Hello All! I have lots of news to share with you all, so I'll try to make everything short and sweet!
Funny story I can't believe I forgot to share: Leaving for Hawaii from Denver, instead of going through a normal metal detector, we went through one of those new scanner machines...and they held me for 5 minutes until they were able to identify the metal in my face. Seriously. I'm laughing about it now, but I was a bit peeved at the time.
Surgeon update: Everything looks fine, bite wise, but my chin and bottom lip are still tingly. Dr. N wants me to start taking the Neurontin again, and this time we're going to up the dosage a little. I won't see him again until after I get my braces off, which leads me to my next tidbit...
Ortho update: I have a debracing date!!!!!! Since I won't be home again until Christmas Break, it is still a long way off, but here's the scoop! She wants to do a final check on everything December 13 and then the braces will come off on December 27!!!!!!!!!!!!! All that's left to do is get my back teeth to meet, because everything else looks great! So, I have new bands to wear: boxes on my back teeth. 4 1/2 months!!!!!!
That's all for now, I'll keep everyone updated on how my nerve is healing up!
<3 Stefane
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Quick Update
Hello all!
I'm working at a camp this summer (no internet) and it's my first day off, so I thought that I should write a 6 month update (6 MONTHS!!!!!!).
I went to the orthodontist before I came up to camp, and if I wasn't going to be here all summer (aka if I spent the summer in Colorado) I would likely have my braces off in August...but since she won't see me until August and I'll only be home for a week that wonderful day will have to be postponed (maybe until winter break...darn it!). On a happier note, I only have to wear my rubber bands at night now, which is really nice since I'm so busy all day I would never remember to put them back in! So my muscles are a bit more tired now, since they don't have the rubber bands holding my bite during the day, but it's never painful, just a little sore sometimes.
I stopped taking the Nurontin that Dr. N prescribed for me. After a few days at camp I realized that I needed to take allergy medicine (I have about 50 million bug bites which all swell like crazy! And my eyes were watering and I was sneezing all the time). I took both for one day...I was slightly loopy. So I stopped taking the Nerontin.
Other than that, things are going well! Hope everyone is having a great summer!
Much Love,
Stefane
I'm working at a camp this summer (no internet) and it's my first day off, so I thought that I should write a 6 month update (6 MONTHS!!!!!!).
I went to the orthodontist before I came up to camp, and if I wasn't going to be here all summer (aka if I spent the summer in Colorado) I would likely have my braces off in August...but since she won't see me until August and I'll only be home for a week that wonderful day will have to be postponed (maybe until winter break...darn it!). On a happier note, I only have to wear my rubber bands at night now, which is really nice since I'm so busy all day I would never remember to put them back in! So my muscles are a bit more tired now, since they don't have the rubber bands holding my bite during the day, but it's never painful, just a little sore sometimes.
I stopped taking the Nurontin that Dr. N prescribed for me. After a few days at camp I realized that I needed to take allergy medicine (I have about 50 million bug bites which all swell like crazy! And my eyes were watering and I was sneezing all the time). I took both for one day...I was slightly loopy. So I stopped taking the Nerontin.
Other than that, things are going well! Hope everyone is having a great summer!
Much Love,
Stefane
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Scar Tissue
As I mentioned in my post after my teeth cleaning, I had one little cavity. I got that little cavity filled today...and the scar tissue from the surgery was a bit of a problem. Since the cavity was on one of my bottom back teeth, the novicane had to be injected right around the incision. So, my dentist had trouble getting the needle where he needed it to go. That, plus the nerve issues I'm still having, led to THREE novicane injections before I was finally numb. I've probably mentioned before that I hate needles, and it was painful! My poor dentist felt so bad, because on the third one the pain shot down into my chin and lip and I basically started crying.
Now that I'm starting to get the feeling back, I can feel the tightness in my jaw I always had after dental work/novicane, but it's even worse. I popped a couple of Ibuprofen and laid down with that side of my face on an ice pack, which seems to have helped a lot.
I'm packing so that I can leave for Hawaii in the morning (yay!!!!), but I wanted to share the troubles to scar tissue with all of you.
<3 Stefane
Now that I'm starting to get the feeling back, I can feel the tightness in my jaw I always had after dental work/novicane, but it's even worse. I popped a couple of Ibuprofen and laid down with that side of my face on an ice pack, which seems to have helped a lot.
I'm packing so that I can leave for Hawaii in the morning (yay!!!!), but I wanted to share the troubles to scar tissue with all of you.
<3 Stefane
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
5 Month Pictures!
Here are a couple of pictures taken last weekend. There aren't any of my profile, but I'm really happy with how my bite and profile look!
Hope everyone is doing well! I can't believe that it has been almost 6 months since my surgery...time sure does fly.
<3 Stefane
Hope everyone is doing well! I can't believe that it has been almost 6 months since my surgery...time sure does fly.
<3 Stefane
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Quick Note
So, I'm working at a summer camp, June through August. On our application they asked if we played a musical instrument. I play the flute, so I marked yes, not even thinking about the fact that I haven't played since before my surgery. When they sent me all my paperwork, it said to bring my musical instrument with me in June.
Now that I'm home I decided to pull out my flute and see how everything feels...it is so much different playing with a normal bite! I played for so many years with an underbite, it feels strange to play with my new bite. I had to play simple melodies over and over again, trying to get the notes right: even though my fingers were correct, I was out of tune! My chin and lower lip being numb is really not helping either, after 10 minutes it was really hurting, so I had to stop.
That's all for now, but I'll post pictures later this week or early next week, since I haven't posted any in awhile.
<3 Stefane
Now that I'm home I decided to pull out my flute and see how everything feels...it is so much different playing with a normal bite! I played for so many years with an underbite, it feels strange to play with my new bite. I had to play simple melodies over and over again, trying to get the notes right: even though my fingers were correct, I was out of tune! My chin and lower lip being numb is really not helping either, after 10 minutes it was really hurting, so I had to stop.
That's all for now, but I'll post pictures later this week or early next week, since I haven't posted any in awhile.
<3 Stefane
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
*sigh*
So, the scary teeth cleaning is over! But first I went to see my OS...
Dr. N is really happy about my bite, and about my opening. I'm back to what my max opening was before the surgery, at 50 mm. I told him about the issues I've been having with the nerves in my chin and bottom lip. It has really been bugging me lately: when it's windy or cold out, or when I rub my chin (wash my face...), it gets really painful. He told me that there are a couple of medications we could try that would help with the nerve pain. So, I decided to try Neurontin for a month and see if it helps at all. Since I'm trying this medication, he wants to see me again in June (before I go back to Michigan).
The teeth cleaning was painful, not all the time, but when she hit certain areas... I'm just really glad that it's over with! I do have one cavity, way in the back, where I couldn't brush because of the splint. Overall it wasn't too bad.
Alright, I'm falling asleep, so I'd better go to bed!
<3 Stefane
Dr. N is really happy about my bite, and about my opening. I'm back to what my max opening was before the surgery, at 50 mm. I told him about the issues I've been having with the nerves in my chin and bottom lip. It has really been bugging me lately: when it's windy or cold out, or when I rub my chin (wash my face...), it gets really painful. He told me that there are a couple of medications we could try that would help with the nerve pain. So, I decided to try Neurontin for a month and see if it helps at all. Since I'm trying this medication, he wants to see me again in June (before I go back to Michigan).
The teeth cleaning was painful, not all the time, but when she hit certain areas... I'm just really glad that it's over with! I do have one cavity, way in the back, where I couldn't brush because of the splint. Overall it wasn't too bad.
Alright, I'm falling asleep, so I'd better go to bed!
<3 Stefane
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Ow, Ow, Ow!!
Happy Summer everyone!
I'm on break already, and I saw my orthodontist yesterday. She says that everything is looking good, and we just have to finish up the detail work! She'd like to get the braces off before I go back to school in August, but only if everything is perfect. I totally agree with her, and it's not that big of a deal for me to have them until October, or even Thanksgiving.
I have new bands...boxes. OW, OW, OW!!! They're not on my back teeth, but closer to the front, and they are quite painful right now! I know the pain will go away in a couple of days... I'm also worried about how the elastics are going to affect my opening. When I took them off this morning everything felt tight and I wasn't able to open my mouth as much as I have been able to. Since I see my OS on Tuesday morning and he wants me opening to 38mm, this might be a bit of an issue.
Other than that, everything is going well! I'm home for another 3 weeks, then we're going to Hawaii, then I'm going back to Michigan to work at a camp!
<3 Stefane
I'm on break already, and I saw my orthodontist yesterday. She says that everything is looking good, and we just have to finish up the detail work! She'd like to get the braces off before I go back to school in August, but only if everything is perfect. I totally agree with her, and it's not that big of a deal for me to have them until October, or even Thanksgiving.
I have new bands...boxes. OW, OW, OW!!! They're not on my back teeth, but closer to the front, and they are quite painful right now! I know the pain will go away in a couple of days... I'm also worried about how the elastics are going to affect my opening. When I took them off this morning everything felt tight and I wasn't able to open my mouth as much as I have been able to. Since I see my OS on Tuesday morning and he wants me opening to 38mm, this might be a bit of an issue.
Other than that, everything is going well! I'm home for another 3 weeks, then we're going to Hawaii, then I'm going back to Michigan to work at a camp!
<3 Stefane
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
