Monday, 2 February 2009
Day off!
I love being snowed in - so although we couldn't fashion a brace, I still LOVE our effort, what do you think? :D
Snow
I'm snowed in!
I don't remember the last time we had this much snowfall in London. There are some pictures of me being very small and playing in the snow but I don't really remember it.
The ensuing chaos can only happen in England.
There is not a single bus running, the trains and tube are all but cancelled, and so I can't get into hospital today. Was dreading having to get up but I really needed to leave the house, so it's a bit of a shame really.
The BBC news is hilarious; the reporters look as though they are having a field day taking joy in reporting on the misery and chaos today; us Brits love to have a good moan (as I'm sure you can tell already!), and I have laughed for the first time properly in a couple of days at videos of people trying to push broken-down cars and sliding all over the place.
So I'm going to snuggle back into bed and may even build a snowman later. May try and find something with which to fashion some braces out for it...!
I don't remember the last time we had this much snowfall in London. There are some pictures of me being very small and playing in the snow but I don't really remember it.
The ensuing chaos can only happen in England.
There is not a single bus running, the trains and tube are all but cancelled, and so I can't get into hospital today. Was dreading having to get up but I really needed to leave the house, so it's a bit of a shame really.
The BBC news is hilarious; the reporters look as though they are having a field day taking joy in reporting on the misery and chaos today; us Brits love to have a good moan (as I'm sure you can tell already!), and I have laughed for the first time properly in a couple of days at videos of people trying to push broken-down cars and sliding all over the place.
So I'm going to snuggle back into bed and may even build a snowman later. May try and find something with which to fashion some braces out for it...!
Saturday, 31 January 2009
About... Turn!
It's amazing how quickly things can change.
The Boy slept with someone else Thursday night so I finished with him.
The old V without imminent surgery would've sat and agonised over why it happened, and The Profile would've been blamed at some point.
I'm so glad that I can just shrug off the whole thing now. To be honest it was quite hard to open up fully to him about the whole thing and it really is a journey I've made thus far on my own, and think it's better in the long run if I finish it alone too.
Sounds depressing: but really, I feel OK about the whole thing.
The Boy slept with someone else Thursday night so I finished with him.
The old V without imminent surgery would've sat and agonised over why it happened, and The Profile would've been blamed at some point.
I'm so glad that I can just shrug off the whole thing now. To be honest it was quite hard to open up fully to him about the whole thing and it really is a journey I've made thus far on my own, and think it's better in the long run if I finish it alone too.
Sounds depressing: but really, I feel OK about the whole thing.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Getting nearer...
I had my latest adjustment last week.
As Ortho and I were looking at our diaries for next appointment and making sure I had the right pre-op assessment days noted down, she said 'OK so next appointment is in February... then March.. But your work-up is March 23rd so we'll probably need to fit another one in between...'
And then it dawned on me just how quickly the time is flying by and how near it is until surgery (I know, I know, it's not until April, but appointment-wise there are only 3 or 4 left!) and I have shifted into being a little scared rather than just fed up as I have been for the last 18 months. In a good way, but it's still terrifying all the same. And after having waited for so long I still can't quite believe it's actually happening.
Then joy of joys she put back my old hardcore-heavy-duty wire (that was removed for the bracket readjustment when we went back to piddly little thin wire) and a power chain as the gaps had started to open up. It had been a LONG time since I had adjustment pain, I still can't quite bite down. Porridge was my friend that weekend (don't even LIKE the stuff!) and had to muddle through dinner meeting The Boy's friends (noodles again were soft enough, just took me ages). Spent most of the weekend panicking at the poor thing that if it is this bad now, what the hell is it going to be like when I have the surgery...
But all in all am feeling very positive and am so busy at school that I haven't been spending as much time thinking about it as I did over Christmas!
As Ortho and I were looking at our diaries for next appointment and making sure I had the right pre-op assessment days noted down, she said 'OK so next appointment is in February... then March.. But your work-up is March 23rd so we'll probably need to fit another one in between...'
And then it dawned on me just how quickly the time is flying by and how near it is until surgery (I know, I know, it's not until April, but appointment-wise there are only 3 or 4 left!) and I have shifted into being a little scared rather than just fed up as I have been for the last 18 months. In a good way, but it's still terrifying all the same. And after having waited for so long I still can't quite believe it's actually happening.
Then joy of joys she put back my old hardcore-heavy-duty wire (that was removed for the bracket readjustment when we went back to piddly little thin wire) and a power chain as the gaps had started to open up. It had been a LONG time since I had adjustment pain, I still can't quite bite down. Porridge was my friend that weekend (don't even LIKE the stuff!) and had to muddle through dinner meeting The Boy's friends (noodles again were soft enough, just took me ages). Spent most of the weekend panicking at the poor thing that if it is this bad now, what the hell is it going to be like when I have the surgery...
But all in all am feeling very positive and am so busy at school that I haven't been spending as much time thinking about it as I did over Christmas!
Monday, 22 December 2008
Merry Christmas!
So I'm one more adjustment post-good news receipt and I am feeling incredibly positive about the whole thing. Although I did have my first freak-out the other day but tried not to dwell on thinking about the actual surgery day. I guess I'm not as relaxed about it as I thought and they will have to dose me up with plenty of diazepam beforehand after all!
I'm very excited that it looks like this is the last Christmas I shall be braced up... I can't believe how quickly the last month has flown and it'll be no time before I end up out cold having my face broken!!
I finished last term on a high, had some very positive feedback from my Consultant, y'know the one who has severe foot-in-mouth syndrome... who recognised my hard work which is always nice. I just need to pass the exam (helpfully set for just after Christmas, of course, thus ruining any chance of switching off completely...) and all will be good and shall set me up well for my next rotation.
I also met a wonderful guy (ironically, at a time when my aesthetics are at their worst - unbelievable!) who is incredibly considerate and supportive and that has been an unexpected but exciting twist in my life. Although I have to say it does worry me somewhat when reading the wonderful Bella's latest blog post:
Update on Changes in Appearance
I do hope that such a drastic change in my face will not cause too much trauma... I really think about the whole issue of what my face will look like post-surgery and make sure I talk to The Boy on the subject without scaring him off too much! I guess there is not much more you can do and you just have to hope for the best.
So yes, for once Christmas is looking pretty positive! I can't wait to see what the next few months bring and hope that everyone has a wonderful peaceful holiday and all their wishes come true over the next year! Especially those waiting on surgery dates! :)
Lots of love to all
V xxx
I'm very excited that it looks like this is the last Christmas I shall be braced up... I can't believe how quickly the last month has flown and it'll be no time before I end up out cold having my face broken!!
I finished last term on a high, had some very positive feedback from my Consultant, y'know the one who has severe foot-in-mouth syndrome... who recognised my hard work which is always nice. I just need to pass the exam (helpfully set for just after Christmas, of course, thus ruining any chance of switching off completely...) and all will be good and shall set me up well for my next rotation.
I also met a wonderful guy (ironically, at a time when my aesthetics are at their worst - unbelievable!) who is incredibly considerate and supportive and that has been an unexpected but exciting twist in my life. Although I have to say it does worry me somewhat when reading the wonderful Bella's latest blog post:
Update on Changes in Appearance
I do hope that such a drastic change in my face will not cause too much trauma... I really think about the whole issue of what my face will look like post-surgery and make sure I talk to The Boy on the subject without scaring him off too much! I guess there is not much more you can do and you just have to hope for the best.
So yes, for once Christmas is looking pretty positive! I can't wait to see what the next few months bring and hope that everyone has a wonderful peaceful holiday and all their wishes come true over the next year! Especially those waiting on surgery dates! :)
Lots of love to all
V xxx
Saturday, 15 November 2008
SURGERY DATE!!!
Wow, so I'm still in shock a little. Came away from the consult with a date...!
Went in early to get some more impressions done and was ever so nervous. For those of you new to the experience it's very intimidating being in a room with at least 3 people staring intently at your face, pulling you this way and that, getting their rulers out and measuring every angle and telling you 'bite together' followed by 'broad smile'... But you just grit your teeth and get it over with...
So after a lot of fiddling with my moulds and discussion, they decided that I will need to have a full 10 mm of movement... 6 mm forward on my maxilla, 4 mm back on my mandible, and elevating my maxilla by 4 mm to prevent the gummy smile... The genioplasty wasn't mentioned again and I forgot to ask..
So then the diary comes out, and they ask when would be ideal. I tentatively said 'Well, obviously Christmas is the best.. but...' and that was ruled out straight away, as I thought it would. There are a few minor tweaks that need to be done still, and a lot of work-up and pre-assessment appointments too, and we agreed around Easter... So this is the calendar as it looks so far:
March 24th: Pre-assessment. As far as I'm aware this is the appointment where the final models and measurements are taken, so that the 'wafers' can be made and fitted. It sounds like they also make lots of measurements of my head so that my jaw can be aligned with my eyes, and ears etc.
April 3rd: They try the wafers to make sure they fit my teeth. I think this is like a splint which they use to line up my teeth during the surgery to ensure the bite is right.
April 8th: SURGERY!!
So.. it's really happening; of course, I need to run by the details with school but was great timing as I am seeing my tutor next Wednesday so I can discuss it then.
After the consult, my ortho took me to reposition 3 brackets on the teeth that need to be moved slightly and had my wires changed - has been a while since my teeth ached and they do again today! There'll be a few more appointments and I'll need some more hooks fitted apparently, but really when you think about it in terms of 6-weekly appointments it's not long at all! So even though it's not ideal, and it looks like I'll have to miss my friend's wedding, it's a huge relief to have something definite to plan around... Good luck to everyone else waiting on surgery dates!
Went in early to get some more impressions done and was ever so nervous. For those of you new to the experience it's very intimidating being in a room with at least 3 people staring intently at your face, pulling you this way and that, getting their rulers out and measuring every angle and telling you 'bite together' followed by 'broad smile'... But you just grit your teeth and get it over with...
So after a lot of fiddling with my moulds and discussion, they decided that I will need to have a full 10 mm of movement... 6 mm forward on my maxilla, 4 mm back on my mandible, and elevating my maxilla by 4 mm to prevent the gummy smile... The genioplasty wasn't mentioned again and I forgot to ask..
So then the diary comes out, and they ask when would be ideal. I tentatively said 'Well, obviously Christmas is the best.. but...' and that was ruled out straight away, as I thought it would. There are a few minor tweaks that need to be done still, and a lot of work-up and pre-assessment appointments too, and we agreed around Easter... So this is the calendar as it looks so far:
March 24th: Pre-assessment. As far as I'm aware this is the appointment where the final models and measurements are taken, so that the 'wafers' can be made and fitted. It sounds like they also make lots of measurements of my head so that my jaw can be aligned with my eyes, and ears etc.
April 3rd: They try the wafers to make sure they fit my teeth. I think this is like a splint which they use to line up my teeth during the surgery to ensure the bite is right.
April 8th: SURGERY!!
So.. it's really happening; of course, I need to run by the details with school but was great timing as I am seeing my tutor next Wednesday so I can discuss it then.
After the consult, my ortho took me to reposition 3 brackets on the teeth that need to be moved slightly and had my wires changed - has been a while since my teeth ached and they do again today! There'll be a few more appointments and I'll need some more hooks fitted apparently, but really when you think about it in terms of 6-weekly appointments it's not long at all! So even though it's not ideal, and it looks like I'll have to miss my friend's wedding, it's a huge relief to have something definite to plan around... Good luck to everyone else waiting on surgery dates!
Friday, 7 November 2008
Clinic
I am absolutely terrified about my clinic with the surgeon next week; it's all I've been thinking about. I literally have no idea what to expect the outcome to be. I know worrying will not change that, but it's been building up for so long!
It's been a while since anyone made a particularly negative reference about my face, but it came yesterday courtesy of my Consultant firm head; we were having mid-rotation interviews and he asked me that his secretary had told him I was due to have surgery? So I explained the situation and he proceeded to mutter on about how it was 'definitely the right decision' and that it'll make such a difference, as when you compare other people's normal faces... Just as well I'm no longer overly sensitive about the whole thing; to be honest he's such a brusque kind of guy and doesn't really mean it nastily, more of an observation. And he made up for the fact by making some extremely positive comments about my progress so far, completely unprompted. We're changing over so that we're more ward-based next week and I can't wait!
Let's just hope my recent run of happiness and good luck carries forwardr to Friday.. fingers crossed!
It's been a while since anyone made a particularly negative reference about my face, but it came yesterday courtesy of my Consultant firm head; we were having mid-rotation interviews and he asked me that his secretary had told him I was due to have surgery? So I explained the situation and he proceeded to mutter on about how it was 'definitely the right decision' and that it'll make such a difference, as when you compare other people's normal faces... Just as well I'm no longer overly sensitive about the whole thing; to be honest he's such a brusque kind of guy and doesn't really mean it nastily, more of an observation. And he made up for the fact by making some extremely positive comments about my progress so far, completely unprompted. We're changing over so that we're more ward-based next week and I can't wait!
Let's just hope my recent run of happiness and good luck carries forwardr to Friday.. fingers crossed!
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