It's been a while...I've got a teeth update.

YUP, got a teeth update. B/c, you see, this whole blog thing started as a way for me to express myself while my jaws were recovering from a 10-hour operation during which my head swelled up to twice its normal size (no, I wasn't just a fat-head back then. be nice.) and my neck looked like ppl w/ L-shaped fists punched mirror-images into my throat and everything inside my mouth was so puffy I couldn't swallow or close my lips. I bled for weeks after the surgery and would wake up in the middle of the night to painfully hack up globs of coagulated blood that collected at the back of my mouth/throat.

Needless to say, I couldn't say anything, I had stitches all around the inside of my mouth where my gums met my inner lips/cheek/flesh. I'm very well recovered now, nearly 4 years after that horrendous surgery. But, you know what? I'd do it all over again if I was presented with the choice again.

B/c now, I can bite into a sandwich in public w/out fearing the contents to be dragged out of the slices of bread, dangling like seaweed out of my sea-monster mouth. And, I can bite into a sandwich in private and I know half the insides won't be slapping on my chin. And, I can bite as self-defense if I need to. :) so many useful things I can do w/ this new BITE!

As for the migraines, mostly gone! Probably all muscle-tension triggered migraines are gone the few migraines I now have aren't nearly as drastic and painful and nauseating as they used to be, and even better, they're not a regular visitor. Just on occasional one, usually when I don't eat for a long time and my blood sugar gets low (a new development that came w/ age a couple years ago).

BUT, I didn't wear my shiny new Essix retainers and now, a front tooth shifted. So, I had to get a new retainer made to push that tooth back in its place. Sad. I need to wear it 24 hours a day for 3 months...but already I'm failing. I happen to eat at work, and then b/c I can't rinse out my mouth very well, or carry a toothbrush, I don't put it back in and I forget about it until bed time. le sigh.

So, I have a new retainer. I will post pictures with it on, but just not today. I need to go print my resume, get my stuff together for an interview (at which, I'm told by an insider, they won't be hiring anyone) but I got an interview, I signed up for a time slot and it would reflect poorly on me for my budding new career as an attorney/officer of justice to not show up just b/c I found out they're not hiring. But secretly, I hope they decide to hire me anyways. And, b/c I have to register w/ the GA Consortium of Law Schools folks 40 mins before my actual interview, I have to leave home by the awesome hour of 7:40 am. I know this probably doesn't sound too bad to most ppl who've been in the working world, but I am not a morning person and deliberately find housing close to where I have to show up to in the mornings. One day moving every time I get a new place to be, or in search of a place with an even shorter commute will not be possible (aka, one hypothetical day in which I'm married or have kids or own my dewelling place. I don't know which of these circumstances are the most unbelievable to me at this present moment.)

The new retainer cost me $150, and that's b/c my orthodontist took pity on my insurance-less state and basically charged me the lab fees. I think after I get that one tooth straightened out, I'll go back to him to get a bite-guard-splint thing made for my teeth-grinding problem. I still grind my teeth, apparently. I guess the stress from my life didn't all go away w/ the surgery. More about the woes of wearing a retainer aggressively pushing a tooth back into place to be discussed later.

In other news, I called a dentist's office and they said teeth cleaning, and an initial exam and basic x-rays are $95. Not too shabby...possibly even affordable after I scrape the bottom of my bank account to hand over to the GA Office of Bar Admissions (it's costing me more than $1000 more, that's a whole $1K, than IL did). But I'm going to call one other dentist, one that a friend recommended, to see what her prices are like. I do need a cleaning. I haven't had dental insurance since 2008, and it's been that long since I've had a cleaning. I'm overdue. It might be why I have sensitive teeth these days. I hope after the cleaning, the sensitivity will go away (????). Sounds like wishful thinking, but maybe not too out of the realm of possible realities.

Adventures in Puppyland bit: Cody is a cutie. But he loves his dog food way too much...he bit my toe/foot this morning. I'm trying to transition him out of puppy food into adult dog food and the pet store I went to didn't have the adult version of the Wellness Small Dogs Just for Puppy super5mix in the 15 lb bags. Apparently they can order the large bag, but it comes ins 12 lb bags, instead of the standard 15 lbs. So, they gave me several different sample bags of dog foods of comparable quality and price range.

Tried the Pure Vita grain free Salmon Formula a couple meals (w/ some of the old puppy mix I've been feeding him) and he's gotten some wetter stools. Not sludgy or liquidy in any way, just wetter, stickier and thus more difficult to clean up (I like his poop to just roll off the newspaper into the toilet, no shaking or shoving w/ toilet paper). It was also lighter in color. I checked the ingredients of the puppy kibbles I've been mixing and they have turkey, chicken, salmon, some other species-named fish, lamb and other stuff, so salmon isn't completely new to his diet.

I think I'm going to table Pure Vita for now, and buy some more of the Wellness just for puppy stuff (to mix into more Merrick Whole Earth Farms stuff and the remaining Royal Canin stuff...which I was told and read was not as "premium" or awesome as they say they are). I think I'll use his old mix for a bit long, to transition him into adult dog food. And, I am going to not even try the Pure Vita grain free Bison Entree sample and move on to the Taste of the Wild samples...hopefully they will agree w/ Cody's digestive tracts a little more.

Save the Date Everyone!!! Cody's 1st Birthday is Feb. 5th. If the weather's nice and the yard is dry, I am thinking of inviting his other doggy friends and their humans over for a romp in the yard and doggy birthday cake. And some of my aged glugg and/or Christmas wine for the humans/adults. Otherwise, I would have to make it an indoor event and invite less creatures into my teeny, tiny, very humble abode w/ no real seating. And then have a larger clean-up job after the guests leave.

Here's like the P.P.S. part. Remember how when we were in middle school, there was a list of P.S.'s and P.P.S.'s and P.P.P.S.'s? It's like that but I promise to stop after this. I've started studying for the GA bar examination (hopefully IL Sup. Ct. and the IARDC will get off their butts and mail in my letters of good standing so I can definitely take the 1-day attorney's examination). I bought the books and lecture notes off of a former classmate who took (and passed) the GA bar in July, instead of paying for an entire new bar course, b/c I just coulnd't afford it and figured I may not have time to do all the lectures anyways.

Here's the schedule I've come up with for the next 6 weeks:

week 1: Property and Con Law

week 2: Crim Law, Crim Pro, Agency/Partnership and Corporations and MPT

week 3: Contracts, Damages/Equitable Remedies

week 4: Torts, Evidence and Family

week 5: Wills, Trusts, Fed. Civ Pro, and GA Civ Pro

week 6: Comm. Paper, Sec. Trans., Prof. Resp. and MPT(?)

WISH ME LUCK!!!

nekked teef

yes, I've got them, as of Saturday, October 18, 2008.  That day will forever be branded in my brain...along w/ April 3, 2008, they day of my orthognatic surgery, and April 10, 2006, my first day at my first real job, and May 15, 2005, my graduation from Duke, ...August 25, 2008? my first day of law school?  maybe not.  I did want to quit everything and curl up into a fetal position and ask to be admitted to a hospital or a group home.But, as per usual, I digress...I should post the pictures of my buttery sheens right now.

The Close-up:

        And another w/ the essix retainers...

The debracification wasn't so bad.  The brackets popped off fairly easily and I didn't notice the first half of the lower coming off b/c I anticipated more pain.  But when the rings around the back molars came off, there was a slight stench...it's been 2 and a half years, my friends!!!

The part that was painful was the grinding away of the glue...my front teeth are sensitive and

 the assistant had to hold my tongue back b/c apparently it was getting in the way and my dentist was afraid of cutting it.  I still spat out blood and grit when they told me to brush....it was scary brushing w/out braces for the first time in over 2.5 yrs.

My teeth and gums hurt still when I brush them...it's been 3 days now.  Oh well...I'll learn, right?

I want to use some whitening strips, but my fr

ont teeth, especially the lower ones, are very sensitive right now.  Will it be bad?

Oh, and my panoramic and profile x-rays looked really good on the screen.  My chin's gotten longer, even w/out the genio.  They didn't print anything for me this time.  I wanna get a hold of my chart from my OS or my OD...I think they share the electronic records.

W/out my braces, my teeth look longer and the overall effect is an elongated lower face.  The surgery did a good bit, but w/ the braces, my lower face still looked a little on the small side (no complaints b/c it's 200% better than before!) but I was wondering if I should've had the genio.  In April was glad they didn't go for the genio b/c it would've been more bruises, more pain and more swelling.  But until this weekend, I started wondering if it would've been better.  Now, I'm 100% sure a genio would have bordered on over-kill.  My naked teeth makes my smile/mouth look longer, and adds to 

the longer jaw to make my face look kinda longish.  I have a very round face, or did, but it's now more oval, I think.  

...to be honest, I actually was motivated to post b/c I just had oatmeal, w/ gooey, melted cottage cheese and a small dash of blueberry kefir.  Soooo delicious!!!

So it was 1 packet of organic mixed berry oatmeal (from Costco) moistened w/ just enough milk to 

moisten all the oats, microwaved for 1 minute.  Then boiling water is added until it's softer, stirred and nuked for another minute.  Then a little more boiling water is added to a soft consistency and nuked again for a minute, in 20 second spurts...the top will be a little glossy-looking.  Then, about 3 Tbs of cottage cheese is thrown on top and stirred in...it gets all gooey like melted cheese!!!

I topped it w/ maybe a couple tablespoons of low fat blueberry kefir, and it was extra good, and cooled the mix down a bit for me to devour.  Yum!

What am I doing making oatmeal at 10:30 pm?  I'm on antibiotics again...I peed blood on Sunday night like the hour I got to my apt from the airport...and called student health.  The on-call doctor told me I needed to have my urine tested, either at the emergency room b/c it was like 9 pm or 1st thing in the morning at 8 am...I had an 8:30 am class and didn't feel like missing it (again, tho I had a legit reason this time).  So I went to the emergency room on Sunday night...the on-call doctor had to give me directions to it.  And was there pretty much all night...got home past 1 am.  I have a bladder infection...I've never had a  UTI before.  I'm on drugs that make me pee orange now, and the ER doctor prescribed some antibiotics called Nitrofurantoin-Macro.

But them bad boys didn't work so I had to go to student health again this afternoon.

Fortuitously, there were some med students who came to study in our library and one of them was in scrubs.  I had just gone to the bathroom and my lower back was killing me...so bad it took me a minute to stand up straight and walk out of the stall.  My back hurt last night as I was trying to sleep/read contracts, but I thought it was b/c I was carrying heavy things around.  The med students said that if I've developed kidney pain and a day and a half of antibiotics didn't make me feel better, then I need to go see a doctor again, soon.  They convinced me that I don't want to go to the ER again so I went to Student Health, called on my way and got an appt on an emergency basis, again.  

The nurse practicioner I saw today is sending my urine sample to get some lab work done.  Apparently the ER didn't really do that.  They noted that there was alot of white blood cells in my urine on Sunday, and the nurse today said she saw lots of bacteria in my urine today.  But then she said b/c my sample wasn't great today (I gave all I had, but it was only about half a cup of dark orange-brown stuff) if the lab thinks too much surface bacteria got in, they'll throw it out.  I'm now on Cipro and I'm going to have to see her again on Friday morning, and if things get worse, before Friday.  I hate this.  I hate going to the hospital/clinic...I hate seeing doctors, unless it's my OR or OD b/c I'm so used to them and their offices that it's not stressful at all.

In happier news:

I'm learning to use my front teeth...the upper ones don't work very well.

I'm scared I'm going to knock over my teeth when I brush...

My essix retainers (yes, I have both upper and lower) are squishy...and I'm supposed to wear them 24-7 for 3 months, then every night for the next 6 months or so...then every other night for the rest of my life.  And, I can't even drink warm water w/ them on b/c they'll melt, or anything other than cool water b/c it'll stain.  I'm not allowed to brush it.  So, I did what someone else said they were doing and bought some effervescent denture soak...but the water turns blue and I'm scared of having blue-tinted retainers.  :)  I think I talk funny w/ it on, but my friends say only some words are lispy.

AND, my grandmother moved to the States again!!!  We saw each other for the first time in like 6 yrs...it was sad having to say good bye again.  Her hand shakes now b/c she's had two brain surgeries in the past 10 yrs to drain abscess in her skull...then to replace the piping.  She also shrunk a little more.  

Here's my fav. grandmother and me, I tower over her and I'm only 5'2"...she's so funny; she said I grew taller since the last time I saw her...I told her how short and small I am compared to the rest of the world and she said it's been a source of pain all her life to be so short.  She understands me. :)

...law school is killing me

and maybe my new jaws.

I used to do what my doctor called "cheating" w/ my jaw, sticking it as far out as I could to try to look normal/see if my teeth were going to come together.  And maybe stress is making me do that again.  I'm wasting energy being stressed out w/ my legal writing assignments and not understanding my casebook readings and just general 1L angst.  Despite the fact that I know that I'm doing this, I continue...and I noticed something last night.

My front teeth were hurting and I couldn't figure it out.  and I think it's stress-related.  I think I'm pushing my lower jaw forward, not b/c I need to, but b/c it's what I used to do to deal w/ stress before my surgery.  Before surgery, my front teeth never had a chance at touching so my teeth never hurt, but since almost all my teeth touch now (yipee!!!!) my lower teeth back up straight into my upper teeth and by my pushing my jaw forward, the pressure makes my teeth hurt.  I was actually a little excited at first, thinking that all of a sudden my wires got tight in my mouth and my braces were working really hard to that final push to debracification.  But no.  I'm pretty sure all my old dealing w/ stress tricks are now causing auxiliary issues now.

Great. so law school is causing damage to my spankin' new jaws.  Awesome, just awesome, isn't it?  I'm hoping really, really, really hard that I don't start grinding my teeth again b/c that'll be the worst case scenario, b/c I really don't want to go back to splints and mouth guards.

But this too, shall pass.  As will my 1L year and all of law school...in 3 years if I'm good and follow the plan.  ugh.  following plans suck.

But debrcification is cool!!!!  One more month and I'll see my buttery sheens (which will be turned back into bright bites in due time) all naked!  :)  I'll miss 'em rubber bands, but won't miss these metal clunkers.  ...okay, focus on notes and class now. :)

long hiatus...but good news!!!

Hey all!  I've been gone for a long time.  But in that time, a lot has happened and I've done many things:

1. Quit my job (July 18th was my final day)

2. Moved to Atlanta, GA (sometime around August 14th or 16th or thereabouts...drove all Thursday w/ parents and two cars full of my stuff, found an apt on Friday, signed the lease and moved in on Sat.)

3. Started law school

4. been back to Chicago for a follow-up w/ my OS and a adjustment w/ my OD

And, the good news is...no, not the law school part, although it should be great news...I LOOSE MY BRACES FOR GOOD ON OCTOBER 18th!!!!!  I set up a 9:30 am appointment w/ Dr. Kusnoto and he'll remove my braces and make me an Essix (sp?) retainer that same day so I can fly back to Atl w/ my new, clear retainer the next day.  :)  BIG SMILESSSSS!!!!  So I get to see him twice that day...once in the am, and then in the afternoon to pick up my retainer and get it fitted, etc.  Soooooo EXCITED!

And, my OS doesn't need to see me for 6 months this time!  It'll be March 2009 before I see him again...unless something happens and he'll hear from me.  And he said if the plate and screws in my lower left jaw keep on hurting and bothering me, he'll remove them.  I wonder if I should go for it...and ask for the upper left plate by my nose to be removed too.  I get slight puffiness about 3 times a week in the morning on my left cheek still.  I tend to think it's b/c of the plates that are by my nose b/c they were a cause of some concern earlier on...but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!  B/c now, I get to be happy about progress, and I mean P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S! (trying singing Arethea's classic hit and filling in progress for respect...doesn't work)

DEBRACIFICATION will finally happen to me too!!!

  And right on schedule too.  I had asked him when I'll be done at my first or second post-surgery meeting w/ him and he had said 4 months.  And October will be 4 months.  :)  Very happy that this time my teeth are on time.  I was very stressed out about my teeth being about 6 months behind schedule when getting ready for the surgery.  And really, the only reason why he couldn't take my braces off last Thursday was b/c there's a tiny gap btwn my two lower front teeth, and he filed down whatever was between them little ones, some gritty hardness/buildup or braces glue.  AND, he doubled up my power chain so that it'll be ready for sure...he also said that even if it's not ready, the retainer will finish the job, which made me hilariously happy.  Yeah, I think I was giddy at the thought then and I'm giddy at the thought of losing these metal tracks after 2 years and 6 months (and a couple weeks, once the come off)!

  The only things I'll miss are the hooks that I loop my rubber bands around.  I'll miss those bands that help me find my bite.  I still feel a bit lost w/out them and start to dribble when I'm not paying attention or get excited in conversation.  I also spit a little more than normal during speech when I lose them bands.  But once the braces come off, no more bands for me, b/c I won't be getting those screws drilled into my gums.  I think I'd much rather take braces w/ surgical hooks than the option of screws in my gums...yeah, if I had to redo this whole thing and they said I didn't need braces, I'll still opt for them, just for the surgery and the post-op banding.

  So I am going to be aggressive about my rubber bands.  I have 2 half-used bags and 2 new bags to go though in the next 6 weeks...and I'm not going to be stingy w/ them any more.  Dr. Kusnoto, my OD, gave me 2 new bags of bands to last me for the home stretch but in all honesty, I've been depriving myself of them since I moved to Atl b/c I didn't bring that other new bag down here w/ me and I was afraid of running out.  So no more.  My teeth/jaws will get full-strength bands twice a day!  I'm scared of my jaws not knowing my new bite w/out them strong bands to help guide them shut.  But can't have naked teeth and rubber bands too, so I'm gonna suck it up and be big girl...at least I can be a big girl about losing my rubber band guides, even if I'm a whimpering kiddy at law school.

I'm so happy I can't wait!  I'm so excited that I can't write my Rule Explanation part of my closed memo, due at 9 am, sharp, tomorrow morning.  I have about 12 hours to get that written and do the dreaded Contracts reading for class....ugh...I hate being a 1L.

I'd rather go through orthognatice surgery again...I didn't even have to get up to pee in the ICU!  And that morphine pump delivered small packages of bliss amidst my delirium...and no one cared that I looked like an angry sea monster who got stung in both cheeks and lips by the world's most poisonous wasps.  I got pity and care instead...

...so yeah.  Law school's where I've descended to.  In one year, I'll be a 2L and I'll be happier, or maybe I'll have started an MBA program by then, or maybe I'll be learning aboriginal fly fishing in the straight of Gibraltar.  Who knows?  Life is full of surprises.

Oh, and boys still suck butt.  Not literally...well, maybe literally for some boys but that's an icky thought, esp. sitting in a carrel in law school library.  So back to my legal writing assignment.  I'd love to hear what you all are going through now, and how much progress you've been seeing, etc!

Ciao!

btw, I'm at 22.5 weeks and regaining some sensitivity in my upper teeth...right side is coming along better than the left.  Left half of the roof of my mouth still has little to no feeling and the left upper teeth are still like little lost boys of never-never land.  And surprisingly, the lower left quadrant of my jaw/left chin and lip are still not fully back.  I'm thinking that my other nerves are just learning to compensate for the possibly, maybe semi-permanent nerve damage.  I also tend to touch my upper front teeth w/ the tip of my tongue alot...w/out knowing why.  I really should stop procrastinating....:)

Taco Mash

I was told by my college dormmate friend, Lindsay, that she ate this thing she called "Taco Mash" alot after her jaw surgeries. And for the last week, I felt I was well enough to move on to this cullinary delight and other such soft foods, so I was planning on buying a taco or two and dumping the contents out on to a plate and mashing everything up w/ the refried beans. But whaddaya kno? Our office had a staff appreciation lunch today...TACOS! So I had my taco mash, for the first time, and I wanted to eat another huge plate. It was that good.

My Taco Mash started off with one soft tortilla at the bottom of the plate (I can't eat it, but I love flour tortillas and chapatis and other foods like that). I topped that w/ a couple serving-spoonfuls of refried beans (the consistency is very similar to very soft mashed potatoes, my vehicle for eating minced food), some seasoned ground beef and some of that saucy liquid (I picked out the carrots and peppers in there), spanish rice (also minus the veggie additives), a generous sprinkling of grated queso fresco, a scoopful of salsa and even a bit of shredded lettuce! I had to use my knife to mince the lettuce some more, but it was sooooo good!!

This is what it was, sorta, minus the taco shell/bowl, sour cream and guac...and I had queso fresco instead of the shredded cheddar-looking cheese and pretty smooth salsa instead of the chunks of tomatos.

I was looking for some pictures of taco insides on google and started watching youtube videos on how to make a taco salad...and noticed that I didn't get avocados or sour cream as a choice for my taco mash.

I have a couple avocados sitting at home, so I guess I can try a taco mash at home if I get adventurous enough to grocery shop and cook this weekend! I'm not a huge fan of sour cream to begin w/ so I didn't really miss that, but avocados, I like. And since the surgery, I've single-handedly consumed at least 4 avocados on my own...all w/in the first 8 or 9 weeks. That's more avocados crammed in any 2 months of my life! And I think I wanna try ground turkey instead of beef. :)

...I a thin wire holding the main wire and hooks to my brackets unravelled inside my left cheek, on the upper teeth and hurt me all day until I went in for my 6:45 pm emergency ortho appt. Well, I think I was squeezed in at the end of the day b/c they couldn't see me any other time. Well, my orthodontis, Dr. Kusnoto wasn't there b/c his wife's water broke and he went on paternity leave. So a colleague of his saw me instead, she was really nice and looked young for a professor, but she found some loose hooks and tightened them for me when she replaced the thin, loose wire. I wasn't seen until like 7:30 pm b/c I think she had to take over all of my dr's patients as well as her own so they had to stay late, but thing are fixed in my mouth!

It's 11 weeks post-op and my surgeon, Dr. Heffez, allowed me to return to normal physical activities, such as dancing and jumping and running...but I think I'll have to watch it b/c my mouth still hurts alot, and downward dog, which I attempted last Sat. during basic ballet warm up, was stressful on my sinuses, mouth and overall head. So...we'll see what happens this weekend!

Follow ups galore

My teeth hurt in new and different ways. I'm back to drooling and spewing when attempting speech. My speech sounds like I'm newly acquiring some obscure Bostonian accent...or regressing into baby-talk.

On Monday I met w/ my OS, who is set on quelling my fears about my metal plates. He tried to wiggle my upper jaw while pressing on the plates (in the places that I said was hurting) and he said everything needs to stay where they are right now. So a small sigh of relief...I half wanted the plates removed b/c of the pain and noises but really didn't want another operation and really, really didn't want stitches in my mouth again so soon.
...I was slightly surprised when he said I didn't have plates in my lower jaw when I said I only have dull pain there but not any specifically pokey pains or sounds. He then pulled up my x-rays and corrected himself. It's been nearly 11 weeks, and he's busy, but how does he forget? I haven't forgotten b/c it's my own mouth, it hasn't been that long and I live w/ my jaws everyday. But anyways...
He moved my elastics to hook in the same places by my canines on top and way back to the last bracket on the bottom. I drooled alot yesterday but overall felt pretty good, minus the back teeth. By moving the elastics back, I could fit a spoon in my mouth and I felt like I could open my mouth w/ more ease.

But...I went to see my OD for the first time since the surgery, and the elastics moved again. Dr. Heffez said on Monday that if Dr. Kusnoto moves my elastics again, that'll be okay.
In December, he had moved his practice to a new facility. I didn't see him at his private practice since late last November when I was deemed ready for surgery, but insurance took so long and then the OR schedules were so screwy and unreliable that I didn't have my surgery until April. And it's been almost 11 weeks since my surgery and now it's June and I had to fumble my way to the new office in a neighborhood of Chicago I don't think I've ever been. The facility was pretty awesome, w/ portable/rolling dentist's platforms w/ computers at each examination chair, some partially walled-in places for more private consultations and surgeries and a large, clean reception area. I was impressed.
I arrived a bit early and was seen before my appointed 5:30 pm after a short wait. Dr. Kusnoto had more assistants and even a separate front desk girl/lady. His assistant, Beth (Huibi) was glad to see me as was I, and it seemed like she was now managing the place instead of doing the chair-side work for him.
I had my power chain replaced, it hurt coming off and going on. I don't think my OD has different colors, just different strengths in the same greyish-whitish-clearish color. He did something else to my upper front brackets, maybe replace some rings, but they have thin wires holding everything together. I don't know....
In any case, he moved my elastics again. The top positions are essentially the same, on the upper canines, except that on the left side he has the elastic on two hooks instead of one. On the bottom the elastics hook on to the last bracket on each side and forward to the lower canines. I'll take pictures soon. They're larger triangles and he says it'll only take about 4 months for all the spaces to close up and my teeth to come together! I'm really stoked about that...I was expecting 8-10 months. But I won't get too excited too early...my teeth are lazy little things and procrastinate their moves. But even w/ some delays, I hope to have them off by Christmas!
Last Christmas, all I wanted for Christmas was my surgery, Christmas of 2006, all I wanted for Christmas was my two front teeth to stop hurting. All I want for Christmas 2008 is my two front teeth freed from its wires and chains and brackets! And the rest of their buddies freed as well, if at all possible. :)
All my teeth hurt now but that's expected after an orthodontist fiddling around your mouth, right?

I'm talking much better and overall feel better. I'm getting used to all the teeth pains. I get compliments from ppl all the time about my improved speech and enunciation. I still drool on occasion but it's rare and sometimes I can feel the drool coming so I can quickly react. The corners of my mouth are still a bit lazy but I'm not gonna complain b/c I feel things even in my lower left lip. Improvements!
I get to go back to all physical activities, including dance. Yay! Which reminds me, I have to reply to Linda about this Friday's free midnight funk dance class at Hubbard Street/Lou Conte Dance Studio. If anyone is in Chicago, come by! I've never taken funk/hip-hop, but it sounds like fun, and it's for all levels. I'm still on soft foods, which doesn't bother me b/c w/ the elastics going so far back to my back molars, it's hard to brush my teeth anyways, so soft foods will be easier to clean up after. :)

...and one more thing to be happy about: I move into my new office tomorrow!!!!! It's an interior office and I'll be there for only a month...depending on when I decide will be my last day here at this dear old firm. But law school, here I come! W/ a new, functional bite!

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!!!