Well, yesterday was a crap of a day. I got creamed by my boss for something I didn't do, got into a major fight with my step-mom, and had my OS appointment at the end of the day when I was already feeling a little teary and totally wiped out.
Well, the good news is that my tomo report showed that I no longer have active degenerative joint disease in the left TMJ. I kind of chickened out on some of my questions though. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt intimated and stupid about the whole appointment (darn you, low self-esteem). He couldn't give me any exact measurements, but he did say I could come in for about an hour appointment, and he would do all of that for me if I wanted. I told him I thought I'd wait until it was closer to the surgery and my teeth were more in place...
Basically he said that he would have to do both jaws. He'll straighten them up and move them both forward a bit. He said that he didn't expect I'd have too many changes to my face except that my chin will be straight and more forward. I will be banded shut. He expects a good prognosis and little chance of relapse.
I told him about the pain I was having. He said that if it got any worse, I'd have to put braces on hold and go back into a splint, which would double the time before I could have surgery. He said that my left joint had dislocated again because of not being in the splint. He said I can stay out of a splint as long as I can tolerate the pain. I told him it was manageable (which is not always exactly true, but I can't stand the thought of going back into that splint). He said that my OD is absolutely the best, and I can expect a great result.
So, yesterday was kind of a mixed bag, but overall, the news from my OS was good.
Yes, that is great news! When will your braces come on?
ReplyDeleteSorry the beginning of your day was so crappy. If it makes you feel any better, I spilled everything yesterday...everything...including an ice coffe bottle that broke in my nice lunch bag, soaked two flashdrives of important data, embedded my lunch with glass, and got brown mocha coffee all over my white purse. Lovely day yesterday was! :p
Hi! I have my braces already. If I have to go back into a splint, they'll put in an "inactive" wire to hold things in place while I'm in the splint. I'd have to have this done twice: I'd get a bottom splint while the top teeth are straightened. When the top are straightened, I'd get a top splint while the bottom are straightened--totally doubling the time. Ugh. Don't want to do it!
ReplyDeleteSorry about your purse (and your data)! Any way to get the coffee stain out?
Hi Ellie, I know what you mean about chickening out on asking the questions. I remember the one time I met my surgeon, and I had so many questions written down to ask him, but then when I was there I just felt like they were stupid questions to ask! Thank God for all these blogs or I would be clueless!
ReplyDeletehey; im sorry to hear about your day =/ but hey it ended good id say?
ReplyDeletei think once your really comfortable with your surgeon you'll be able to ask all the questions, itll take time..
by any chance have you done an MRI recently?
Thanks Sarah and Mai!
ReplyDeleteMai, I only had the one MRI done in 2009, before I had braces or anything. I don't think I could have a follow-up one until my braces are off.