Day 694: So long, and goodnight.
I haven't posted here in ages, life kind of took off (as it tends to). A lot of time has passed since I last wrote on here, and a lot has happened.
As well as recovering, I was getting ready to embark on my teacher training. 6 weeks post op I started my PGCE in secondary music, and became a qualified teacher in July 2015. And now, I am coming to the end of my very first year in teaching.
But moving on to the relevant stuff... I am now brace free! This is fairly old news for me, but this is a massive milestone for anyone going through the jaw surgery process. My braces came off in December 2014, and I now wear clear removable retainers. These were a royal pain at first, but you soon get used to them. It reminded me of breaking in a new pair of shoes, painful at first but the result was worth it (and the peace if mind!).
Here are my official clinical photographs. The photos on the left are pre op, and the photos on the right are post op (taken immediately after my braces were removed!
I am so chuffed with the results, I find the difference between the two sets of photos simply amazing!
Although these are clinical photos, taken with a medical purpose, I also find the difference between my two graduation photos really striking. OK, so I have a different hairstyle, but there is definitely a noticeable difference in my face.
And while I'm at it, I may as well post my X-Rays to show how much everything has changed (and my metal gear that I've gained!)
And today, I've just been discharged from the hospital after 14-15 years of being a patient there. It doesn't feel real that I won't go back to that clinic again, or see my orthodontist or surgeon. And I'm so thankful for what they have done for me, my bite is finally fixed.
I mentioned this in some very early blog entries, but I used to be badly bullied at school for the way I looked. This has made this journey even more important to me. I was also inspired to write a song about my experience of jaw surgery and bullying. I've called it 'Bionic Girl'. When I was first post op, I used to joke that the metal plates and screws meant that I was now 'bionic' (although of course this was an exaggeration). Anyway, I've posted a link where you can listen to it if you want to. I also gave a copy to my orthodontist, as I wanted to get across how much of a big deal this whole journey has been.
That pretty nuch brings my whole 'Orthognathic Venture' to a close. Anyone currently going through this process, I really do hope you have found this blog useful and interesting. Best of luck to you all.
So long, and goodnight.
B x
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