One of Those Days

SO!

Sorry to be a Debby Downer, but I feel like I need to let out some frustrations. Well, one in particular.

I HATE HAVING BRACES. I am 18 years old, and I have BRACES. And, yes... I have already had them for over a month, and have already thrown my fits about it... But it just isn't getting any easier for me and I don't know why. Well, maybe I do.

Really, 18 isn't even that old at all. But I am applying for jobs left and right, some big and full-time, some small, part-time and just help until I can support myself on my own. BUT I just had a 2 part interview for a server position, and they never called.. They were supposed to call by tonight, and IMMEDIATELY my mind goes to the fact that I have braces and that I can't do anything adult-like because I HAVE BRACES!!!!

And it's very likely that they will call me tomorrow and either say I got the job or tell me really why I didn't, but until then... It's because I am an adult with the train tracks of a middle schooler.

Okay so my mind is in a million different places and I am just here to say that ITS OKAY TO GET FRUSTRATED AND BE SAD THAT YOU HAVE TO GET BRACES FOR THE ZILLIONTH TIME AND YOU CAN HAVE A BREAKDOWN WITHOUT BEING AN EMOTIONAL WRECK!!!! ITS OKAAAYYYYYYYYY! we are okay :)

And we are back to SO! I really write posts when i'm feeling down in a desperate attempt to cheer myself, and thankfully it always works!
Obviously there are other ways to cheer yourself up.. some of them being:

• Sing a happy song
• Listen to your favorite (happy) songs
• Talk to people that you love and can be happy around (not about your problems)
• Put on your favorite outfit and go to your favorite place to eat
• Write a poem about how awesome you are
• Write down why you are feeling bad and BURN IT!!!!
• Smile smile smile!! Even if you don't want to.. Science says it works, sooooo ;)

ANYWAYS SORRY FOR BEING SO CAPS HAPPY IM EITHER SUPER FRUSTRATED OR SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC HAVING BRACES SUCKS BUT BEING YOUR HAPPY BEAUTIFUL SELF IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT! Have a good school year for anyone going back, and a good rest of your 2015 for anyone not currently in school. 

and hey, at least I don't still look like this 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOOOOOXXXXOXOOOXOXOOXO :)

Sorry i'm a slacker

HOLY COWW!!!!!

So i'm about 14 months post-op. I have said my goodbyes to my splint, and bitterly welcomed braces in its place. I'm sure I've said this before, but this is my FOURTH time with braces, and i'm over it. But... As resistant and angry as I have been over them, I need to accept them and get used to it. After all, its just 9-12 months. I am more upset over how I look with them than the fact that they're a burden on my life.. Because they're not.

Truthfully, they don't cut up my mouth nearly as much as I remembered, and since I've had them before so many times, they don't make my teeth very sore at all. It's just the fact that I turned 18 yesterday (AHHHH!!), so i'm supposed to be entering adulthood, you know? I already look pretty young, but now that I have braces, I just feel like it will be harder for people to take me seriously as an adult, and might keep me from doing things that I want to do (career-wise). I know that's a bunch of bologna, but it's what's on my mind.

Regardless of my occasional pouting to my family and very best friends, I don't like to show my frustrations to other people. The best thing to do in my situation is to rock 'em. Smile bigger, shine brighter, and work harder. Sometimes I will catch myself feeling embarrassed to meet new people because of my braces, then I snap myself out of it, because really, who cares? I don't need to be around anyone who doesn't like me because of how I look.. Especially because it's a temporary thing.

So between my 9 month post and now, not much has changed besides "out with Hannibal Lector and in with Metal Mouth." (which I think is a good name for this transition). I'm still on a soft chew diet for every meal ("anything softer than a meatball") and i'm still taking the vitamins I was prescribed. I still have some popping in my right side, but less pain. I'm living my life and doing fun and exciting things! I am to the point where the surgery recovery only affects me because I have braces in my mouth, but there is no part of recovery at this point that is stopping me from doing anything I want to do.

Some of my biggest advice after making it this far is this:

• Don't just lay around because you're down about recovery. Do something fun! 
• Be positive!
• If you get annoyed at people who make fun of you (joking or not), make fun of yourself before they get the chance. The jokes definitely get old, so don't give people the chance to make them :)
• And never stop smiling. Especially if you're feeling insecure about your mouthful of splint/braces. If you show people that your confidence has not been compromised, they will think more highly of you. 

So to finish this off, here's some pictures from the past couple months :)

Georgia Aquarium

Adventure Island, FL


Lake Lanier Islands, GA

9 MONTH

I had my 9 month appointment yesterday with Piper. Let me tell you how that went from the night before.

About 9 pm, Sunday: *laying in bed thinking about how everything is going to go at the appointment, stressing about past slip ups in recovery, and nervously anticipating what is to come* 

I didn't want to get my hopes up, in fear that when I went, I would not be pleased with the information and instruction I was given. 

8 am, Monday: *waking up with a big smile and a nervous feeling*

I Almost wanted to go back to bed and hold off the appointment because I was scared of what was going to happen. 

10 am, At Piper Clinic: Went back and got my CT, was brought to the little room to do measurements, and then waited for Piper. Piper finally came, and looked at my jaw, movement, range of motion, and clicking and so on. took us to the CT viewing room, or in other words, The Dungeon, and gave us the word. 

The Word: soft chew EVERY meal, most brackets taken off so they can't be seen, so I can wear my splint until ortho.. and I can go into ortho whenever i'm ready!!! Probably going to do incognito. :)

12 pm, Jacksons office: got more brackets off than originally expected :) talked about plan for braces.

3 pm, Piper Clinic: Impressions done, and released into the world with my new pretty white smile :)


What a journey. I know it's not over yet, and I have quite a while to go, but the hard part is over. I can't believe I made it this far without breaking down and eating a back of pita chips, or chowing down on a yummy steak. I get a little emotional thinking about how tough it was for me in the beginning and how I pushed through it to get where I am today. I am SO beyond happy with my progress and can't wait to graduate officially from the Piper Clinic. Although I will miss everyone there like family.

Set back

So...


My jaw has been popping on the left side for quite some time. I'm now supposed to be wearing my surgical splint JUST at nighttime. BUT, since I'm not exactly where I should be in recovery, I have to wear my splint 2 times a day for 2 hours each. AND, when I'm don't have it in for those set times, I have to wear it in half banded, so I can still open my mouth, but I still have it banded to my upper teeth, so that when I bite, I bite into the splint.

So that really sucks. its painful being in my splint so much, and I'm ready for this whole thing to be over AND I'm really stressed because my jaw is popping more. So I'm having a grand ole time.

To top all of this off, I've been sick for the past week, AND I cut my hair yesterday... I HATE it. So this week has been one of those where I just want to sit in my room and cry.


I know this is a pretty common expression, but have you ever shot a bow and arrow? Or saw someone shoot one? You pull back the arrow and string, WAY back.. and the RELEASE! And the arrow goes shooting towards your target.

So thats kind of like life.. When life is pulling you back and you're feeling not so great, just remember you're being prepared to SHOOT forward into better things. So don't feel too bad. :)


Heres a few pictures from my winter break. :) Xx