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
Adventure Island, FL
Lake Lanier Islands, GA
