Spacers finally gone and ... YUP still no molar brackets

First things first! After reading through the Common Questions for Oral Surgery section of my blog, I thought that the original formatting I used was a tad bit confusing. I have now changed it to a table format, left side with the questions, right side with the answers. Please click the links above or click HERE to check out the new updates. I had to use HTML coding for the first time in years so I am quite proud of myself. 

Now, onto the update! 

I saw Dr Klein last week on Thursday. I was excited to see her mostly because I was so done with these spacers. They were difficult to clean and hurt like a bitch the first few days I had them. I had forgotten what orthodontist pain felt like (haven't had an adjustment since the end of may since my teeth are straight)  but the memories came back real quick. Spacers really suck. Anyway, I went back and we tried different brackets. Low and behold, the brackets didn't really fit. Dr. Klein and one of her technicians had been going back and forth with the rep who sells them their brackets. What's hilarious is that he told them that there isn't anyone who exists in this world with molar teeth that small. He assured her that these would fit and well, they really didn't. So apparently I'm the only adult in the world with baby teeth sized adult molars. She was able to fit one bracket on the left side but it was legitimately uncomfortable. I don't think giving it a few days would make it any better, I would be uncomfortable for the rest of my treatment. Thanks but no thanks. 

She decided to take them off and not adhere them. She took some models (i'm such a pro at impressions) and said that she'd review them and get back to me. I probably wouldn't need to have them put on but she has to make doubly sure. Thankfully I have lots of time before my surgery so she has time to make the decision. 

Long story short, I attempted to try to do the molar brackets again and they still didn't work. Basically wore spacers for 2 weeks for no reason. 

My next appointment will be my last orthodontist appointment before my surgery. ;( and at that appointment, I will become "jaws" haha. This appointment is right before my pre-op day at MGH on Thursday September 24th. Every bracket will need to be ligature tied and then tiny little hooks will be placed in between each tooth in the front. I've been told to expect to be sore after so I'm definitely going to take some ibuprofen before the appointment. I've taken the day off too since their appointments typically run long. They told me 1.5-2 hours so I'm planning closer to 2-2.5. I really don't want to go into work late and have to rush around. I'd rather take my ibuprofen, grab a milkshake for lunch and then relax for the rest of the day without having to worry about causing a major hiccup at work because I'm late. 

Dr. Klein is so awesome, she really has a terrific bedside manner. We talked a bit about feelings at this appointment which was nice and helpful. She warned me that 95% of patients become depressed during a long surgical recovery like mine. I loved that she was upfront and honest with me. I know this isn't going to be easy. In fact, this will probably be one of the hardest things I ever do. Talking with me about these things wasn't something she had to do but she took time out of her schedule to talk about them anyway. And we talked about them in depth, a good 10-15 minutes extra from what my original appointment was. Once I have kids, if they need orthodontic treatment, I'm going back to her because she's phenomenal. 

I also spoke with Dr. Keith's new insurance coordinator Viviene. She never did return my original phone message that I left her a few weeks ago. However, I'm going to mark that down as her getting settled into her new position. And the phone number I called may have been an old number, who knows. I did speak with her and she was very friendly on the phone. She easily gave me all the information I needed in order to submit paperwork for my work leave. I'm looking forward to meeting her in person come October. I think she'll have settled in by then and hopefully everything will be a breeze. 

I can't believe summer will be over in just about 2 weeks! Pumpkin everything is already here in Massachusetts. Can't believe how fast it went by! 

Speaking of fall, I've recently gotten into canning! It'll be a great way for me to store some food supplies, especially when I may not be able to run out and grab something at the store. In the next few weeks, I may post an update or two with some info about my canning progress! Look for it soon!

Happy Blog anniversary! Oh and an update!

Today marks the 2 year anniversary since I started writing about my jaw journey. I've reworked the blog a bit but today marks the day that I officially started writing about my jaw issues which is super cool (thanks facebook for reminding me!).

Since today is an anniversary of sorts, I figured that I had to give a quick update! No photos this time around but maybe next post I will. My teeth are straight anyway so it doesn't really matter much.

I had an orthodontist appointment on Wednesday. It had been awhile since I've seen Dr Klein so we had a nice catch up. I won't be getting the hooks and surgical wires on until after the summer is over (yay!) so that was nice news to hear. It will allow me to enjoy my summer without having to adjust to new things. My husband and I are going on a few long weekend trips so I'll be able to enjoy myself without being uncomfortable. I will most likely need to get the surgical wires and hooks placed on 2-4 weeks prior to my surgery so that's what I'm planning. Dr Klein really wanted to try again to get brackets on my upper two back molars (-_-) so she placed the uncomfortable spacers back there again. Maybe 3rd time's a charm? They are going to see about potentially ordering custom brackets for me so we shall see. My molars may have to be fitted with brackets that are primarily used in children so we shall see if they actually come in or not. If the brackets don't fit then she told me that she won't attempt to place brackets on them anymore. It won't affect my smile or my surgery in any way since the molars are in the correct position so if the brackets don't work out, oh well. Other than that, my appointment went very smoothly. Just had an A-chain replaced and the spacers inserted and that was it. I have another appointment in 2 weeks and that's when they will try again to place the brackets on. After that, who knows! I think I may have to get impressions done at my next appointment? Whatever, I'm a a pro at those so no problems there.

Another thing I found out is that I will not be getting a permanent retainer after surgery!!!!!! I will be treated like any other orthodontic patient after my surgery so once the braces come off, I'll be fitted for regular standard retainers. It was nice to hear that I'll be a normal patient once surgery is done! Very exciting. I was also told that I may not need to be in braces for a full year after surgery. So maybe by this time next summer, I'll be free of having braces! How terribly exciting! But I won't get my hopes up so I'm planning by September/October 2016 to be out of braces. Definitely something else to look forward to! Dr Klein gives all her patients 2 types of retainers after the braces come off, a standard hawley retainer (that metal retainer with the wire) and a standard aligner type retainer tray (similar to an invisalign tray). It gives the patient flexibility, especially if one is accidentally lost. If that happens, I won't have to freak out that I don't have a retainer. I can just use a back up.

I came home after my appointment and was a tad bit sore. And I didn't anticipate how uncomfortable I'd be the next day too. Ugh, definitely didn't miss that about these damn spacers! But the discomfort went away quickly.

I've been trying to plan accordingly for my surgery and that involves going on short term disability while recovering. My short term covers me for up to 70% of my pay which is pretty nice. However, I have to fill out some paperwork and there are some questions that I wasn't sure of so I gave Dr. Keith's office a call. I called asking about their fax number (because I'd need to fax Dr. Keith some paperwork for him to fill out regarding my leave from work) and making sure it was correct. I spoke to a very nice secretary. I also asked her about how long she thought I may be out of work for and if it was written in my chart. Apparently, she didn't have that information but she said that his insurance coordinator would know. To my surprise, she told me that Dr. Keith has a new insurance coordinator which means that Mary has either left his office or been fired! Wahoo! The woman who gave me constant admin headaches and never returned any of my phone calls has finally LEFT! What great news! I was referred to a new insurance coordinator named Viviene who I'm excited to get to talk to. Not sure if she is just filling in or if she is a permanent addition to their staff but I'm happy! Hopefully she will be more prompt than Mary and maybe she will actually return my phone calls when I leave a message, haha.

So now I'm just going along with my summer and enjoying life! I will definitely post in 2 weeks after my next appointment so watch out for it!

Look what I found! Frankenstein night guards!

Life has just been rolling along. Summer is just beginning and we already have a really full schedule! This weekend was one of the only weekends where I will have any large amount of time to clean so I spent most of today cleaning and organizing. While putting away some sheets and towels in our linen closet, I found my very first night guard! I can't believe how tiny it is! It looks like a child's which is actually pretty sad.

I couldn't talk about my sad night guards without having proof so here it is!

Fortunately, these night guards don't fit anymore cause I have an adult sized jaw now! Goodbye monster-jaws, hello perfect smile!

Finally! A date!

It's finally happened. A few days ago, I got a letter from my insurance stating that I was approved for my surgery. Yesterday, I got a call from Mary and she called to book my surgery. I have a date along with all my pre-op and a few post-op appointments!

My surgery date has been scheduled for Monday, October 26th at 7:30am at MGH.

I can't believe that it's scheduled and it happened so quickly! I am definitely impressed by Mary and how prompt she was this time around. Last time it took forever for the insurance to come back and for Mary to contact me with a surgical date. Such a pain. This time around was way different. And, since I want to wait until after the summer and push it to October, my options were extremely open. It was nice to be given 3-4 different options and I got to pick the one that worked for me.

I'm going to spend this summer doing the things I want to do and have fun. This summer is going to be epic!

It's Official! Really official!

So there's good news and there's bad news.

The good news! Today I got confirmation that my surgery will be 100% covered by my insurance. I was told previously that it would be covered but having the proof is just a great relief. I definitely couldn't afford this surgery if my insurance wouldn't cover most of it.

For all you medically inclined folks out there reading this blog (aka nurses, doctors, medical staff), I have been approved for a Le Fort 1 and Saggital Split operation.

For those not medically inclined, it means that I am having both my upper and lower jaws moved into the optimal position (aka double jaw surgery).

Now, for the bad news. BCBS won't cover any type of genioplasty because it's considered "cosmetic." Gosh darn, I really wanted a new chin! Hahahaha! I've been told that after my surgery, my chin might not be as pronounced as it is now. I saw some digital mock ups of what I could look like with a chin implant and I decided that it just wasn't for me. LOL.

Time to make some appointments! But first, a photo!

Me and my approval letter!
Also, this is what I will look like in the future with no chin. HAHAHA. Nailed it.

Too slow, too fast!

Well,  these last few days have been quite hectic! I was booked for a pre-op appointment and spoke with Mary (insurance coordinator) within 1 day of finding out I was ready for surgery. It all seemed to be happening so fast, definitely way faster than last time.

The day before my pre-op appointment I got a phone call from Mary. It turns out there was some sort of miscommunication and I am not ready for a pre-op appointment since I haven't done any pre-op work or anything yet. (Which I initially questioned when we first spoke but she assured me that there'd be no issues. Uh huh. Should have known!)

Anyway, when I was talking to Mary, I asked her about Dr Keith's surgery schedule and when they thought they'd be able to book me. She said if my insurance comes back soon then they could probably book me for surgery at the end of July.

Holy shit balls.  Not what I was expecting at all. Usually surgeons are booked well in advance, especially for complex surgeries like my own. I couldn't believe that they'd be able to fit me in so quickly. I had such a difficult time getting a date last time that it blew my mind that I could have one within 4-6 weeks. Yikes! It's hilarious because I was so gung-ho about having this done as soon as possible and now here I am postponing the surgery. If someone had told me I would post-pone my surgery, I'd have laughed in their faces. 

I told Mary on the phone that I honestly had expected to be going through surgery sometime in October. She seemed surprised and advised me to get in contact with Dr Klein because my waiting could derail/ruin her plan for me.

Great, just great.

Thusly freaked out,  I sent her a quick email asking about a surgery time line and if she'd be ok if I waited until October for the surgery. I figured that she would email me back with a yes or no answer but she surprised me with a phone call that evening.  I was working and couldn't answer but she left such a nice and reassuring voice mail. She assured me that waiting wouldn't harm my teeth nor my progress and said she would call back tomorrow to personally talk to me. 
You have no idea how much I appreciated that phone call.  I've never really had a doctor personally call me before just to check in so it was just so nice. We talked the next morning and she told me that I have nothing to worry about. Any time that I am ready for surgery is good with her. I'm really glad that we talked.  She really allieved a lot of my concerns. So it looks like I will be having surgery after Columbus Day.

I've already told my boss that he can expect me to be out anytime after Columbus Day for 6-10ish weeks. I will come back when I feel up to working again. I've been told that I may feel ok but my energy levels will be extremely low since I'll be on liquids for awhile.  My job can be quite strenuous so I don't think I'll be able to perform my job in the OR until I'm 100% again. I walk a lot, carry and lift heavy items, and I talk all day to other doctors and nurses. So we shall see.

No photos this time because nothing has changed since last time. But I do have another appointment with Dr Klein in July. If I hear from Mary before my next appointment, I will certainly post about it!

EDIT: I got a phone call from Mary on Friday in the late morning but of course I missed her phone call. Left her a voicemail not 10 minutes after she left one for me on my cell. Never got a call back (and it was like 11:30am). Too good to be true? Hahaha. At this point, I'm not worried so it's not a big deal. Hopefully I'll get in touch with her next week. Maybe my insurance already came back with a yes for surgery (doubtful but you never know!)

It's Official! What I've been waiting to hear...

These last couple days have been quite hectic for me! Lots of annual doctors appointments, dentist visits and orthodontist check ups.
Yesterday, I went to my regular dental visit for a cleaning. Came back 100% clean and with no cavities! This had been like 3 years with no cavities so I'm pretty happy. 
Next, I went to the orthodontist in the city. Got there a little early only to discover an ice cream festival at City Hall Plaza here in Boston. I'm a lover of ice cream so I couldn't say no to that! Only regret is that I wish I could have stayed longer!

Finally saw Dr Klein and she finally uttered the magic words I've been waiting to hear : 

"You are officially ready for surgery."

Ahhhhh! 

There's a part of me that is ecstatic, over the moon, happy to get this over and done with. And there's another part of me that is scared, I'm comfortable where I am right now, and Jesus they are going to do what to my face?! So yea yesterday I had every kind of emotion that a person could have rolling around in their body.
I decided that denial would ultimately win out until I got a phone call from Dr.  Keith's insurance coordinator, Mary. It doesn't exist until things actually start happening, right?! Haha. Last time I had to deal with her, I had all sorts of issues with getting in contact with her. My messages weren't returned and it took forever to get a surgery date scheduled once the insurance approved it. However, I was pleasantly surprised when she phoned me this morning! I've got a pre-op appointment already scheduled for next week! Definitely impressed, that's for sure.

Aaaaaaah! Pre-op already?!?!?!

So many things happening all at once; my brain can't process it! I'm sure my schedule will fill very quickly with all sorts of appointments. Very exciting! And scary too.

I have another orthodontist appointment with Dr Klein just to double check that the wires are all good. They will also be prepping all my brackets for surgery at that appointment. Which kinda sucks but oh well. The surgical wire isn't as bad as I originally thought but we will see.

For now, I'm in a holding pattern. Which I guess means no more adjustments! YAAAAAY! 

My teeth have looked pretty straight for awhile now but here are some photos anyway!

Me looking fine in my hospital bling. hahahaha

Teeth - Straight!! Ta da!

A more natural smile.