Re: To Tova

[Guest guest]

Tova, I too am entertaining such devious thoughts....mmmm white

brace free teeth.

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> >

> > Hi Tova,

> >

> > I've been reading your messages since you posted right after

your

> > surgery - how are you doing now?  Is your swelling down?  My

surgery

> > is coming up in 3 weeks - upper and lower, and I just want to

be done

> > with it as soon as possible.

> >

> > Irene.

> >

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> >

> >

> >

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[Guest guest]

Hi Tova,

It's nice to hear you're recovery is going well. Going back to work

in just a week is a big milestone (I think). I'm planning on taking 6

weeks of disability, but I do have a laptop, so I can work from home,

which is nice. Are you banded or wired?

>

> >

> > Hi Tova,

> >

> > I've been reading your messages since you posted right after your

> > surgery - how are you doing now? Is your swelling down? My surgery

> > is coming up in 3 weeks - upper and lower, and I just want to be done

> > with it as soon as possible.

> >

> > Irene.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I think if I would have stayed home for very much longer I would have

gone out of my mind! I say, plan a vacation for the last 2 of those

weeks! Don't sit home and keep the couch warm! I have a laptop too but

I did not feel inclined to work from home- even though I work for

myself. Instead, I just played bubble popping games and wrote to you

kind folks! I am about to post more pics that my boyfriend just took of

where my recovery is at now... Now I am nervous that I have " angry

chin " as I warned my doctor I was worried about having... my boyfriend

is trying to convince me that it is just because I am pulling my bottom

lip over so much hardware. I took a picture with my mouth a little open

to see if he is right. It's also weird cuz my bottom lip, which has

always been a little full, looks absolutely fat. I hope I don't have

angry chin. My cheekbones are starting to return and when I smile, you

can even get a glimpse of my square jaw!

I am wired and will be getting the splint removed next friday. I was

told at that time I will be getting rubber bands across all my teeth

and will be just about as tight as I am now, but at least I wont have

the splint. I am also hoping that at that point I can move on to mushy

foods. Right now, its almost all liquid. an occasional squeezable

yogurt or liquified mashed potatoes... but even tiny bits of parsley in

chicken soup clog the few holes I do have...

The pics are going in my " Tova " folder! I think I won't look so angry

when the swelling is further reduced and the hardware comes out. I

remember in the far away past when I got my braces on, my face changed

a lot... I'm sure when they come off there will be changes too.

T.

>

> Hi Tova,

>

> It's nice to hear you're recovery is going well.  Going back to work

> in just a week is a big milestone (I think).  I'm planning on taking 6

> weeks of disability, but I do have a laptop, so I can work from home,

> which is nice.  Are you banded or wired?

>

>

> >

> > >

> > >  Hi Tova,

> > >

> > >  I've been reading your messages since you posted right after your

> > >  surgery - how are you doing now?  Is your swelling down?  My

> surgery

> > >  is coming up in 3 weeks - upper and lower, and I just want to be

> done

> > >  with it as soon as possible.

> > >

> > >  Irene.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Hi Tova,

I just took a look at your pictures - you look much much better now!

I'm even personally relieved. When I first saw you all swollen, I

felt so bad, I can just picture myself in 3 weeks looking exactly like

that. But I know it won't stay there for long, and I even have proof

now .

Keep us posted on your progress, and best of luck.

Irene.

> Hi!

>

> I think if I would have stayed home for very much longer I would have

> gone out of my mind! I say, plan a vacation for the last 2 of those

> weeks! Don't sit home and keep the couch warm! I have a laptop too but

> I did not feel inclined to work from home- even though I work for

> myself. Instead, I just played bubble popping games and wrote to you

> kind folks! I am about to post more pics that my boyfriend just took of

> where my recovery is at now... Now I am nervous that I have " angry

> chin " as I warned my doctor I was worried about having... my boyfriend

> is trying to convince me that it is just because I am pulling my bottom

> lip over so much hardware. I took a picture with my mouth a little open

> to see if he is right. It's also weird cuz my bottom lip, which has

> always been a little full, looks absolutely fat. I hope I don't have

> angry chin. My cheekbones are starting to return and when I smile, you

> can even get a glimpse of my square jaw!

> I am wired and will be getting the splint removed next friday. I was

> told at that time I will be getting rubber bands across all my teeth

> and will be just about as tight as I am now, but at least I wont have

> the splint. I am also hoping that at that point I can move on to mushy

> foods. Right now, its almost all liquid. an occasional squeezable

> yogurt or liquified mashed potatoes... but even tiny bits of parsley in

> chicken soup clog the few holes I do have...

>

> The pics are going in my " Tova " folder! I think I won't look so angry

> when the swelling is further reduced and the hardware comes out. I

> remember in the far away past when I got my braces on, my face changed

> a lot... I'm sure when they come off there will be changes too.

>

> T.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tania,

Thanks for asking. I haven't been writing much because it forces me to

think about this.

Things have been OK. The liquid diet sucks. I hate it and I am bored

and really want to bite into something. And I really want to yawn. On

Friday I went to the surgeon and after 18 days wired and splinted, they

removed the splint and swapped the wires for rubber bands. I had

started to notice my lower jaw was shifting left and he agreed so he

literally pulled it back to center and rubber banded it into place. It

was not fun. Then I went home and was in A LOT of pain. It felt like 7

or 8 times as worse as the worst orthodontist appointment I've ever

had. I was studying my teeth and realized that NONE of my back teeth on

the right side were touching AT ALL- they were like 7mm apart from each

other! And my front bottom teeth were pushing SOOOO hard against the

back of my top teeth.... I knew something was not right. I called the

doctor and he told me to come in on monday. I said OK but later that

evening, I thought i was going to DIE- It hurt Soooo much. The gap was

so large, I was able to slip a pain pill through the hole without

crushing it. (it was a little pill, but Still!) I called the doctor

early sat. morning and told the other doctor in the office that I would

not last till monday and I was very nervous because things did not look

right. I was crying and she felt bad so she told me to come in and I

did. It was nice of her to come in just to see me.... she's not even

the Main surgeon. She looked at what was going on and reenforced the

rubber bands in the back and adjusted the rubber bands in the front. By

the time I left, I could already feel the difference. By that evening,

my back teeth were touching again and my front teeth were feeling

better. It's just been a real pain and I don't like the anxiety that I

have been experiencing. I feel like if they had just used rigid

fixation, the worst would be passed but there are still " unknowns "

because I am still not healed and obviously still moving around. I went

back today and they changed the rubber bands and now it hurts a little

again but I think that's a normal kind of hurt. (like, as bad as a bad

orthodontist appt.) I will be banded shut for 3 more weeks and I am

very sad about it. I am missing my college reunion on thursday because

I refuse to go looking like a science project, I had to delay my trip

overseas to work on my next handbag collection so I am stressed, I got

a call from the BLOOMINGDALES buyer and had to call her back all

mummbly... (I am a little company- it's Just ME... a call from a

bloomingdales buyer- that's INSANE- NOTHING like that ever happens to

me!) and I have just been having a hard time getting back in the swing

of things. On the upside, My swelling as about 90% gone and my face is

looking pretty and my butt has never looked better in my tight jeans!

I'm just " over it " as they say. I want it done. I want to move on with

my life. I want to get these damn rubber bands out and stop walking

around with a bottle of Scope in my pocket and Chocolate Boost in my

bag. I want to smile in public and lick the chocolate pudding from my

lip instead of wiping it on a paper towel. On second thought, I want to

stop eating chocolate pudding. Today I had to spit onto the bank

envelope to seal it. Yuck. I want to walk into Starbucks and order a

hot apple cider without all the employees gathering around to ask

what's going on in my mouth. I want to stop stealing fat straws from

Starbucks. I want people to stop telling me it's OK not to talk if it

hurts... honey- if I didn't want to talk to you, I wouldn't- pain or no

pain- so stop treating me like an invalid. I want to stop thinking that

maybe they're telling me not to talk because my breath is unbearably

stinky. I want my boyfriend to stop inspecting my teeth as though I am

a horse he is considering purchasing. And I want to sneeze without

mystery pieces of last nights dinner catapulting from somewhere in my

mouth into the palm of my hand.

So, that is my take on the healing process. I'm sure it is different

for other people- certainly for people who are not wired shut for as

long or people who get to take a lot more time off of work... But this

is me and my day. I'm sure people have it much worse and I've at least

gotten it into a routine. My goal now is to be one of those people that

is so satisfied with her end result that y'all can feel good that you

helped through a difficult process and you'll never hear from me again!

That's my goal... I'm not there yet.

More Later!

Tova

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[Guest guest]

So sorry, Tova.

But I'll wager you will indeed get to the point of licking whatever

you want from wherever you want -- oops! That came out sounding

salacious, and I didn't mean it that way! -- And eating whatever

you'll enjoy, with no bands, no wires and just plain old satisfaction.

Sorry you're missing your reunion, but for me, they were all pretty

much overrated, anyhow. But if your friends are true friends, they

wouldn't care whether you " look like a science project " or not.

I am glad to hear that you called the doc, and that she came in and

tended to you. That's what these folks are SUPPOSED to do. As a

doctor friend of mine said, when I was scolding her for too much

overwork -- " That just how my job works. "

As for Bloomie's -- I do understand what a big opportunity that can

be for you. Is there a chance of writing her a little note, (not a

long screed) explaining what was going on, and asking her to

reschedule? I'd hope so.

As for your mouth smelling stinky -- I think it's something that

anybody who has a splint wired in worries about, but for some reason,

the stinky part doesn't seem to happen until the air hits the

underside of the splint. (Anybody who knows otherwise, let me know.)

Here's hoping you get to your goal sooner than you expect!

Cammie

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[Guest guest]

Hi Tova

Did you have upper and lower?? I hope your healing

gets better.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tova,

I was so sorry to hear that things have been so rough for you since

surgery. Sometimes it is just best to not dwell on what isn't going

great... I can see why you haven't written much. I just had to say

hi, and that I hope everything passes quickly for you, more quickly

than you expect or hope for. AND I had to say that I was literally

laughing out loud when you mentioned your boyfriend's oral

inspections of your teeth/bite! - You too huh?! I get those ALL THE

TIME and I haven't even had surgery yet. You pegged it rather aptly,

one does start to feel like they are a mare up for auction or

something. My inspections are even worse due to the fact that my

boyfriend has genetically-naturally-Godgiven- perfect teeth and a

beyond-perfect bite. And here I am, we are, in the meantime being

tortured by uncooperative teeth and jaws! Argh! Please do take care

of yourself, not just physically, but emotionally too!! We're

thinking of you. -Katja