six weeks

day FORTY TWO.  I've noticed that I'm no longer numb above my lips.  My right cheek is still numb but barely.  However, the roof of my mouth where my splint was is still completely numb.  I'm still super swollen.  I'm putting up a picture in the next post of me from the side, and you can really tell how swollen I still am.  The red spots above my lips are still there, but they are slowly fading.  I don't even really notice them anymore.  My back teeth now touch.  It only took me wearing my rubber bands in the box shape for a couple days for my teeth to shift.  I've noticed from taking pictures of myself everyday, that my smile and eyes are crooked.  One of my eyes is slightly higher on my face.  I know that's not fixable, but I'm hoping that my smile will even out.  I smile much bigger on one side of my face.  I don't know if it's due to swelling or if it's just the way I smile.  Only time will tell...

it is O-U-T!

days FORTY and FORTY ONE.  My splint was removed yesterday morning!!!  I didn't think it would be any big deal, but I was so wrong.  It hurt so, so bad.  My mouth was stretched out so big that both corners of my lips cracked open and are still bleeding off and on almost 36 hours later.  As they were taking the splint out, they were tugging and pulling and pinching.  Luckily, the whole process only took five to ten minutes.  It smelled SO bad, so once it was out, I got to brush my teeth.  I brushed for about 5 minutes, and blood literally poured out of my mouth the whole time.  Gross.

@ the doctor's office -- last picture with the splint!

After I left my doctor's office, I went to my orthodontist where they took even more out of my mouth!!  I got one new wire that goes across all of my teeth instead of the usual three different wires. My orthodontist also repositioned my rubber bands.  Right now my front teeth touch, but my back teeth don't touch at all.  The rubber bands are in a posterior box formation.  That basically means all my back teeth are being pulled together by my rubber bands that are in the shape of a big box.  I'll try to get a pic of it soon.

first picture post splint removal

I ended up brushing my teeth a total of seven times before noon yesterday!  I wanted everything as clean as possible, and I really didn't want stinky breath!  The roof of my mouth that was covered by my splint is really numb and feels weird.. don't really know how to explain it.  Now that my splint is off, I do think I look different.  I'm actually a little self conscious about my teeth right now.  I feel like they're really pointy, and I've got lots of gaps.  My orthodontist has got some major work to do now!!

I tried to find a picture of the characters' teeth from the Coneheads movie.  I feel like I look just like them.  Maybe I'm just being weird!

So here are my Tuesday and Wednesday pictures.

Tuesday

Wednesday (super long day = lookin' roughhhhh!)

**I'm wearing my pink sweatshirt in so many of my pictures.  I come home and just throw it in.  I really don't wear it out in public a lot!!

The nurse that helped remove my splint told me that my swelling would go down a lot more now that it's out.  There were huge hook like things pushing way up into my cheeks and gums in the very back of my mouth, and now that's all gone!  I'm also really hoping the corners of my lips will heal soon.  I'm putting neosporin on them as much as a can. 

I asked a tech at my orthodontist's office yesterday how much longer I'll have my braces.  She said no longer than nine months.  That's a long time.

Here's to hoping the next nine months fly by!!!

tomorrow is THE day.

days THIRTY SIX, THIRTY SEVEN, THIRTY EIGHT and THIRTY NINE.  I worked this weekend.. hints four days in one post!!!  So THE BEST day of this journey will be the day I get my braces off.  Since that won't be for several more months, tomorrow is THE day -- the day I get my splint off.  I am sooo excited.  I have an appointment at 8:20 at my oral surgeon's office.  They take my splint off there then I go directly to my orthodontist's office for them to put a stronger wire on my braces.  The wires on my braces have been in three different sections since I got my braces on.  I think they sectioned it off like that since my jaw was broken in three places.  I'm curious to see if tomorrow I will have one wire or three.

And now pictures...

Friday

I actually came home, took of my makeup and got in my PJs then remembered I hadn't taken my pics!

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

I bought a new curling iron today and was playing around with my hair.  I'm so sick of just wearing it straight!!

And now something completely unrelated..

This weekend was rough.  I got some bad news on Friday about my partner at work.  He is no longer with the company, and someone new is coming in.  I don't want to elaborate, but my partner was a really good person who has gone through so much this year.  Losing his job is just something else to add to everything he's gone through.  That said, he made some very bad decisions which caused him to lose his job.  I pray that he can turn his life around and 2012 will be a much better year for him and his family. 



And that's all.  Less than twelve hours and this thing will be out of my mouth. CANNOT wait!!!



FIVE weeks

day THIRTY FIVE.  Thirty five days.  I can't believe it.  I was looking at myself in the mirror today, and I am still SO SWOLLEN.  I am so over being swollen.  SO over it.  But I don't really need to complain because I really am happy with my results so far.  I'm just ready to look normal again.

I woke up this morning and was on a mission to clean my garage.  I had random stuff laying literally everywhere.  I put everything in a specific place and it looks so much better.  This afternoon I went to the rehabilitation hospital that my grandma was moved to.  It broke my heart seeing her.  She just looked so pitiful and it was the first time in my life I've been around her that she wasn't talking.  I am just so ready for her to be herself again.  Sadly, I don't know if she ever will be.  I broke down in her room and had to leave because I couldn't stop crying.  I'm such a baby but I love my grandma so much and I hate seeing her just laying there.  After leaving the hospital, my sister and I went to Christmas Village.  We checked out every booth but didn't buy too much.  We did have fun though just looking around!  I love Christmas time!!!

Enough about what I did today... here are my pictures.

One of my eyes is super red today.  I think its allergies.. or something.  Hoping it'll go away soon!

Please pray for my grandma!! She needs all the prayers she can get.  Thank you!!!

tuesday & wednesday

days THIRTY TWO and THIRTY THREE.  I didn't want to put pictures up, but I did!  Saying they are rough is an understatement! 

Tuesday--

Wednesday--

Nothing to blog about today! 

I cannot wait until next Tuesday at 8am!!!

goodnight :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

day THIRTY TWO.  Today was Halloween, and I've been going all day long.  I worked 8-4 then ran home and got ready for all the trick-or-treaters.  We sat outside for at least two hours and handed out 10 bags of candy.  There were so many people and lots of really cute costumes!  It was fun, but it was SO cold!!  I started out wearing a witches hat but couldn't see very well with it, so I didn't wear it too long.  I LOVE candy but unfortunately couldn't eat too much this year because of my splint and braces. 

Symptom wise I'm still pretty numb.  I don't have much feeling, but I can feel pressure.  I'm still swollen as well.  I think that's going to last for months.  And my jaw still hurts if I go for an extended period of time without my rubber bands.

 



My hair drives me crazy.  I've been trying to grow it out for years, but I have horrible split ends and it just breaks off (thanks to straightening my hair and getting highlights for the past 13 years).  One side of my hair is dramatically longer than than the other.  I normally get it cut to even it up, but I haven't in a while... hints my uneven locks.

Carla sent me another sweet something.  She really is the best friend ever.  She gave me lots of Halloween goodies!! Thank you my love!!!

I'm so tired.  And sore.  My entire body is sore from working in the yard yesterday.  That's pretty bad,

goodnight!

pansies.

day THIRTY ONE.  I worked in my yard almost four hours this afternoon.  I had no idea how long planting flowers actually took.  I bought six bales of pine straw, four bags of dirt, and six flats of pansies and went to town.  I definitely took my time, but I enjoyed being outside.  The sun was shining, and it wasn't too cold.  It was definitely a perfect day to work in the yard!  I can't wait for my garnet, white and pumpkin orange pansies to grow and get much bigger!

I also went and saw my grandma at the hospital.  I hadn't seen her in almost a week, and she looks so much better.  She's not in the ICU anymore, and supposedly she's going to get to leave the hospital in the next few days.  I sure hope so!!

I wore no makeup today, so my pictures are much different from the ones I've been posting. 

I also took an angled picture of myself.  I still think I'm really swollen.  I'm starting to think I might look like this forever!!

BIG cheeks!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!