Re: what just occurred to me

[Guest guest]

Cammie, are you referring to my pictures? Because, ha ha, I am no

skinny blonde, that's for sure. Did anyone look at my pictures? No

one's commented! I'm getting a complex! L

[Guest guest]

Mira, I think they left the hooks on just because to get them off you

have to take off the whole archwire. I'm guessing they'll come off

when the splint does at my three-week ortho appointment. L

[Guest guest]

Nope. I didn't look at your pictures.

But hey, I'm not a skinny blonde, either. I was a lot skinnier

before I had surgery, but quit going to the gym on my surgeon's

instructions, and just never got back on track. Alas. (Think 220

here... Way too much. But other things complicated my life almost

immediately post op, and I have not had the energy to try to get

skinny again. And for me, it takes a bunch of energy.

As for blonde, well, um, I use the little bottles of clairol gunk to

try not to be gray, these days...)

I just think it is interesting what our imaginations feed us when we

read what people write. And probably it gives us truer pictures of

others' souls.

OK. I'll go look at your pix. I don't want to cause you months with

a shrink, just because I haven't been and commented....

C.

> Cammie, are you referring to my pictures? Because, ha ha, I am no

> skinny blonde, that's for sure. Did anyone look at my pictures? No

> one's commented! I'm getting a complex! L

[Guest guest]

Cammie,

THANK you. Because I can't afford a shrink right now. ;-#

I am well over 220, hon, so don't feel bad. I would really like to

lose a chunk, but I don't believe we have to be supermodel skinny to

" fit in, " either. Now that I am feeling a little better about myself,

maybe I'll make it back to the gym ....

Luna

[Guest guest]

Luna, Honey, you look awesome!! I took a look at alot of photos last

week, and EVERYONE looks great! Did you see my pre-braces pictures?

Let's just say that I'm happy that my ugly teeth will soon be

camouflaged by braces, and that this whole fun-filled process will soon

be underway! Next Tuesday is my " BS-Day " - B for brackets, S for

spacers, that is! LOL!~~~~~~ Diane

> Cammie, are you referring to my pictures? Because, ha ha, I am no

> skinny blonde, that's for sure. Did anyone look at my pictures? No

> one's commented! I'm getting a complex! L

[Guest guest]

OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to get

up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here, they look

pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you have a

fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what surgery you're

having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet you're gonna

love the results .....

Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through the first

week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as you have

time to sleep it off.

Luna

[Guest guest]

Luna - Thank you for your kind words regarding my pictures. I'm 47 with

an underbite. My OMS told me two weeks ago that he would like me to

let him perform not only a BSSO set-back but also a LeFort maxillary

advancement because I also have Maxillary Hypoplasia along with the

Mandibular Hyperplasia. I'm still in shock about the LeFort - I still have

alot of questions for my OMS before I let him separate my maxilla from

my skull!! (I still get goosepimples thinking about how radical and gorry

that procedure sounds! - and I've worked in a Pathology Dept. for 25

years, so have seen ALOT of really gross things.) I guess alot of

you'all have had it done and survived it, but it really scares me; like I

said, I have lots of questions for my OMS before I will agree to it. He

also plans on doing some neck and chin lipo - as you can see from my

pictures I have a real need for THAT procedure! About my teeth: It's not

that I hate my teeth but I can't wait to have a nice straight smile, which

I should have after all this is done (whatever surgery(ies) I agree to). As

for pain meds, I have a supply of Naproxen and will be taking a few

prior to the installment of the spacers and brackets next Tuesday. I get

the archwires and bands in and spacers out on August 9th. If the pain

is really BAD, I have some hydrocodone left over from my extraction in

May that I can use after I get home from work. Unfortunately, I will be

going in to work after next Tuesday's fun so I'll be grinning and bearing

it! LOL ~~ Diane

> OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

>

> Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to get

> up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here, they look

> pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you have a

> fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what surgery you're

> having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet you're gonna

> love the results .....

>

> Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through the first

> week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as you

have

> time to sleep it off.

>

> Luna

[Guest guest]

Hi Luna,

I just posted to Val about how great she looks at day 5, but you look

amazing! The swelling is barely noticable, and your jaw position

change is really flattering! And this is early post op too. I am

sure you are going to have some additional changes that you will be

even more pleased with. How are you feeling about the changes?

Hugs,

Fran

> > Cammie, are you referring to my pictures? Because, ha ha, I am no

> > skinny blonde, that's for sure. Did anyone look at my pictures? No

> > one's commented! I'm getting a complex! L

[Guest guest]

Diane,

I can see your dilemma. I'd probably be thinking long and hard just

like you. You're the one whose insurance will pay for upper, right? My

first inclination was to say, go for it. But looking at you -- it's a

hard call. I can see your underbite in your profile, and how the lower

would definitely benefit. But the upper is a harder call. Of course,

I'm NO expert, and if your doc says it's the preferred choice, I'm

sure he's right. But ... tough decision. Sounds like you will weigh

all your options before you make your choice. Good plan.

Luna

> > OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

> >

> > Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to get

> > up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here, they look

> > pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you have a

> > fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what surgery you're

> > having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet you're gonna

> > love the results .....

> >

> > Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through the first

> > week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as you

> have

> > time to sleep it off.

> >

> > Luna

[Guest guest]

Fran, thank you!

I ran into one of the techs from my orthodontist's office today, and

she was shocked at how little swelling I have. (Really, I don't think

I have any swelling left now, Day 11.) She said she's seen people with

swelling a year later.

I still maintain it was the pineapple juice! Or maybe the self-massage.

But maybe it's just dumb luck.

I feel good about the changes. I'm sort of settling into it. It's such

a subtle change. Some people who know me don't seem to really see a

difference, while others do. A graphic designer friend tonight told me

she could definitely see the difference. And while my secret wish was

that I'd wake up looking like a model, what I ended up with is

probably just fine.

Luna

> > > Cammie, are you referring to my pictures? Because, ha ha, I am no

> > > skinny blonde, that's for sure. Did anyone look at my pictures? No

> > > one's commented! I'm getting a complex! L

[Guest guest]

Luna - Believe it or not, my insurance won't be paying for ANY of the

surgery because it is an excluded benefit. It's the insurance I get

from my employer, the largest hospital system in Idaho (St. Luke's

Regional Med. Center in Boise is my employer/the hospital I have

worked at for the last 25 years). So, my Surgeon is on staff at a

small short-term hospital in Boise (Treasure Valley Hospital) which

will charge me at least one quarter to one third of what MY

hospital/employer would've.(St. Luke's charges $10K for a BSSO, and

probably another $10K for the LeFort, plus more $$ for one nite in

the ICU, and the other hospital charges $2.5K for a BSSO and $5.5K

for both a BSSO and a LeFort, plus some more $ for the Lipo, plus $

for one nite.) He told me that the nursing at the small hospital is

the BEST in Boise, because they hire the best nurses away from the

other two large hospitals in town. He does the vast majority of his

surgeries there. And, I TRUST my Surgeon very much, which will make

it easier to make up my mind about the surgery procedures; he truly

cares about me and only wants what's best for me, which he believes

is BOTH the BSSO and LeFort. I find myself saying yes to both, and

then the next day changing my mind to the BSSO only - I wish I could

stick with one decision. I think all this thinking is driving me

nuts!! Thank you for your support, Luna. ~~ Diane

> > > OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

> > >

> > > Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to get

> > > up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here, they

look

> > > pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you have a

> > > fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what surgery

you're

> > > having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet you're

gonna

> > > love the results .....

> > >

> > > Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through the

first

> > > week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as you

> > have

> > > time to sleep it off.

> > >

> > > Luna

[Guest guest]

Oh, Diane, I'm sorry, I got you mixed up with someone else. Don't take

it personally; I'm terrible at keeping people straight!

Well, that's great that at least you've got one part of the equation

figured out -- your surgeon. That is probably your biggest decision.

And you can take your time making the upper decision. I heard once

that sometimes, when you can't decide on something, just decide not to

decide for a while! If you have the time, just let yourself sit with

the indecision. I find that when I do this, the right choice bubbles

up eventually. It just feels right.

That sucks your insurance won't cover it. I'm sending my claim in

tomorrow and will probably get less than half back, but it's better

than nothing. Do you have flex accounts through your work? I just

learned about them and it's going to save me a bundle in the long run.

Also, remember that all your medical expenses will be tax deductible

(unless you flex them). Anyway, you probably know all that, but just

in case ....

Take care,

Luna

> > > > OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

> > > >

> > > > Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to get

> > > > up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here, they

> look

> > > > pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you have a

> > > > fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what surgery

> you're

> > > > having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet you're

> gonna

> > > > love the results .....

> > > >

> > > > Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through the

> first

> > > > week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as you

> > > have

> > > > time to sleep it off.

> > > >

> > > > Luna

[Guest guest]

Luna - Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I think I

will try your suggestion and also I was thinking about setting up a

Pro's & Con's List about just the BSSO vs BSSO/LeFort decision, as it

might help me come to terms with what's stopping me from making up my

mind. Then, on August 3rd, I will bring the list to my OMS so he can

see my progress on making my decision and I'm sure he will try to

help. I think he appreciates the fact that I'm trying to get a handle

on all this - he's very caring. My list of questions is growing every

day(it's up to 13 of them). Thank you again. I let you know how the

list turns out. ~~ Diane

> > > > > OK, I'm going to look now ... Hold on ...

> > > > >

> > > > > Oh! I don't think you look bad at all! It's kind of hard to

get

> > > > > up-close to your teeth with the small pix, but from here,

they

> > look

> > > > > pretty good. What do you not like about them? I think you

have a

> > > > > fantastic smile from the front! Remind me again what

surgery

> > you're

> > > > > having? Sorry, I can't keep anyone straight. I'll bet

you're

> > gonna

> > > > > love the results .....

> > > > >

> > > > > Are you stocked up on Tylenol and wax to get you through

the

> > first

> > > > > week or two? I highly recommend the Tylenol PM, as long as

you

> > > > have

> > > > > time to sleep it off.

> > > > >

> > > > > Luna