Keeping Up Appearances

Wow, it really has been a long time, hasn't it?

First off, I lovvvvvvvvvvvve the comments. Yall have no idea. Everyone is so encouraging, kind, and friendly! The narcissist in me also loves seeing a link here on a good number of blogs. Wow!

Mrs. Shanton said in a comment a few posts down that it sounds as if my parents are very supportive of my decision to go through this process. They are, and most everyone I've talked to has been as well -- I didn't mean to make it seem as if I am often justifying my decision. In the beginning, my father was a little harder to sell than my mom. I think that's for two main reasons. Firstly, he has a bite similar to mine, and I think he's a little defensive about it needing to be fixed. Second of all, I think he is hesitant to acknowledge his daughter's imperfections. My grandmother responded the same way. When she said that she didn't think I didn't need the surgery, she didn't mean that I was being frivolous or vain, just that she thinks I was beautiful the way I am and shouldn't feel like I need to change. My friends are wonderful, too -- they are supportive and sympathetic, and the only dissuasive comments I get are regarding how much the will miss me when I am out of school and how strange they think it will be when my jaw is different. One of my favorite comments came from a friend I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks. She and I were talking, and then boarded a bus together, still talking. About 15 minutes into the conversation, she stated that she hadn't noticed my braces until that very moment. That's the kind of thing I like to hear!

Re: braces. I just got my bracket fixed yesterday. While I know that waiting so long (more than 2 weeks!) is not the best idea and might even keep me in braces longer, I have been so busy lately with a new su1mmer job, the hours of which correspond almost exactly with my orthodontist's hours!

That's really all that's new here. Now I'm going to be sure to look around and see what's new with everyone else!

More Orthodontics and Ortho Surgeons

This is a really quick update (I have to take a shower and go to bed!) but I wanted to be sure that I didn't get too far behind.

I had my second orthodontist appointment on Saturday (fourth if you count my visits to fix broken braces... urrrrr). I thought that I would have the bottom braces put on, but apparently that will happen the visit after next, in about 6 weeks. He really just took a look, told me not to worry about losing a bracket every other week. And I believed him. And then I lost another one today. And I'm pissed. I can't find any similarities between the three I've lost. Two were next to each other, two were porcelain. That's about it.

I met with a second oral and maxillofacial surgeon this morning. I was not nearly as impressed with him as I was with the first surgeon I met. The first thing he said to me was, "So you're looking in to getting your wisdom teeth removed?" Ummm, not quite. He also repeatedly referred to my bite as an overbite. Now I know the terms aren't technical, but still. He was also unable to give a good guess as to what procedure he thought he might perform, performs much fewer bite correction surgeries yearly than the other surgeon, and works out of a less well-known hospital. So basically, this guy was okay, but I much prefer the other guy. Only problem is that the other guy isn't on my mom's insurance plan (which I use) and probably isn't on my dad's (to which we would consider switching). However, I know my parents want the best surgeon that works with my orthodontist. In any case, paying and insurance isn't my area (lucky me!) and mummy and daddy just ask what I thought of the surgeon.

That was a pretty long "quick update" if I do say so myself!

Why?

Some days I feel pretty despite the braces. Like today. Today I feel pretty despite the braces. I like what I finally chose to wear to work --black jeans, black top, green necklace. My skin is clear today, my hair is behaving. I can feel pretty despite the braces, but as soon as I catch myself in the mirror in profile, I don't feel pretty anymore. My lower jaw juts out, making my face look concave and my cheeks and eyes look sunken in. My chin is too angular and unfeminine. I'm never happy with how I look after I see myself from the side.

I often find myself justifying my decision to surgically correct my bite to friends and family. I list my inability to chew properly and the possibility of TMJ pain in the future, trying to avoid the cosmetic reason for my choice. I don't deny it to myself, though -- while it is not the only reason I am choosing to pursue this procedure, it is a major factor. I believe a new profile will make me feel more beautiful. I hope I'm not expecting too much.

On Blogging

I've been interested in blogging for some time now. I follow a fair number of blogs and enjoy writing and documenting. However, I've always proved a rather unsuccessful diary-keeper. I'm one of those people who buys a beautiful journal, writes in it for about a week, and then gives up completely. I was inspired to blog about my experience with orthodontia and orthognathic surgery for a number of reasons. First of all, I wanted to record my experience. Second, as I searched for blogs by other orthognathic patients, I found a good number of such blogs, most of which were helpful and interesting, but very few of which were similar to my own case. I hope that my blog will provide information for others who wish to correct their underbites. But mostly, I figured that if I gave myself a certain topic to write about, I would be much more successful in continuing to write, and that more people would be interested in reading my blog.

And so I started writing, and it was true, I had plenty to say. However, while I desperately want an audience and to be a part of the blogger orthognathic community, I am a little scared to introduce myself. I guess that I know that once I do this, there's no turning back. I've always been very careful not to put too much information about myself on the internet, and I have never posted a picture of myself in a public area. I'm afraid that once I have an audience, I will be nervous about putting up anything too personal or identifying.

But I think I'm getting over that. I'm ready to jump in. It was so exciting to get a comment that I want more! Because of the nature of this blog, I'm sure that I will want to post pictures of myself. While I'm not ready to put up a picture yet, I think I will do that soon. I will definitely be careful about how much identifying information I post, but I won't let it get in the way of telling my story.

You Can Call Me "Miss Charlie Hapsburg"

I just got back from a great trip to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria, which I affectionately call in a horrible Russian accent "Former Soviet Union." Never mind the inaccuracy, it's fun to say. While in this part of the world (especially in the latter two countries) as a tourist, it's impossible to avoid hearing a great deal about the Hapsburg dynasty. Like many royal families, the Hapsburgs have a characteristic defect due to generations of inbreeding. I can identify with that of this family -- the so-called "Hapsburg Lip." Charles the Second, actually a Spanish monarch, was bestowed with the most dramatic example of this feature (not to mention mental retardation and impotence, as well as an inability to speak and chew). After much hunting, I finally discovered a portrait of him in a Viennese museum we visited. My parents thought it was hysterical, especially because resemble each other a fair amount. We even have the same color hair!

I -- unlike King Charlie -- get to fix my Hapsburg Lip. I haven't noticed any change in my teeth (didn't expect to) but I am getting used to the braces and have been wearing them without incident. Bottom braces on Saturday... woo hoo!

Report from the Surgeon and Braces Update

I got something in the mail today from the surgeon I visited last week. It's just the sort of thing I really like -- a list of things to google!

Allison is a 17 year old referred for the evaluation of a malocclusion. On the basis of a clinical examination and analysis of diagnostic records, the patient's diagnosis includes:

1. Maxillary constriction
2. Mandibular AP excess
3. Class III malocclusion
4. Bilateral cross bites
5. Missing lateral incisors 7 & 10
6. Chin deficiency

The skeletal malocclusion is producing function problems and has had an effect on the patients medical heath including: limited mobility, difficulty incising solid foods properly secondary to a sparse occlusion resulting in masticator muscle complex compensation. The dysfunction of the masticatory muscular envelope is secondary to the jaw mal-positioning and misalignment of the dentition. These problems cannot be treated with orthodontics and physical therapy alone, and if they continue can result in premature loss of the dentition, myofascial pain, TMJ dysfunction, and GI symptoms. Significant clinical and cephalometric findings include maxillary constriction resulting in bilateral crossbites, excessive mandibular AP projection, steep mandibular plane angle, and a long lower face height.

The following treatment plan is recommended:

1. Pre-surgical orthodontic therapy (Level and align arches)
2. Surgery to include
1. Maxillary Lefort I
2. Mandibular ramus osteotomies
3. Genioplasty
3. Post-surgical orthodontic therapy to finalize occlusion

On the "Pre-surgical orthodontic therapy" (ie, braces) front: I have gone from swallowing everything whole to eating nearly normally in the last three or so days. Unfortunately, I have also already lost a bracket. This is not a trend that should continue, especially considering that I will be away in Europe for the next two weeks!