military deployment postpones getting braced up

[Quiksilver]

I haven't posted in a long time and didn't post that often before, but the gist of my presence on this board was a lot of angst about getting braces put on and dealing with my job. I went so far as to have a couple consultations and selected an ortho. I was getting close to making the records/spacers appointment when I found out that, becuase I'm in the USMC reserves, I would probably be activated and deployed to Iraq sometime in the next year.

I told the ortho's office about this today and they told me they would just put things on hold until I came back. In thinking about this, though, it's a blessing in disguise for me getting braces put on.

First, the biggest fear I had was just having to explain the braces to people at my civilian job. Because I'm going to have to take a leave of absence from my civilian job, nobody will be seeing me for a while anyway, and my plan is to get the braces put on after I get back home but before I go back to my civilian job. I should have at least a month of vacation off in between returning to my regular job, and this would be a perfect time to adjust mentally and physically. So when I come back, I don't think braces will be of much interest to anyone considering everything else I'll have to tell them.

Second, I will be able to get a (small) amount of insurance coverage through the military (for the bonding appointment) that I couldn't get through my civilian job.

In a way, I'm kind of excited that I now have a timeline and plan to get my teeth fixed - so I have something to look forward to and plenty of time to adjust. My problems are relatively minor and treatment should only be one year.

And, I will try to check in with this board when I can - even though I'd have nothing to add, reading everyone's stories is encouraging and believe it or not, there is a lot of boring "down time" to use the Internet in Iraq, so I hear. And of course, going to Iraq makes worrying about getting braces seem silly in comparison. This will definitely be a reward I'll give myself when I get home safely, God willing!

[calley03]

quiksilver: Good luck with your deployment. my husbands national guard unit was in Iraq for 10 months in 2003-2004. we had been together for a few years and moved our wedding up and got married a week before he left. it was hard, but survivable. He had a lot of down time too when he was often on the internet. He tells me about a guy in their unit who had braces during their deployment, it was very hard though. I am fortunate enough to be able to use my husband's military insruance for my braces until summer when I turn 23. Good luck with your journey, and good luck with your braces when you return home.

[OneBluCrayon]

One thing to keep in mind is getting TriCare Dental (for all of you service people out there). Its about $10 a month for just yourself and they will pay for $1500 of your braces (in addition to a certain amount of funds for all dental procedures). Ask your UA about how to sign up or send me a PM.

I am in the Army (and my husband in the Marines) and this, which may seem like a small amount in the overall cost of braces, made a huge help in getting my stuff financed myself.

Look into it.

_Blue

PS. Good Luck and God Bless.

[Liza Bee]

I think it's best that you brace up after Iraq. I know my brain doesn't seem to be fully functioning right now after 2 weeks in braces; you especially need to be sharp.

Know that your military service is greatly appreciated, not only service abroad but at home as well. I've always been fond of our men in uniform but my affection for you guys has quadrupled recently. Enormously helpful after Katrina. And modest to a fault. Try to do something to show appreciation and these guys seem embarrassed.

Best wishes to you,
Liza

[Quiksilver]

Thanks to all for the kind words re: the military. I really did not mean for this thread to turn into a thing about the military, but we certainly always appreciate being appreciated. If some folks in the military seem modest about it, it's just because we are trained to follow orders and accomplish assigned missions, rather than always thinking about the end result. Going to Iraq is not such a big deal - although we hear so much about the casualties from the news, 130K+ US military personnel are there at any given time, and I'm sure nearly a million have been there at some point during this current situation. Lucklily, I'm only going to be there for 6 months, many folks are there for a year and may be on their 2nd or 3rd time there. But as Liza suggests, ortho treatment would be impossible at this point - but something to actually look forward to when I get back (you are very right, Crayon - I've checked into the TriCare options).