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These Are Always The Toughest Posts

12/12/2015

2 Comments

 
Usually I don't do a couple of posts in the same week, but after this last adjustment, my bite is driving me crazy.  Well, it wasn't so much just the last adjustment, but the one before it and the final 5 weeks results of that are rearing it's ugly head. As I said in the last post, I've expanded 5mm on the top pallet.  That's definitely been the straw that broke the camels back in terms of dealing with this horrendous pre op bite (where it's supposed to get worse right before surgery).  So, I got around to taking a few glamour shots since I haven't done so in a while.  Forgive the discolored teeth.  I've had a space open up between my two back molars where I do all of my chewing and food is shoving up in to the gum and that area has not been the happiest camper recently.  So, I've been using a little peridex here and there to help keep that area extra tidy.  That stuff stains my teeth SO bad!  Click on each picture for more info in the caption.
Straight on the overbite is not so bad. The cant is still rockin down to my right though. You can also see the corner of the tooth I broke when I was home in Philly a few months ago, and the space between my left incisor and lateral incisor that has opened up with the expansion.
TPA is still in. 2 months and 5mm expansion out of it. I almost feel like I can see the yaw in my jaw with this thing in-- notice now it's not centered in a few of the pictures. Pretty sure my upper jaw is twisted to the right anterior and pops out left posterior.
Before expansion, I was mostly dealing with an anterior open bite with basically 2 back teeth meeting. Now after expansion, my top is wider than my bottom, and I am barely just touching on the inside edge of my top teeth to the few bottom teeth. Chewing things like lettuce has been really tough.
Pre op bite
Bite from the side
Buck teefs at rest. Can't wait to have this fixed and be able to close my lips once and for all!!
5mm doesn't sound like a lot, but with teeth/jaw stuff it is. Comparison from TPA day 1 to today.
These updates with the pictures are so hard, but for full info on this journey, it has to be done.  So... we're at like defcon 4 for these chompers.  This needs to be fixed.  I am having a lot of trouble eating, my jaw is even more sore, TMJ even more sore, having trouble speaking, and now after this expansion, I am having more trouble sleeping too with all the teeth not sitting right.  I clench or clamp down in my sleep and wake up thinking I broke a tooth when they hit together abruptly in the wrong spot.  They make this weird screech when they slam together the wrong way.  It sounds a lot louder in my head than it really is, but it'll wake you up for sure!  And the headaches have been non stop too.  Really glad that this is the final stretch, because I don't know how much more I can take of this.

I am just hoping among hopes that my surgeon takes a look at me that first week of Jan and decides he can get me in a couple weeks later.  It would be really awesome.  But then comes the whole anxiety with the revision.  I want this fixed so badly, but what happens if it's not fixed again?  I've been so wound up lately that I've even started to just cry for no reason thinking about it!  There is some hope here though.  Seeing a few other recent patients go through their revisions with good results on the other end.  I am so ecstatic for them and really really really really really hope I can get the same for me.  I feel like I at least deserve a little improvement after all of this.  I'll take imperfect, but it hopefully is at least 50 or 75% better.  I hope.

So.. after all the bad pictures, I'll end with a decent one.  My husband works at Google and they have a rockin holiday party every year.  This year he switched teams and works for Googlemaps, so it was in a different venue and stuff, but still just as awesome.  And surprisingly, somehow I photographed well that night! Only thing I have to complain about is you can definitely see the almost 20lbs I've put on.  BUT... have to remind myself it's all for a good cause.  I know I'll be SO happy I ate like a little heifer when post op wired shut time comes!
Picture
Google Holiday Party 2015, San Francisco CA
2 Comments
Kate
12/12/2015 07:34:37 pm

You look too beautiful here! Your anxiety is totally normal, I think that your patience in wanting this to be OVER is also normal. Hang in there!

Reply
Marissa link
1/2/2016 10:28:16 am

You are a badass warrior for going through that kind of expansion! I give you credit. Five mm seems like a lot. I have an overbite and will have double jaw surgery next summer, and I am glad I found your blog. Best wishes!

Reply



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