18 Weeks and 5 Days

Wow that took a wee while to count back on the calender to see how long it has been post-op.

Last night, I was looking through photos on my phone and ended up looking at all the photos I have taken since 4th September.
I must admit, now, now I am a little shocked when I look at my post op pictures from the first 2 weeks or so. I didn't think at the time that I was that bad, but looking at them now, I'm like crikey moses! How swollen and bruised was I? It was a little bit amazing to look at them and compare with what I look like now.

And at the same time, I said to my husband last night, it feels really odd because it feels like the whole thing just didn't happen. Aside from not being able to eat certain things like pork and nuts, I'm back to a normal diet. Yes things do take a wee while longer to eat (pizza, a baked potato and coleslaw took me 1 hour to eat the other night) but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

And I can say that I still have the same area of numbness, although I think the better description would be altered sensation; I can feel touch, just not sharpness or pain, it feels odd when I touch it, I still feel like I have food down my chin when I don't but I don't notice it most of the time, usually after eating something challenging or when it is cold.

I now have to wear a big fluffy scarf when i go out, no snow here as yet but it is cold and my jaw certainly feels it more than it used to.

So, where are we with teeth and bite and so on.
Well *whispers* I think we might just actually be close to debracing!!
I knew the ortho I saw on my first post op visit was lying when he said braces off in 4 months LOL! But we're not too far off that now.
I had an appointment with my orthodontist last Thursday. The gap on the left that arose with my teeth shifting wilst my false tooth was out post op, has closed.
The gap on the right (actually the exact same gap between the exact same teeth as the left) is also closing. I got a re-tie with new coloured ligs (hot pink and pink for valentine's day) and e-link put on top left and right to make these final closures.
With the pain I've felt top right, I can already see that gap is closed.

Back to see the orthodontist in 2 weeks time and I think she's going to say we're done!

Of course, we won't be entirely finished, there will still be tooth restoration to do.

Part of me is actually a bit worried, how will I cope with no orthodontist appointments after nearly 7 years! and the other part of me is excited to see what kind of retainers I'll get, what my teeth really look like with no metal in the way and to be able to eat an apple for the first time in 7 years!