Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2014

Happy New Years everyone!
I'm gonna come right out and say that I'm mostly excited for this new year, because it's most likely the the last one with this defective jaw of mine. 5-8 more months baby!
Along with the new year, other stuff that's new includes my teeth are moving and I think my open bite is getting smaller because of it! Huzzah!

Have a good New Years Eve everyone!

Love, Isabel (the girl who got glasses and braces within a month of each other, so she's now pretty much the ultimate dork), and her jaws (named Max and Mandy-- short for Maxilla and Mandible)

P.S. (this is totally unrelated to the jaw world. BUT.) the song of the moment is "Let it Go" from Disney's new movie, Frozen. Everyone should see it BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD. The end.

I'll post again next year!

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Latest Ortho Appointment

So I had an ortho appointment today.
It was short and sweet! I just got my bottom wire changed.
Next appointment in 8 weeks. I have one more wire change, and then I'M READY.
And Dr. Christiansen said I'd most likely be ready for surgery this summer!
*YAY*

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Ortho Appointment

I just got back from an orthodontist appointment about 10 minutes.
I got new wires! But the wire they'd planned to put on my bottom teeth wouldn't go on, so I have a less heavy duty wire on the bottom, and I'm due back for another appointment in 3 weeks.
Other than that, the appointment was fine, except my ortho, Dr. Christiansen said I might have to get double jaw surgery after all. He said he's afraid that if I only get my lower jaw done, I might still end up with an open bite. It'd be a smaller open bite, but an open bite is an open bite.
I don't really care how many jaws of mine are operated on, it'd just be nice to know exactly.
It'd also be nice to know a surgery date. I was going to ask Dr. Christiansen when he'd think I'd be ready for surgery, and totally forgot, so I can't forget to ask him at my next appointment!
That's all for now. I'm sure my teeth will start hurting in a matter of hours. Yaaaaaay.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Profiles

I've been really dreading having to post this, because I HATE MY PROFILE. I feel cliché for saying "My chin is one of my biggest insecurities" but it really is. I also feel cliché for saying "I feel cliché". It's fine. I'm over it. Especially because everytime I think of the word 'insecure' I think of the song "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction, which makes me think of this:
It makes me laugh.

Don't mind my sense of humor. I don't even know what it is.
I DIGRESS.
I don't know WHY I've been dreading posting these pictures, because everyone I know in real life sees me like this every day, and I should just stop caring what everyone thinks cause it doesn't matter! Things are the way they are, and I can't do anything til I get jaw surgery. That's that. Here we gooooo......
Profiles/non-profile photos

Relaxed side profile


Forcing my mouth closed profile

I've always thought my profile kinda looks like a tangent graph. #calculusnerd

Is this a tangent graph? Or an outline of my face? No one will ever know!



Two posts in one day. I think that's enough for now. I'll try to post either tomorrow, the next day, or the next day! Life is busy yo. I'll post eventually though! Never you fear, you non-existent followers!

Patience is a Virtue

Hey... all you who read my blog. Or don't read my blog. If you're reading this right now, feel free to follow or comment! It'd be nice to know who's out there.
Anywho, time to get to what I've decided this pointless post to be about: patience.
I feel like this whole orthognathic surgery process is one big waiting game. Before I knew I needed jaw surgery, I waited a few years in much self-conscienceness for someone to tell me what was wrong with my jaw. Now I'm waiting to get surgery. And after surgery I just know I'll be super impatient for my swelling and numbness to go away. So much waiting, so much impatience. Right now, I think about jaw surgery everyday. I can't wait to be able to bite things, and to be able to close my mouth without thinking about it, and to have a chin (speaking of which I should probably post some profile pictures, as I haven't done that yet...).
Off the subject of patience...
I've noticed when someone notices I've gotten braces, they'll make a comment usually along the lines of "Oh! You got braces!" and then they proceed to tell me their whole braces story, and give advice on what to with my braces. I don't really listen since I've already had braces twice, but I don't tell them that either, so I just tune them out. It's weird that a lot of people I've known for quite a while don't even remember me having braces two times prior to this.
I have an orthodontist appointment on Tuesday! I can't really tell how far my teeth have moved since I got my braces on,
2 days in braces

Now























Now that I look at these pictures, my midline looks sketchy. Oh dear. But there's nothing I can really do about it right now so it's whatever.
I've discovered that if I move my lower jaw forward actually touch! I wasn't able to do that before this set of braces! It's been nice to actually kind of bite stuff sometimes, even if it does strain me a lot!

My wisdom teeth removal has left holes in my mouth. Empty shells of nothingness that act as traps for my food.
There's been nothing going insurance-wise, other than the secretaries at my oral surgeon's office said the new insurance we're getting isn't known for funding jaw surgery. So... money. Yeah.
I think that's all for now! I might try to post profile pictures today. Maybe.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Tiny Update

So what's new with my mouth?
Well.
One of my brackets fell off, but it was fine. Got it reattached and we're all back to normal! It was weird though, in my three times having braces, I've never had a bracket come off!
My teeth are moving, and I'm pretty sure my open bite is getting worse because of it. Food keeps falling out of my mouth. And it's not very fun.
And my Dad just got a new job so our insurance is changing, and the new insurance we're getting doesn't work with my current jaw surgeon, so I may be getting a new jaw surgeon soon. I don't know how I feel about it... because I think I don't really care.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Good News

Last Friday I had a post-wisdom-teeth-removal-checkup appointment with my surgeon (I will call him Dr. C), and he gave me some good news!
First, my mouth was looking good. Infection free!
Second, from the impressions Dr. C took of my mouth last time, he took some measurements, sketched some possible surgery outcomes and determined that I don't need double jaw surgery, I only need lower jaw surgery! Only one of my jaws needs to be operated on! I AM SO HAPPY. I just went from two broken jaws, to one. Heck yeah.
Thirdly, Dr. C told me that my teeth were so well aligned that it might be possible that I wouldn't have to get braces! But, I would have to talk to my orthodontist first. He said he rarely tells people this, so I felt pretty special. And I had some brace-free hope for the weekend!
Then I got some of the new profile options I would have for surgery. Dr. C said I could get just lower jaw surgery, or that I could get lower jaw surgery and genioplasty. So I have kind of a big decision to make...

Far left: my present profile
Middle: profile with lower jaw surgery alone
Far right: profile lower jaw surgery and genioplasty
That was all for my post-wisdom-teeth-removal-checkup appointment. That was on Friday, and I had an orthodontist appointment on Monday.
I went in, and told my orthodontist what my surgeon had said about the possibility of not getting braces, but he said it would be best if I did get them. He said that usually there's a little bit of tweaking that goes on after surgery (which I understood from fellow jaw-bloggers), so I got braces for the third time two days ago!
This is the pic that went on instagram.

Full selfie

Close up of my teeth/bite
I think this shows my open bite quite well.
*Note: I'm pretty sure my teeth aren't that yellow in person.
I'm thinking it's the bad camera quality+weird lighting combo.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Wisdoms

It's done! My wisdom teeth are no longer in my mouth.
I wish I had a hamster so we could be twinners.
#selfiesaturday?

My appointment was @10:00am, so I didn't have to go to school! I was pretty pumped.

Pre-op Excitement.
Jk. I wasn't quite exactly excited.

Pre-op x-ray anyone?


Everything went fine.
I believe the total surgery took about 45 minutes.
This is me right after waking up from surgery!

I won't be posting any pictures of me with my eyes open, because my eyes were just screaming "Druuuuggs...." But even though was on drugs, I didn't do anything funny/stupid/video-worthy. I'm rather disappointed.
Another right-after-operation pic

I'd just like to say, I'm very grateful for my mother! She drove me to and from surgery, and then served as my slave for the rest of the day. She gave me my meds, food, and ice packs alllll dang day.

1-ish hour post-surgery. This is my sad swollen face.

Everything was fine til about 2 hours after surgery, when I found myself in a lot of pain, and my pain meds didn't seem to be kicking in. I made it through though! I think I would've been able to handle the pain, if I hadn't been so numb at the time. My cheeks, chin, and lower gums were numb, and I just didn't want to handle it all!

34-ish hours post-surgery.

So yup. It's pretty much been me, my ice packs, and Supernatural all weekend.
I feel like this surgery was a little taste of what jaw surgery will be like. Except this time around I didn't have to eat through syringes, and only part of my face was swollen/numb, and I wasn't in a hospital, and I didn't have braces, and my mouth wasn't banded shut, and, and, and, etc. So not really, but kinda.
I have an appointment with my surgeon next Friday the 20th, and then I'm getting braces the 28th!
I'll be writing soon.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Impressions

Look who got their impressions done!
This kid.
On Tuesday I saw my surgeon for the first time since my consultation, and got four impressions done for pre-authorization (one upper jaw, two lower, and one for my bite). Woot.
More pictures?
My mom: "You look just thrilled!"
I was.



Trust me, I'm trying to smile.
I remember impressions being a lot harder when I was 8.
But anywho, that's pretty much the most exciting thing that's happened around here concerning my teeth and jaws.
Oh yeah, and I'm getting my wisdom teeth out tomorrow! That should be pretty exciting. Everyone I've talked to sympathizes for me, except for one of my friends who said,"It's so fun! You get to be on so many drugs!"
I'm ready for the chipmunk cheeks and drugs.



Thursday, September 19, 2013

Sometimes

Sometimes I like to blame all my problems on my jaw. It's just been one of those days.

But there's only 28 days til I get my wisdom teeth out!
And 38 til I have tinsel teeth again.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

The Deal

On August 2nd I had a consultation with a new orthodontist. He told me I'd need double jaw surgery, and possibly a genioplasty (just to help my profile). He said I'd need braces for about 6 months prior to getting surgery. I asked him if it were possible to have my mouth ready for surgery by December, so I could be operated on during Christmas break, and he said maybe. I'd have to talk to the oral surgeon about it.
So what's happened since August 2?
  • I had a consultation with an oral surgeon
    • He basically told me everything I knew from my orthodontic consultation and blog-stalking, except he told me I'd need to get my wisdom teeth out. Oh, and I'd have to wait til next summer for surgery. No chance getting it during Christmas break.
  • I waited for two weeks for something to happen
    • My family's insurance had the possibility of changing, so we didn't want to get the process started and then have to stop if the new insurance didn't approve, so I waited and waited for something to happen.
  • Nothing happened.
    • We didn't get new insurance.
  • The wisdom teeth appointment was made!
    • I'm getting my wisdom teeth out October 18, 2013
  • The braces appointment was made!
    • I'm getting braces (for the third time) October 28, 2013
It feels good to finally see progress after waiting for what seemed like FOREVER.
I hope to have info worth updating for soon.
Pictures to come.

Where to Begin?

After finding out I needed jaw surgery on the 2nd of August 2013, I spent two days holed up in my house throwing myself a pity party.
This was me.

It was during those two days that I discovered the online orthognathic community! I spent that time looking at blog after blog after blog and eventually, I kinda subconsciously decided that I wanted to make my own jaw surgery blog! I put it off and put it off because I didn't really know how to start it, but I'm here now! I have a jaw blog.
This isn't my first blog, but it is my first jaw surgery blog, so we'll see what I'll end up posting and how often I'll be posting and all that good stuff.

The Beginning


As a little 8-year-old, I was very self-conscious of my wonky teeth. My mom decided she'd take me to the orthodontist, and it was there my orthodontic journey started. The orthodontist told me I'd need braces.
Behold, my teeth before metal brackets had ever been attached.
 There'd be two phases of my braces experience. Phase one consisted of and expander followed by four brackets on my four upper front teeth, and I had those from about 3rd-4th grade.


Phase One

Post Phase One
Phase two was a full set of braces--top and bottom.
I got these puppies on September 2, 2008

The orthodontist said I'd have them for a year and a half. However, when you aren't very diligent wearing your rubber bands, you end up having them for longer than that. I ended up having them for 1 year, 1 month and 23 days.

The day they came off: October 25, 2010
"Ahaha! Braces gone!"


My smile July 2013

Also July 2013 (Excuse the wardrobe, I was camping)
The braces came off, I got a retainer that I wore diligently and I thought that'd be the end of my teeth/jaw/mouth woes, but I was wrong. Fast forward to August 2, 2013.
As the months went by, I'd noticed my chin had slowly began to disappear. It's like the rest of my body had gone through puberty, but my chin hadn't. After obsessing/complaining about my lack of chin to my family for quite a while, my mom thought maybe my old orthodontist hadn't fully fixed my jaw, so she decided we'd try out a different orthodontist.
I joked with my mom as we walked across the parking lot, "Knowing my luck, they'll tell me I need braces for 10 years!" I said.
"Or they could just say, 'There's nothing more we can do,' and send us on our way!" my mom replied.
The new orthodontist's office greeted us with big smiles and free slushies, which was nice considering what they were about to tell me.
After looking at my x-rays and pictures, the orthodontist told me I had an overbite and an open bite, and that the only way to fix that was orthognathic surgery, and possibly a genioplasty.
Meaning I'd get surgery on both my upper and lower jaws and possibly my chin.
And now here I am!