I know I am overdue for an update- my apologies.
When I said my life was a little crazy I meant that:
Since I started the MSE I have left my crazy un-medicated
alcoholic addict husband, couch surfed for at least a month while I found a
place I could afford that was decent, applied for and somehow got a better job
(a more demanding one but with better pay), moved and settled into both my new place
and job. I am doing well, just really overwhelmed. I have barely been on social
media at all. Thanks for asking: P
Anyways, I have lost between 10-15lbs. I breathe better at
night, especially if I lay on my right side. I don’t think I mouth breathe
during the night anymore. I do not wake up with wretched breath like I used
too. Although I am now lacking someone to tell me if I snore or not.
Also, I got 11.8mm of expansion. The periodontist offered to
remove the MSE and immediately install a new one to get even more, but I
decided that I did not want to go through that pain again and I was happy with
my results so far.
I turned the MSE I think 66 times? I was supposed to get 75
turns out of it, but broke the wrench at turn 64 or 65. And actually it was
because I could absolutely not turn it anymore. I went 5 days before I was able
to get a new wrench. Then we found that I bent the MSE and the sides/legs of it
coming down to my teeth perforated the soft tissue/side of the roof of my
mouth. That didn’t really hurt, but it was impossible to turn so I went back in
the see the perio and once she saw inside my mouth she said, “Nope! You’re
done! Do NOT turn anymore!”
Picture: bent MSE with the sides poking into me :(
She did another CBCT but I do not have a copy of it.
Anyways, we decided invisalign was a better option for me because it’s a slow
and steady force exerted vs. the tradition braces where it’s a stronger force
exerted once every so many weeks. I start those January 2nd.
Now, to expand the lower to match my upper, I am getting
SFOT bone grafting TOMORROW. Surgery is my biggest fear but I have tried to
think on it as little as possible and I’m just going in and doing it. No panic
attack if I can help it. I cleaned my home, washed all my bedding and laundry,
made a bunch of pureed soups and bought a bunch of soft food like yogurt, applesauce,
shakes, soups, drinks, ice cream, etc. because I will be on an all liquid diet
for 2 weeks. They do not want me tearing a stitch, because I will have the
grafting along my entire lower arch. My goal is to also drop another 11 lbs by
my birthday (Dec 25th.), not going to lie. My mother will be taking
me and staying the whole day and night because when I had my wisdom teeth out I
was a drooling lifeless heap for days. I also took the rest of the week off
work because the swelling and bruising is forecasted to be intense.
I was given 10 norcos, 20 ibuprofen 800 and because it’s
important to avoid infection, 6 days of antibiotics.
So, the day I got a diastema: I got a breakfast sandwich and
a coffee on my way into work (that day, work was a small tooling and gage
shop). I was sitting in a conference room and munching away when I felt a sharp
pain behind my front teeth. It was INTENSE and sudden. However, right when it
started, I looked in the bathroom mirror. Everything looked fine and the same
as normal. The pain kept on and after a half hour I called the ortho and
explained. The girl at the desk said it’s normal, but I could come in the next
day. So, I took some ibuprofen and continued to work. I ended up finishing the
sandwich another half hour later, but realized my teeth were hitting
differently. So, I went back in the bathroom to take a look and sure enough, I
had a gap. I was really caught off guard. I was focused on work and because I
was already on day 23, I really wasn’t expecting anything. The thought of the
pain being the great divide didn’t actually cross my mind. But by the time I
left the shop that day, I could slide in my 1mm feeler gage! To start with, my
front teeth have always been a bit overlapped too.
Picture: in pain with a brand new diastema :)
Me today:
Oh also, yes, The TMJD issues are catching up with me. The last few weeks my teeth huuuurt because my bite is so off. I was really OK until then. But, this is to be expected. I plan on getting a cheap DIY bite guard from the pharmacy tonight to sleep with until the Invisalign starts. The kind you put into hot water and trim up yourself. Those have worked in a pinch for me before. I hope that it will work with the stitches after tomorrow though.
So, sorry for the 3 month hiatus, but more to come. I didn’t forget about the blog!
Wish me luck tomorrow, and don’t expect me to be conscious for at least a few days afterwards!
