Broken Brace

Well it only took me 9 months to do it but I broke my brace last week. On what? A crumpet! Of all the foods I never thought would break my brace, my trusty faithful, yummy crumpet was at the top. Well in crumpets defence, it didn't break anything major, it was just my spring. Somehow my spring had come loose and was hanging down in my mouth, and catching my lip and was very annoying because everything I ate got caught.

I have a spring over my little baby incisor tooth because it cant handle a bracket, too much pressure and it might fall out. I do wonder if once all this surgery and teeth moving is finished with if they will file down my teeth and get rid of any chips (like the one it that tooth) or ridges so they are all nice and pretty? Or maybe just leave them like are, I don't really know if that is something that happens with this surgery and/or in the UK? I'll add it on to my "Must Ask" list.

Anyway, I did manage to hook it back up but I phoned up my hospital to arrange an appointment with my ortho to fix it properly. I went in the next day and my usual ortho Mr O'Neil wasn't available so I saw Mr Bavra instead, he said that my spring had worked its way loose and that it needed fixing. He sort of twisted it back in, but then tied it with some wire on the 2 brackets either end.

This wire is now putting a bit of pressure on one of my teeth and I really notice it is there. Mr O'Neil has never wired my spring in like this before, so I'm not sure it will stay like this when I go and see him for my next appointment in a couple of weeks, mainly because  I will ask him to move it, but hey the spring certainly isn't moving any more!

Springy Brace

Jaw Ache Relief

Jaw ache is a punishment that should be dished out to the bad people not the unlucky and nice!

Since having my braces fitted and my teeth moving my jaw ache has got worse, I'm willing to put up with it as it's all for the greater good but it does get tedious at times!

I have now got my jaw ache relief kit down to T and more often than not it does help to soothe my poor little jaws.

So my drug of choice for jaw ache relief is Ibuprofen, a lovely anti-inflammatory that I can always rely on.

Jaw ache relief

If it gets really bad, then I take Syndol (paracetamol and codeine) but it makes me really tired and a bit nauseous so I try not to take it that often and you can get addicted to codeine.

My amazing heat pad is my best friend and number 1 combatter against jaw ache! It's gel based so I just pop it in some hot water and let it heat up for a while then put it in it's sleeve and hold against my face. This thing works wonders, really helps to relax all my muscles, its so soothing and lovely. It can also be frozen, so when the time comes for post surgery ice packs I am covered!

Jaw ache relief - heated pad

I have two of these, I keep one at home and one at work, I used to get caught out and end up in pain at work so now it's a normal occurrence for my colleagues to see me with a blue thing pressed against my face. I'm thinking of buying a stretchy hairband type thing so I can use it to strap the heat pack to my face and then I can go handsfree with my heated relief at work and be able to type with two hands. 

I currently have jaw ache so I'm about to go and heat up my wonder pad and get some relief! 

Also found this good picture of my profile last night whilst going through my ex's camera. Doing the handover of stuff tomorrow so I thought I'd best get the pictures I want to keep before I give him back his camera! 

This is me (with hair extensions in) and my friend on a night out recently, I think this picture really shows just how far forward my lower jaw and lip juts out and actually my top jaw looks really small in comparison. Also naughty me for drinking a vodka and diet coke without a straw! Sorry teeth! 

Only 5 weeks to go till my next appointment, roll on April! 

Going it alone!

Well there's not really any way to dress this up or make it less dramatic but I made the bold decision last week to break up from my boyfriend. He wasn't horrible or mean, he treated me well, he loved me and I loved him, the problem was that over the 14 months that we were together I grew and changed as a person. My goals, my achievements, my expectations of life, love, him and myself changed. Unfortunately he didn't. 

We were two lovely people, together, just heading in different directions, wanting different things out of life and the relationship. He hadn't changed and grown with me as I had hoped he would. 

In the next 6 months or so I am going to change again, quite dramatically after my surgery. I don't doubt for a second that my outlook on life will change, I will change physically, I will change emotionally and I think I will struggle to come to terms with some of the psychological implications of having double jaw surgery, of finally getting rid of something that has caused me so much pain and hurt but something that is fundamentally a huge part of me, and I love me. So it's kind of bittersweet, getting rid of my current face, jaw & chin and replacing it with a new one that will improve my life and my looks. 

He just wasn't right for me, I wasn't convinced that he would be able to cope with that huge change in me and support me through it, I felt like it would be the other way round. I would be supporting him through my changes. A few comments had been made and a few of his fears had been expressed over the past few months and I don't think ill of him for having those feelings or making those comments. He was honest and that's all I ever asked of him. They were just not what I wanted or expected to hear from my partner.

So I'm going it alone, and you know what, I feel good. I feel like a weight has been lifted, like I just have me to worry about and look after and consider. I'm having my bloody face cut up and broken and moved around, I should just be worrying about me and nobody else!

So as the wise and wonderful Nina Simone sang;

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life for me

And I'm feeling good

Valentines Day with my Braces

Well my first Valentines Day with braces has arrived, funnily enough it is just like the last Valentines day I spent, nothing much has changed. I am finding that my initial thoughts and worries on this whole process including getting braces could possibly have been misguided, over dramatic and dare I say it.....wrong!

I thought having braces was going to do the following;

1. Ruin my life
2. Make me look like a complete monster
3. Make me repulsive to the opposite sex
4. Give people another reason to take the piss out me
5. Make me talk like an idiot
6. Make me look unprofessional at work and not be taken seriously
7. Cut my Boyfriends lip to pieces every time I kiss him
8. Prevent me from smiling
9. Make me miserable
10. Ruin my life!!!

Turns out none of that has happened and isn't likely to happen. 

1. Braces haven't ruined my life they have actually made it  much better because I'm so close to having lovely functioning teeth!
2. I don't look like a complete monster, (I do in the morning, but I did anyway before braces) I look like me, just with braces.
3. Braces do not send boys running to throw up. I've had my fair share of offers over the last 8 months or so.  
4. The people that take the piss, will take the piss no matter what.
5. I sometimes mess words up and spit occasionally but hey everyone does that from time to time anyway, I just take my time with certain words and sounds.
6. It's how I perform and conduct myself at work that gets me noticed and respected, having braces actually makes me stand out from the crowd and makes people remember me.
7. Not once have my braces assaulted my boyfriend, my lips on the other hand, are a different story!
8. I smile more with my lovely straight braced teeth than I did with my horrible messed up pre braces teeth. 
9. Sometimes when they are cutting your lip up or it's your 3rd day on soup after a tightening it can get tedious, but I always remember my end goal and pick myself up again! 
10. Braces haven't ruined my life, they have made it better, so, so, so much better!

Happy Valentines Day Braces & Happy Valentines Day to my fellow Braced Bloggers and Readers! 

Much Love!

Double Jaw Surgery Here I Come!!!!

I have a date!!!!!!! an estimated date, but I have a date!!!!!! So bloody excited!

I had my 4th brace tightening on Tuesday and my wonderful Orthodontist told me that my teeth were ready! He said that he would write to Mr Harrop my surgeon and ask him to schedule me in for a May operation, but I've asked him to move it to a June operation as I'm on holiday end of May and I must have my holidays!

So a June surgery is on the cards! If all goes to plan I will be having surgery 13 months after having my braces on. I never thought it would be as quick as that, I don't think my Orthodontist did either but my little teeth have been on a mission.

I had some pictures taken after my tightening, I had a thicker wire on top no change on the bottom, my next appointment is in April, so hopefully I will find out some more about dates, measurements and the next steps etc, I really should ask more questions!

I went back to work after my appointment and started to tell the girls I work with the good news and then I just went a bit hysterical, I was laughing, crying, smiling, making no sense whatsoever. I just couldn't control myself, I was happy, excited, relieved, nervous and I think the years of emotion and problems and hurt just all came out. I just kept saying "I get a new face, I get a new face, I get a new face" and I will, I will get a new face.

I hope my new face solves a lot of problems and issues for me. I really hope it does and I hope I like it!

I'm all ready planning my "Goodbye Face" party and I think I'm going to introduce a soup and smoothie league table at work, so other people can get creating amazing soup and smoothie recipes for me! Some may say that's lazy I say it's enterprising, why not get everyone involved!

Aaaaaaaaaah! I'm having double jaw surgery in 4 months!!! It's actually happening! I'm so excited!!!

Happy weekend everyone! xxx

7 days till 4th brace tightening!

I never thought a brace tightening would be something that I actively look forward to having, I  never thought I would be excited, or have it take over a whole page in my diary with exclamation marks and smiley faces and underlined. But they have, the naughty little things!

Some days I sit and think about how much my life has changed over the last 8 months, and how bloody obsessed I've become with teeth and braces and orthognathic surgery, and underbites and overbites and jaw surgery and generally looking at peoples mouths before their faces. Thanks to this wonderful world of jaw surgery blogs I know I'm not the only teeth obsessed freak out there! But who would of thought it hey, I'm sure my obsession will grow the closer I get to surgery but what will happen once I'm all done?

I am genuinely, 100% in awe of what these braces have done to my teeth in 8 months, look at the difference! I cant believe I was walking round with teeth like that! It is just incredible.

Pre Braces

Day 1 of Braces

8 Months in Braces

I will make some time tonight to take some more all round pictures of my teeth and my face 8 months in, but I am just amazed at the results all ready. If anyone is reading this and wondering whether to have surgery done or to have braces on to fix your teeth, DO IT!!!! Don't be scared, look at what 8 months in braces has done to me!

I haven't had surgery yet but I am so happy with how my teeth are, yes I have an underbite but look at how straight and in line and level they are! They are beautiful! I look at these pictures and at my teeth and think OMG how bloody good is my mouth going to look after surgery! I'm going to have nice teeth, I'll have the best teeth in Northamptonshire, I could be the mouth on the toothpaste adverts!

I'm hoping that the blob of glue in between my bottom front teeth has done it's job and can be removed next Tues. I would also like this next tightening to close up that little gap and just centre my teeth/midline but Mr O'Neil knows what he doing, I'll leave my teeth in his capable hands and just be patient. 

Ooooops & Owwwwww!

Well first off Ooooops for not posting in aaaaages! Christmas was so busy and hectic for me both at work and at home so I thoroughly neglected my blog.

So my first Christmas with braces has been and gone and it was a lovely Christmas, full of fun, food and drink! My braces did however stop me from eating the following;

• Chocolate covered Brazil nuts
• Toblerone
• Gingerbread Biscuit/House
• Chestnuts
• Any nuts actually
• Hotel Chocolat slab of chocolate (varying flavours)

Most of the above isn't very good for the waistline anyway so It was probably a blessing in disguise but at the time, tres annoying! The more yummy things like chocolate I either broke up into bits or got my boyfriend to bite a bit off then give it to me, almost like a bird feeding their young, just without the regurgitating bit, my relationship moved to a new level right there! 

On Christmas Eve I went out with my boyfriend and some friends and unfortunately there always has to be one dickhead in a crowd and as usual I met him. I was subjected to some lovely comments from a teenage boy about my chin whilst queuing at the bar. There was a plus side however, this little urchin's dad was also queuing next to me and gave his son a good wallop and sent him back to the table and apologised to me and offered to buy my round of drinks and a bottle of wine as way of an apology for his (and I quote) "stupid idiot of a son". 

It was a nice gesture and I was glad that he pulled his son up about his actions but it did put a dampener on my evening. It gets tiring always having to brush off comments, to pick yourself up and try and make yourself feel better, ignore all the old comments and feelings that come rushing back, push down that feeling of wanting to just go home, get into bed and cry and put a smile back on your face. It's bloody tough and it really annoys me, why should I or anybody for that matter be made to feel like shit just because you look slightly different. It just makes me want this surgery to hurry up and happen, so I don't have to put up with comments, or worry about it before I go out, or hide instances like that from my boyfriend and friends to stop their night from being ruined too. 

On that note how does everyone else deal with that? I'm always reluctant to tell my boyfriend then and there when someone has made a comment, he's not an angry or aggressive person but he would have to say something to defend me and I always worry about some sort of fight happening or him getting wound up and then his night is ruined too. 

Prime example is the Christmas eve incident, I was out with my Boyfriend and about 6 other male friends of his, we'd all had a few drinks it wouldn't of ended well if I'd of said something. So I didn't, but he always knows something is wrong with me anyway, and he eventually got it out of me then said it upsets him when I don't tell him, he wants to help me but he cant when I keep it to myself. Complicated!

Anyway, on a more practical note I went for a cleaning last week, 1 word, Owwwwww! The dentist told me off for not cleaning between my teeth with interdental brushes morning noon and night every single day. Then I think as a way of making sure I do clean like that everyday, she took that scaler/drill thing to my teeth and gums like a mad woman. My word did it hurt when she got right in-between my two front teeth, I think that was the deal clincher, "make he cry then she will always use the teepee brushes!" I know I should, but to be perfectly honest some days I just cant be bothered. I brush, use my oral irrrigator and mouthwash twice a day, teepee brushes takes ages and its fiddly and there's like 5 different sizes and I'm either running late in the morning or I'm stupidly past my bedtime at night and I'm lazy.

Sorry teeth for not teepeeing you everyday, I will try and make more of an effort to do so in future. 

Next tightening is 5th of Feb, not too long to go!!!!