It's Been a While...

HELLO!

It's April! Spring is here!! And I'm feeling better than ever!

I've been so busy at school that I actually forgot that I had this surgery blog. Then I saw my friend had updated hers and I remembered - oh yeah! - I have one too!

Okay, so this month makes it... almost NINE MONTHS since my surgery! Holy crap, I just counted that twice on my fingers to make sure. Wow. It seems like yesterday.

I got my braces off on December 17th, 2008. My teeth were so gross and yellow but I did look awesome, I'll be honest. A couple weeks later I got my invisalign retainers which I wear every night, and a couple packages of Crest White Strips later and I'm back to normal!

The swelling's all gone. I rarely experience pain but when I do it's usually when I forget to put my retainers in at night and grind my teeth. I don't have to go back to my surgeon until next January, so I'm guessing that everything on their end looks fine too.

I'm so glad I did it, I have absolutely no regrets. Six weeks of semi-misery and 10 months of braces was definitely worth the results.

I hope everyone else is feeling the same way! If you're in the recovery process, hang in there. Wear your jaw bras and pick up some Gerber baby applesauce!

I'll add a picture to show my afters =)


My teeth are "lined up like soldiers," as my dental hygenist says.



ENJOY THE SPRINGTIME!

Midterm Week!

I took this picture just about a year ago in my dorm room. Pre-surgery, of course.


My skinny face! I miss it!!!

I decided to do a re-make of it, one year later in - where else? - my dorm room.


Still a little swelling, but we're getting there!

This past year has been a whirlwind. To think that in just about 2 months the braces will be off and it'll be over and done with is CRAZY! College is good, pretty stressful since it's midterms time. Besides that I'm loving it. Jason Mraz concert tomorrow!!! So excited. Hopefully I'll stick around afterwards long enough to meet him. Hopefully I'll be able to post some interesting pictures up from it!!

This is a really pointless post, haha. I just did that mini-photo shoot and decided it was a good chance to do a before-and-after type thing.

Ooh, weird - my iTunes is on shuffle and a Jason Mraz song came on!!!! <3

"You look beautiful!" - Best 3 Words a Girl Could Hear

Week 10.

I went to McDontist (my ortho) today for the first time since my surgery! He grinned when he saw me -- which I loved because he's gorgeous! He said I couldn't look better.

I was in there for over an HOUR just talking, catching up, and discussing how everything's going. It was awesome. He took my surgical hooks off (PRAISE THE LORD!) and everything looks so clean and perfect now. I couldn't stop staring in the mirror with my mouth gaping wide open. I now look like those plastic teeth models in the dentist's office -- each tooth lined up like little soldiers! The good news: McDontist says just two more visits and the braces can come off!! I'm too excited to express!

Things got so much better from there. In the middle of our wondrously long visit, a young girl had an appointment for a consultation. He said 'excuse me' and went to talk to her while I waited in the chair next to her. The poor little girl was nervous and had a million questions. McDontist answered them all very well and, at one point, he pointed at me and said, "Caitlin over here got her braces on less than a year ago, and look how beautiful she looks! Perfect smile." My heart fell into my ass. Did he just call me beautiful?

Him saying that pretty much made the past year worth it. I'm flabbergasted to think that in just two months this whole ordeal will be over. It's been a nightmare at times, but honestly I'm so happy I did it. My overbite has been my biggest personal flaw for as long as I can remember. Now I have a smile that people wish they had. I feel like a movie star.

So, that's it. I just wanted to share my awesome day at the orthodontist. I have a surgeon's appointment tomorrow morning, and hopefully they'll agree with the 2-month deadline. If anything important happens there, I'll be sure to blog about it.


...He called me BEAUTIFUL!!! *sigh* :-D

Kanye West...

Has anyone heard Kanye's song "Through the Wire" ?

Well, he got in an accident a few years ago and needed jaw surgery! And this whole song is about his struggle and I realized I could really relate to it lol. And he sings it WHILE his mouth is wired shut -- pretty impressive!

Here's the first verse:

"I drink a Boost for breakfast, and Ensure for dizzert
Somebody ordered pancakes I just sip the sizzurp [syrup]
That right there could drive a sane man bizzerk
Not to worry y'll Mr. H 2 the Izzo's back to wizzerk

I really apologize how I sound right now man
If it's unclear at all, man
They got my mouth wired shut for like I don't know the doctor said for like six weeks
I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
Looked in the mirror half my jaw was in the back of my mouth man
I couldn't believe it
But im still here for yall right now yo
This is what I gotta say yo
Yeah, turn me up yeah"





I never thought Kanye and I would ever have anything in common!

Library Musings

So I'm in the library for the first time since I got back, and nothing has changed. I always sit in the same place in this massive, 5-story building. Third floor, in a small cubicle behind all the bookshelves. I get my privacy here. It's right next to a big window and the sun shines through, which is a nice retreat from the florescent lights.

Here's a visual for ya:



My history teacher is mean and already assigned a paper due tomorrow. She mentioned it the first day of class, but of course I have procrastinated. Nothing's changed! Since very few people have a large workload so early in the year, the library's pretty much empty. In this section of the library, it's only me and another girl about 8 cubicles away. It's so silent, I can hear her iPod headphones playing "Bye Bye Bye" from N*SYNC from all the way over here. I wonder if anyone can hear James Morrison from mine?

While I'm here I decided to waste a little more time and give an update. I saw my surgeon on Saturday and he says everything's fine, except I should be opening my mouth wider than I am. He gave me an exercise to do: stick my fingers in my mouth and stretch my mouth as wide open as possible. It hurts the muscles but I guess it's nothing too impossible.

Rubber bands at night, which is getting harder and harder. I sleep more often during the day, and sometimes my friends come into my room to talk after I've put them in. To be honest, I've missed a couple days but I'm trying!

I finally scheduled an appointment with my (hot) orthodontist for September 26th! I can't wait to see his reaction; he's been waiting to see me since I've had the surgery 7 weeks ago. Hopefully he can give me a countdown for braces removal! How long have you guys had yours on after your surgery?

Okay, back to work. Hope everyone is well! :-)

Oh, hello!

It's been a while!

Things have been HECTIC to say the least. I moved back into college! Yay for sophomore year! I'm quadding with my good friend Bridget and we share a bathroom with Sara and Nikki, two really nice girls.

We moved in on Saturday and unpacked all our stuff, and the end result looked like this:


...but we didn't like it. Too plain! So we literally moved our furniture around 6 times in 4 days, each time still feeling unsatisfied with the room. Finally tonight we found an arrangement that gave us the best floor space and the nicest appeal:


(my bed's the pink and green plaid one.)

And yes, that is James Dean above my bed. What a nice vision to wake up to, right? And that's Bridget doing her homework lol. She wanted to be the model I guess.

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Seriously, it's unbelievable how long ago the surgery seems, when in reality it's been little more than six weeks. Life is back to normal. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life! It's a great place to be in, and I'm not taking it for granted.

I'm basically eating everything now, just very very slowly. I try not to overestimate my strength by chowing down on steak or anything. Still wearing the rubber bands at night, brushing like a fiend about 5 times a day, and thoroughly enjoying my Gerber applesauce despite friends' confused faces.

My next appointment with Dr. Pavone is on Saturday and I'm really upset about the thought of going home again. Can't I just stay here? It's funny how last year as a freshman I would be brought to tears thinking about how much I missed home -- and how one year later the thought of leaving Scranton makes me want to cry!

That's all for now... my US History class starts in 15 minutes and I have to leave 10 minutes early. Hope everyone else is doing well! Also, wish me luck -- I applied for a job at the Hilton Scranton and I reaaallly hope I get it!!!

Here's a little message from me to all my fellow brace-wearers:

The many positives of Orthognathic Surgery

It's not just my face that's improved!

1.) My nails look awesome! I've been a biter my entire life, but since I can't really chew anything I had to quit cold turkey. Three weeks later they're nice and long. I got a mani/pedi yesterday with my mom and they look oh-so-pretty.

2.) Weight loss, woohoo! Ten pounds so far. Plus I notice my appetite changing. I'm drinking more water which is always a plus, and I feel hungry less often. And I don't care what my friends think; I'm bringing my Gerber Baby Applesauce to college with me! =P

3.) My teeth are healthier. I've become a brushing fiend, and I rinse with mouthwash daily. I can't wait to go to my regular dentist and show off my hard work!

4.) I'm more organized than I've ever been. Making lists for thank-you notes, keeping my room nice and clean, and keeping all my medicines in order... this is so UNLIKE my pre-op self! And I like it!



Needless to say, my decision to go ahead with this surgery was definitely the right one. I notice my quality of life improving each and every day. So if you're considering the surgery, I say GO FOR IT! It only invades a snapshot of your life - after that, it's all gravy baby.