Prom and Graduation!

Unfortunately I didn't get to have my braces off for prom or graduation, but my smile is still so much better and for that I am very thankful!! I thought I would post some pictures of the two events for fun, and I even have a picture of me from my grade eight graduation to put up next to grade 12...absolutely AMAZING.

I've said it a hundred times before, and I won't stop saying it, but WOW this surgery is incredible.

Prom: (my hair definitely did not turn out well, but whatever I had fun)

 




Grad:

 

Seven and a half months!!!?!¿¿!

Time is flyyyyyyyying!!! Its been over seven months already! I know I'm surprised whenever I make such a statement but I can't help it!! Its been a BIG ((school)) year! Jaw surgery, turning 18, 5 concerts, and prom is coming up! Plus, I'm graduating this year!!!!!? 

Anyway, I went to my orthodontist a few days ago and it sounds like there's still quite a bit of work to do.....:( 

I overheard him mention something about a crossbite?? Ugh 

They put a tie on to fix the gap between two teeth on the right upper side of my mouth, and they have to adjust my midline a bit more ((I did notice that my bottom teeth are a little off and a little..slanted? I guess)) I have to wear elastics now too, which suckkkssssas so muchhhhhhh. It's only been a fewdays but my teeth STILL hurt after the tightening and the elastics make the pain even worse...so hopefully it ether goes away or I get really used to it.

I'm still taking that Gabepentin stuff for my numbness. I don't think there's been much of a change yet,  because I feel like any slight changes I do notice might be psychological rather than actual changes..he did say it would be a slow process, though, so hope is not lost!!

It's amazing how much work there still is to do after surgery.... I feel like a lot of people ((or maybe it's just me idk)) just think oh surgery and then perfect teeth yay ! NOT THE CASE APPARENTLY. 

I can't wait for the year mark and beyond. Dr Barr says the swelling is all down by now, but my face would still change and the bones and facial structure start to smooth out so I'm anxious to see the true 'finished product'!!! 

Anyway, I guess I'll just leave y'all with some pictures of my glorious, issue plagued face!! 

Have a happy Friday the 13th!! 

xxx

 

Week Twenty Seven! ((Over five months!!))

As noted before, I am a horrrrrrrrible blogger! But I mean I don't really have many readers at this point anyway...still, I feel bad ok.
Anyway, we're already past the five month mark and I can hardly believe it!! I never even thought I would get past that first week. I remember completely regretting it the very first day I was back home, and several times throughout the week. Now I can barely remember that time even happening ((besides the fact that it was absolutely horrific)). And ever since I've been able to eat solid food again, I hardly even think about it!

Of course, I'm almost always thinking about my jaw these days. It looks SO good ((the jaw, not my face lol)). Like I've said before, I've never been happy about my looks so it's hard for me to like what I see, but I definitely like this much better. I'm slowly learning to like me for me and love myself, but it is very hard to do living in such a materialistic world...

Anyway, unfortunately I will be having my braces on for several more months. By the time I get them off it will be closer to , if not more than, three years with them on. They told me it would only be two - two and a half years....and I really wanted them to be off for graduation and prom. It was sucky enough having them for my grad photos, it would have been nice to have them off and be able to flash my nice, straight, not metal teeth! But oh well, what can you do..

The lower right area of my lip/chin is STILL numb! My oral surgeon put me on medication called Gabapentin, which was actually created to help people with epilepsy but now it's also used in a case like mine in order to assist the nerves in repairing themselves. Think of it like it's sort of like a puzzle, and the nerve is having trouble figuring out where to put the pieces so the medicine goes in with all of it's knowledge and science power and helps it out. I've only been taking it once a day for three days so far, and then next week I start taking two and day, and then three a day the next week. And then I go in to see him and we'll see how it's going. There hasn't been much change thus far.

Swelling is basically all down now, at least if you don't know me well. I still see some swelling around my cheeks and chin area ((mostly cheeks)) and the people who really know me can still sort of tell, but if you just met me or if you didn't see me often then you would probably just think I have a puffy face. It hasn't even been six months yet though, and lot's of people have said that it can take up to a year ((or even more)) for it all to go down so I'm still dreaming of a nice, chiseled jaw line Angelina Jolie style ;)

Anywhooo, that's all there is to say for now. I'll leave some pictures down here, but there hasn't been much change.

Hope everyone is having wonderful lives!!

Week 20

Wow I last poste in February.... so bad at blogging  Of course there really isn't muh to say at this point, the recovery is over more or less. I still feel like theres a little swelling left but maybe it's just because my dace has changed and I'm not used to it. Still waiting for the numbing to go down but it can take up to even a year so that's still a work in progress. 

I slacked a little in my jaw exercising so I'm still sort of stiff, and I can still only open about three fingers wide. 

BUT I can eat sandwiches perfectly and that it SO nice oh my god. 

Anyway, I don't know when braces will be off but it probably won't be for another several months still. Sigh. 

I just can't believe that this time last year I was anxiously waiting to hear I was ready and get a date.  I was so excited that I only had 'four or five months to go' and now look at me. I can honestly say I am so happy with my face (: 

Well, until next time ((whenever that may be!))   

Youtube video!

Hey, y'all! (I'm not sure why I just said y'all..)

Anyway, I have ventured into the realm of YouTube and have concocted an extremely long video about my experience with jaw surgery. Obviously I am incapable of capturing the realities of surviving day to day throughout jaw surgery recovery, but I think it's a pretty decent first look for anyone thinking about going through with it. Excuse my slight lisp...braces and stiff jaw combined is not pretty. Anyway, if you want to check it out that would be great. If you want to continue to check out new videos that I post, even greater! ;D

Anyway, I thought I would let any readers know about it if you have about 20 minutes to spare hahaha.

Hope you're all having a fantastic day, week and year, we'll potentially see you next week!!

xxhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt2Key6_kTY

Back again really quick! I just made a little collage of before and after pictures! The before pictures were taken actually back when I was just sixteen and a bit, so that would have been August of 2012. I have a post about it here: http://adventureoftheunderbite.blogspot.ca/2012/08/blog-post.html#comment-form 

Anyway, I used those and then pictures of me right now (the ones I used in my week fourteen post/three months) at the ripe old age of eighteen. There is SUCH a difference that I didn't completely realize the severity of, it's absolutely incredible and I am SO thankful to be living in a world where this is possible. I am SO happy with my new bite. Even though I have those "oh wait, that's a bit off" moments, I just look back at stuff like this and think 'hey, at least I don't have THAT anymore'. 

I'm learning to love it completely more and more with each day (plus I can bite into things now!!)

Anyway, that's it for today! Thanks for reading!!

xxx

 

Week Fourteen!! ((January 30 marked month 3!))

Wow I've missed a couple weeks now! It 's so weirdbecause before surgery I would literally spend hours looking at blgs and looking forward to making one of my own, it occupied my mind almost all the time, but now that three months have passe it's just sort of normal life I guess. 

I saw my surgeon on January 27 and he told me that everything was looking great. He sai something had shifted which was too bad but not a bad thing per se so I'm not too worried.  I don't see my orthodontist until February 19th thoigh so still bo word on when I get my braces off. I had to have my grad photos done with them on whoch kind of sucks but oh well. 

My chin is still a bit stiff but I can eat pretty much anything now, I just have to be a lot more careful with hard things like certain chocolates or almonds etc. I still think there is a TINY amount of swelling left but for the most part I think that it's pretty much gone. 

I know people have said that some numbness can take up to a year even to go away but the right half of my bottom lip is still, I would say, about 80-90% numb. It just doesn't feel normal, but there is pain when pressure is put on it so there is SOME feeling in there. The same goes for my chin. I guess all I can do now is be patient about it. 

I don't have much to say anymore, but I might make a YouTube video about my journey in the future, we'll see how my schedule pans out hahaha. 

Anyway, that's all for week fourteen (on wednesday at least) , You'll see me again eventually!!! (: 

xxx