ouchies. and snapping elastics

My elastics on the right side keeps on snapping every few days while the ones on the left have never snapped. I spent the whole day yesterday w/out elastics b/c the right side snapped the night before and I forgot to replace elastics in the morning. And by last night I couldn't figure out what was going on w/ my bite. It was skewed and my left molars were smashing against each other or scrunching up and my right molars didn't feel like they were closing at all. :(

Once I put the elastics back on my bite returned to normal w/in half an hour, but I can't figure out why my right elastics keep on snapping while the left side never snaps. I did notice while I was putting the elastics back on last night that some are skinnier than others, but I can't believe that for one, there are that many irregularly skinny elastics in my bunch and two, that I consistently put skinnier/weaker ones on my right side and the thicker/stronger ones on my left. I'm not that gifted.

In any case, can I keep these elastics for as long as I have braces? I didn't like the way my bite screwed itself up w/out them in a day. It troubled me dearly until I got the elastics back on. For a hysterical second I thought maybe I've really screwed things up and all b/c I was neglectful...and forgetful. But now that the bite feels as good as ever, I wanna keep these forever. If I my mouth can't remember how to bite correctly w/out elastics and outside help after less than 24 hours of free-flapping, then I don't know how I'm going to manage w/out them long-term.

The ouchies refer to my metal plates and screws. I feel them. The ones closest to my nose. The ones holding my lower jaw hurt occasionally but I never feel them independent of the pain. Even when it hurts, it's not like I feel the metal plates, it's more of a dull pain on either side of my lower jaw, usually in the mornings after I'd slept on one side. I feel the metal plates holding my upper jaw together 24-7. The ones closer to my ears aren't as bothersome and I only feel those when I apply gentle pressure, they feel like they're poking my teeth roots. But the ones next to my nose are troublesome. They hurt and make noise randomly that only I can hear. The ones on the right side hurt w/out even being touched, and I feel pokey things. I don't really want another surgery to have them removed b/c stitches under my upper lip lasted at least a whole month and were the most painful ones of all...and my upper lip kinda got sucked up into my mouth after the surgery and they're just now beginning to loosen and become a little fuller again. But I feel the dumb plates all the time and they hurt even when I'm not bothering them. :( I really want to just get used to the feeling, but I don't like the feeling of scratchy metal rubbing on my bones...or screws working loose...this might be in my imagination, but the weird sounds every once in a while doesn't help.

Honestly, I can't feel the gap I felt where they cut my upper jaw that I felt the first month post-op. And I don't hear as much liquid/bubbles passing through that gap, or bones creaking around in there, but the teeny, very occasional noises scare me more now than those louder, bubbly feelings of yore.

Oh well, I go see Dr. Heffez again on Monday after my first whole month away from my doctor! And, to add to the excitement of next week, I get to go see my orthodontist for the first time since the surgery on Tuesday! I've been "released to Dr. Kusnoto" as Dr. Heffez says :) yay!?!? I'm happy about this release, but kinda not so excited about the orthodontics part...sooner I start it, the sooner I'll be done (damn those necessary evils). On a brighter note, it'll be sunny tomorrow and won't rain (or so weather.com says...tho it's been raining for the past week and a half and it's supposed to rain on Sunday)! Wheee!!!