and that is a maybe but that could be when you have surgery. So I asked him about when to book a holiday, when should I start my MBA, when should i look for an intern to cover me at work while I'm off and he said something very wise;

"Just carry on your life as normal, book and do and plan things as you wish and we will work surgery around you, I don't want you to put something off because surgery will one day be here, just do it, your life is first, surgery is second."

So bravo Mr O'Neil for being a brilliant Orthodontist and for offering me very wise words. I will carry on as normal and surgery can bloody well fit in around me and my life. I have been flapping and worrying about what I have planned for 2013 and will my surgery impact on this, will it fall around this time, when I want to be doing that or going here etc and he is right. I'm just going to do whatever I want, because the last thing I want is to say I could of done that, or I should of gone there etc My stupid teeth and jaws have held me back enough over the years and there not going to stop me know.

So MBA here I come, another trip to Paris here I come, 2 week holiday abroad in some sunshine here I come and double jaw surgery, I'm coming for you to!

3rd Brace Tightening is Approaching

Only 6 days to go till I get my braces tightened! I'm excited, I look forward to my Ortho appointment  each one is a step closer to getting my surgery. I keep trying to guess/predict how my teeth are lining up, are they ready for surgery? are they close? How much more do they have to move?

I'm becoming a bit obsessed  I'm always looking at my teeth, examining slight movements, gaps that appear then close up, how my bite is sitting, how much of an underbite I have, analyse each time  my braces start cutting up my lips and cheeks as a good thing - they are moving! I'm a teeth mad woman, I've even been caught at work with a ruler in my mouth trying to measure my underbite!? I need to get a grip!

Over the last few months I have witnessed many fellow Orthognathic Surgery Bloggers go through their surgery and come out on the other side happy. It has been a real pleasure and certainly an eye opener to be able to witness and follow individuals journeys through surgery and recovery and life after. I'm just getting a bit excited I guess about the prospect of me having a lovely bite, being able to eat and speak properly, not having jaw ache all the time, not worrying about pictures being taken, feeling horrible about my face, worrying if I'm going to be subjected to a nasty comment today and being able to bite into and through things!

So my constant assessing and obsessing over my teeth and any slight movement is just because I'm so excited to be normal and to be able to enjoy all the things that many people do everyday without a second thought. Upon reflection, maybe getting the ruler out at work was a tad bit too far, but at the time it was a really good idea! It didn't work anyway, the ruler was too big!

Here are some current pics of my lovely underbite! I've been in braces for over 5 months now and my teeth have moved so much. I'm gradually getting closer to being ready for my double jaw surgery to correct my underbite. I cant wait to get rid of it!

5.5 Months in braces

Straight teeth, top front teeth gap is closed, but bottom teeth have developed one?

Please mind the underbite!

I'm sure that gap between my two bottom teeth is there for a reason, I hope!?

The Joys of Braces - Age Identity Crisis

Ahhhhh yes, the good old double take, puzzled look, confused brow, searching eyes for a clear indication of age. The braces do it every time, throws people of track, they assess your age, then you open your mouth and those little shiny brackets dazzle them and all of sudden your 16? No, 14? Ummm 18? 20? No, 15?
I was all of the above at some point, but now I'm a 24 year old with braces. It is surprising how many people struggle with age assessing me.

For example at a recent trip to my local contraception clinic I was discussing with a nurse how much easier the clinic is for me to get to and to be been seen by a nurse rather than trying to get in at my doctors. The Conversation went something like this;

Nurse: "Yes it must be difficult trying to get an appointment outside of school, I don't suppose you can just leave a lesson can you." 

Me : "School? I don't go to school." 

Nurse: "Oh sorry, do you go to college then, a lot of young people I see prefer to go to colleges now rather than staying on at school"

Me: "No, I work full time, I'm 24, I finished school a while ago."

Nurse: "Oh god, sorry. I thought you were younger than that what with the..... you look younger than 24, I wish I looked so young!" 

Me: "It's ok, you're not the first"

Nurse: "Oh yes look, here's your date of birth, 1988, yes 24"

The rest of the appointment was rather awkward to say the least, but it happens to a lot of people. Braces are just something that people associate with young people, children and teenagers, like grey hair with old people.

You rarely see or hear about adults with braces, particularly in the UK and braces are often portrayed in films, TV and other media as part of the nerdy/geeky teenager stereotype role (along with glasses and spots). Well not any more! Not while they are attached to my teeth!