I had my check up about 2 weeks ago. It went well. Doc was very pleased with how well I was doing and how everything looked. Said the bones were all healed and I was free to do what ever I felt like I was capable of. But no chewy or crunchy foods, it would aggravate my joint swelling. He said I still have a good deal of swelling, in the joints and in my cheeks, and that it will take me several more months to get rid of that. He said considering my case, it's common to have the lingering swelling. They removed the stubborn stitch that was under my top lip and discussed use of the guiding elastic. I still have to wear the guiding elastic, but it's on an "as needed" basis now. I'm able to leave it out for a few hours, then I feel my bite shifting, so I put it back in. It doesn't bother me anymore, but I worry about my bite shifting once I don't have braces. He also said that my 30 mm opening was pretty good for this stage of the game, that's all you really need to be functional. And it will continue to increase over time.
The OD did some fun (insert sarcasm) stuff the following week. But I'm excited to wrap this up, so wrench away doc! Here are my pics before and at 11 weeks:
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The biggest cheezy smile ever...look, top
teeth over bottom teeth, woohoo!
Nichole, you look fabulous! I can tell that you do have swelling left in your cheeks, but it has come down so much, and your profile looks much better! I am sure it was good to hear that there is swelling left (not that it's fun to have it...) and that it will go down eventually. Your bite looks great too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ellie! Finally feeling like I look "normal". And I'm starting to feel more functional with my bite. It's all downhill from here :)
DeleteLooking good!! Making me a little more confident about my upcoming surgery :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Allie! Just remember, it won't give you perfection. Some of the things you dislike may still be present after the surgery. But it will drastically improve overall. It has taken me 12 weeks to come to terms with this :)
DeleteBest wishes to you in your upcoming surgery!
Wow Nichole, You really look fantastic... and from reading your post seem to be doing great! What a year it has been! I'm so happy for you:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda! I AM doing well, wasn't sure if I would ever feel like myself again, but I'm almost back to life. Although it still hurts to bend over, so no scrubbing floors for me (oh darn) hehe.
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