It's been a bit of roller coaster ride to say the least! But it's been a year now and I'm finally accepting the 'new' me. But it's taken me along time to get there. Personally, I think, because I had to have the jaw surgery for medical reasons, it was harder for me to accept the change. It also didn't help that I had bugger all self confidence in the first place.
But now, one year after surgery, 6 months after the braces coming off, my teeth are wanting to go back into the orginal position and they are talking of putting on a permanent retainer. My teeth aren't picture perfect straight like they were when I first had the braces off, but I'm ok with that - because they are nothing like they were before the braces. So if I can stop them from going completely back into the orginal position, I'll be happy!
But I'm still in limbo land in regards to my hearing. I've had 2 ops this year to insert grommets...
First time was to help with draining of the fluid from my ears, which helped to correct my hearing as well. But when the grommets fell out, my hearing went - so a 2nd lot were inserted in June. My hearing doesn't go completely. The only way I can describe it to someone is that when you are on a plane and you are descending and you get pressure in your ears - it's like that but continously! But I can't do anything to 'pop' my ears and everything sounds muffled. I can't equalise the pressure in my ears! The 2nd lot of grommets are due to fall out in a couple of months and if my hearing goes when they fall out, then I've had permanent damage done to my eustachian tube in both ears (caused from the upper jaw being brought forward) and I will have to look at having permanent grommets put in.
But here are the before and after pics... and no editing of the photos!
Teeth before (back in 2008)
Teeth after (Mar 2011)
Me a couple of days before surgery (Oct 2010)
24 hours after surgery (Nov 2010)
Me yesterday! (whoops didn't resize properly)
