opera^gal's story

againbrace · **Posted:** Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:53 am

Hi opera^gal,

Good to read that you teeth are settling in somewhat!

You write such entertaining posts!

Keep up the great work!

Best of Luck!

Ken.

opera^gal · **Posted:** Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:35 pm

Hey Ken: Thanks for the compliment about my particular style of blogging...I figured, this whole being braced as an adult deal has an air of hilarity most times for me, so why not express it? It stops me from prying the blasted little bits of sharp metal off with some pliers, or snipping the offending wires in half for causes such agony...but I keep remembering the very VERY old saying "pain is weakness leaving the body"...so weakness schmeakness, I continue onwards towards a corrected bite and better shaped arches.

Oh, and the bunny is back....and he brought friends. I fear they will be making me an offer I shouldn't refuse...OR..they are leaving some 'special raisins' in the chocolate eggs for the morning.

againbrace · **Posted:** Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:12 am

That's a wonderful way of looking at wearing braces! they are going to be there for a while, so why not 'enjoy" the journey.

I make fun of mine sometimes when I may get talking too fast and stumble on a word or two, by saying how my braces got in the way. It's usually good for a chuckle when you see the reaction of others.

My streetrodding buddy and best friend invited me over for their Easter dinner yesterday. Due to his family's working conditions, they had their dinner on Sat. It was fun watching his Grand kids searching for the candy filled eggs hidden all over the yard. His wife used her cell phone to call his home phone and act as the Easter Bunny to talk to the kids. Very funny and imaginative. The kids were so excited!! They all made a good haul of the eggs.

I hope the Easter Bunny treats you as well!!

Later! Ken.

opera^gal · **Posted:** Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:58 pm

A week since my last adjustment and I seem to already have some 'pokey wire' stuff going on..trying to stick it out and see if it is just my inner cheeks needed to toughen up some more, or if I really need a clip-job this soon...wax wax and more wax when I really can't stand it..hope no one has a wick handy expecting me to 'light their way'!

opera^gal · **Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:18 am

Pokey wire problem solved...won't say exactly how it was accomplished but to comment that it is wonderful to have a friend who is a long time jeweler who has lots of teeny tiny tools that ...well....forget I said that...move along...nothing to read here!

Slowpoke top incisor is STILL procrastinating about getting with the 'advancing forward program'. I know if Fleetfoot had an arm, he'd place it behind his buddy and bring him along. But sadly, teeth do not have arms <bet some of you reading this will dream about it later...bwahahahah...my evil plan at work!>. I realize I need to be patient about movement, it is ONLY the 3rd month in dental-bondage...but I'm telling ya...where is the deliverer...where is Chuck Heston, Dds??? Instead of a staff to part the Red Sea, he'd have a fist full of speedy archwires and powerchains to get things rolling!!! "Let my incisors GO!"
<wow, a few too many religious movies this past week...my bad>

opera^gal · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:14 pm

Return of the GapMonster

I have had what I thought was no real progress for about a week now, no pain either. Yet, when I woke up this morning, a few NEW gaps had appeared out of nowhere...just...poof!...gap-age!!! On the good side, makes flossing a snap....on the bad side, I fear this means many more powerchains in my future and I really REALLY detested the first mini chain this past adjustment.

2 more weeks until the next adjustment...wonder what is in store for me in the meantime?

macgirl4ever · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:23 pm

You have the best humor about subjects that I find mildly irritating at best! I love reading your blog-it really gives me a different sense of perspective.

Question: Is your ortho using powerchains to close very large gaps or just small ones? I seem to remember spending 75% of my txt time in powerchains as a teenager. My new ortho has not mentioned anything.

opera^gal · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:03 pm

Thanks for your kind compliment about my blog.

Right now, it's closing irritating small gaps, as she hasn't begun dealing with larger ones..........yet

opera^gal · **Posted:** Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:15 pm

A nice Friday began with grilled scallops and asparagus for lunch. Afterwards, I did the usual routine of brushing, rinsing, and doing a floss. However, during the normal flossing with the Crest Glide with the hard thread attached, somehow my bottom lip snagged on a band-hook and tore...yes...I said tore as in ripped a hunk off...OMG...I'd snagged on those blasted hooks before plenty of times but without spilling blood... holy moly!! I know the tissue will heal quickly as most mouth/lip trauma does..but it certainly makes smiling, speaking, eating, brushing...just about everything..unpleasant for now.

On a humourous note, I've been noticing my green PLAX mouthwash exit-pattern in the white sink to be forming various creatures I recognize...lately it has been sting rays or manta rays...had a couple spiders and a scorpion of sorts. I'm sure much like cloud patterns, only I see them that way, but each time I hang my head in the sink, I do get a chuckle from guessing 'what will be next?'

againbrace · **Posted:** Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:27 am

opera^gal wrote:

On a humourous note, I've been noticing my green PLAX mouthwash exit-pattern in the white sink to be forming various creatures I recognize...lately it has been sting rays or manta rays...had a couple spiders and a scorpion of sorts. I'm sure much like cloud patterns, only I see them that way, but each time I hang my head in the sink, I do get a chuckle from guessing 'what will be next?'

Opera^Gal, You are absolutely too much!! What a great sense of humor!!

Sorry you had the blood letting! Heal quickly!

C'ya' Later! Ken.

opera^gal · **Posted:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:14 am

Temperature at 92 over the weekend, so thought I make a chilled cucumber/vinegar salad that I always enjoy during the summer months. Sliced them up thin, put them in the vinegar/water/sugar solution for a few hours and sat down to enjoy with a meal. Well well well, who knew that cucumbers secretly wish they were reticulated pythons ...as these blasted bits of vegetation wrapped themselves securely around any exposed bit of wire in my mouth...round and round...tiny green decorations that took HOURS to get every last traces of them found, spat out and rinsed away. What's next, some brash zucchini offering me an apple, followed by a bolt of lightning from the heavens???

opera^gal · **Posted:** Sat May 02, 2009 7:04 pm

Wow..three months since I began this adventure..I know it is a short amount of time to some of you out there who have been in it over 12 and even longer.....for me, it is hard to remember what smooth teeth even feel like!!
A few more days until adjustment #3. I'm hoping that the right side crew of Slowpoke et. al, can get with the program, whether it means a new wire or using more evil twisted wire ties on that side. I know it will be really REALLY uncomfortable, but the uneven-ness of the two sides of the front of my mouth, feels wacky. Might be nice to close the gaps that opened from last time around as well, but I doubt that will happen until everything is closer to 'even'.
Summer approaches and I wonder: if I smile out in the sunshine, will my lips get a tan from the reflection of all that metal???

againbrace · **Posted:** Sun May 03, 2009 1:53 am

opera^gal wrote:

Summer approaches and I wonder: if I smile out in the sunshine, will my lips get a tan from the reflection of all that metal???

I don't think you'll get a tan but if you aim them just right, they will act like the Death Star Laser!!

opera^gal · **Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 8:42 am

After many MANY days of rain, I looked outside this morning to a bright glowing object in the sky...is that ...can it be...the sun?? This could only mean good things to come at my 3rd adjustment.
How to begin.. I arrived early to find out they had pushed my appointment back an HOUR, so I settled in with a stack of magazines only to be called 5 mins later to go in...huh? I gave the receptionist my best Scooby-Doo ocean expression, and ran for the numbered doors on my golden ticket. The techie gal was one I'd seen before, and was quite nice about giving me more wax and a new toothbrush. Doc came in, took a look and was quite pleased with how the 'advancing loops' were working..so pleased that she removed the wire as I was quietly hoping for a stronger gauge thus meaning I was progressing, only to replace the same wire with the 'loops' having been both enlarged and tightened, if that makes any sense at all. Said there was still work it could do to get the uncooperative side to join the gang 'up front'. Good news/bad new: no more power chain on the bottoms!!..but the wire stayed the same. We looked at the before pictures while I held a mirror and she explained what was happening so far. Very very helpful!. Doc scooted out and the techie put on the new ligatures and answered more questions I had about those 'loops' and what was going on based on where they were placed <between the banded molars and the molar in front of them>. The 'loop' exerts force forward by not only forward pressure but also by pressure of the band not allowing it to move. Whatever however, it's working! I can already feel Slowpoke being forced forward, to which he will rebel and make me painful...but I took plenty of Aleve BEFORE the appointment, so hardee har har!!! There was talk of the evil elastics for further bite correction in my future, but it appears they are a ways off yet. Finishing up in the back, I headed to the front to empty my wallet into their coffers and get the appointment for July <as they have you book 2 appointments in advance>, only to find out my June one was not in their system. Ummm...I had the little card with the date/time much to their chagrin, so they had to wedge me in for June, but so far...July looks fine. Who knows if it will be there when I go back and try to book August.
Now, to go enjoy the ONE DAY of sunshine before several more rainy days arrive!!

opera^gal · **Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 7:07 pm

p.s. thought something 'felt' funny mid-afternoon...looked carefully and one of the ligatures wasn't on all the cleats of the bracket..after a couple tries <and it coming off all the way..yikes>, I got it back on completely. Otherwise, a little achey on one side so far, but was able to brush AND floss, so ahead of the game for the moment.

opera^gal's story

Who is online