aarrrgh, lol

I had an adjustment on Thursday which I was dreading! During most of my Xmas holiday which was 5 weeks long, my teeth were really sensitive.

Ok fine. I'll admit that I ate popcorn twice which I heard we are not supposed to do when we have braces. But I just don't control myself because I love it! Especially when its just been made and it has melted butter on it, then the tiny little bit of (non existent) self control that I wish I had is out the window! So the first time I ate it one of the wires on my lower molars (the twisty ones) broke and I was in so much pain! My aunt looked at me disapprovingly and asked me why I had done such an irresponsible thing?! I looked at her and responded with a self satisfied smirk: "it was worth it"...

The second time I ate popcorn it was one of the twisty wires on the right hand side that broke. And the same scene ensued with my aunt, only this time my response was: "I'm never eating popcorn again!" because this time the pain was really unpleasant. Anyway, since then I have not touched the stuff. But this is not because I have disciplined myself, oh no, don't be fooled. Its only because the right opportunity has not presented itself.

When I got back home from East Africa there were about two weeks until my next adjustment. Did I use that time to set up an emergency appointment and get the broken twisty bastard wires fixed? Oh no, I was running around trying to sort out all the other things in my life and also I was lazy because now the braces have become a hindrance rather than something that will improve my appearance.

I must admit that I look at adults differently when they smile at me for the first time and they have braces. I would love to have mine for longer but its the discomfort and pain I can't be positive about anymore. Yesterday I met someone who had just gotten her braces and I can't tell you how nice it was to turn to shaker her hand and see her smile wide with braces, that was absolutely awesome...

So I had my adjustment on Thursday and the oral hygienist replaced the one twisty wire and put in more plastic power chains because one of the gaps where I had an extraction over a year ago has refused to close and this time she decided that it WILL CLOSE... this was without a doubt the most painful adjustment I have ever had. From the moment I left, all the gaps were closed and my jaws, teeth, everything was throbbing! But what scared me was that for the first time since getting an adjustment, the pain killers did not help with the pain, my teeth just continued throbbing.

Maybe its a punishment from my teeth for eating popcorn, despising the elastics (which I have not worn since cos it worsens the pain) or for just being a really lazy brace face recently. Aside from the gaps, I can't see any difference in my bite. It turns out I have to go back in two weeks time and get the stainless steel wire put on the top teeth. Then apparently I have to start wearing the elastics in a different configuration/ position? to make the bottom teeth move backwards so that I have an overbite. Boring blah. I'm really struggling to stay motivated right now.

Anyway one of my best friends had braces and she told me that there is no way my braces will come off in three months time, somehow I had this feeling it was too soon as well.She told me to bite and inspected my teeth and told me to forget it. aw shucks oh well...

At this point I can't wait to get them off because in the past couple of months my teeth have been extra sensitive, painful and the elastics irritate the inside of my gums. The elastics and me have still not bonded, I'm getting worried.

On a lighter note, I was reading up on all of you and your teeth are looking quite fantastic I must say. I absolutely love Michelles power chains, wonder how come I never get an option of coloured power chains? Please check up on Karen Kiwi, she really needs us now.

And lastly, I put a picture of one of the ladies I met working at Johannesburg airport. As soon as she saw I had braces we bonded and she was really nice to me after that. Most of the time airport staff are really ugly and frsutrated but she was really nice and helpful.

I was thinking that with the orthobloggers that I follow, well some of them anyway, they really become friends because they share so much of their lives with you.

Thanks ladies!

love n.

oh man really struggling to stay positive with braces right now...

happy new year ortho family!!!! I was in east africa for 5 weeks catching up with family and other east african disapora! I've really struggled with the braces the past few weeks. wires were pricking me (especially after I ate popcorn) and my teeth have just been very sensitive generally. how it is going with all of you? For the first time since getting the braces I have really been through a rough patch. During the holiday I tried to be faithful to my elastics but sometimes I forgot. My teeth moved a bit because there are spaces espeically in the teeth right at the front. Laura what are they called? and there were times when I had really bad toothache, during my holiday?

Well can't wait to catch up on your progress. Met a new friend at the airport will post a pic soon. A

tired of elastics

I think I am becoming bored with my elastics cos I can't see any difference in my teeth. Sometimes, but not very often I go an entire day without wearing them. That's really bad right? I think subconciously I just hate the things.

How long are we supposed to wear them anyways? I have an adjustment coming up with this week so I guess I'll ask the oral hygienist.

Let me check on the rest of you...

still in pain after adjustment a week ago

well nothing new or exciting happening in this camp. i had an adjustment last week wednesday and my usual oral hygienist was busy on some lucky son of a gun so i got one of the rest. quiet and only talking to each other in their language.

i'm not used to going for an adjustment and no conversation in between. so what they did first was to look at my elastics and the Dr. said he was very pleased with the results and that my bottom teeth only to move back a bit. I looked at the teeth in my bottom jaw and they are totally getting messed up becos of the elastics. i only noticed it today. my bottom teeth were always perfect until i started this treatment.

Anyway she was supposed to put a stainless steel wire but it didn't want to fit so she tried to fix it. by banging it or hitting it to make it fit. That hurt like a b.tch, lol. After significant 'discomfort' as they called it, she gave up and took it to put in a smaller wire.

Then We put the elastics and the Dr. told me to be strict with those. my teeth were really sensitive but coming back to normal except for the teeth on the left hand side. After this adjustment I was fed up and felt like I don't want to do this anymore!!!! this only happened to me once after i just been wearing the appliances for three days.

She was just not careful with me or talking me through it which i think made the entire process almost truamtic.

ok i'm off to replace my elastics... you all are looking good and laura just had surgery and jen is just about to. much more exctiting things happening with all of you.

Elastics and wax?????

So I have been wearing elastics on again off again for almost a month. The first couple of days were fine but then after that the pain started. As soon as I took the elastics off the pain was gone. I have some weird gaps now and people look at me really funny when they see my putting the elastics in and removing them to eat.

I will admit that sometimes I take them out to brush my teeth and forget to put them back in - I know really bad! But I put them in as soon as I remember. I have an adjustment next week so lets see what happens. I don't understand the gaps I have now, they are strange...

my personal life is as dramatic as ever! drama and issues because of yours truly. The tension has been really high lately which has made Nabukay a nasty person to know...

elastics and prediction to be debraced in march 09

My teeth have gone from this when they were much better: So now, at my last adjustment on Tuesday I was given elastic bands to wear on each side. The elastics are not any where near as bad as I thought they would be. I was dreading them I think I pictured elastics that stretched across my entire mouth and had no idea how I would put them in, eat or even speak. So the oral hygienist said my teeth have moved so fast that she think the braces will be out in March. Well I'm pleasantly surprised but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be debraced? I love my braces and they give me character... anyway this is how my teeth look with elastics, they have become so straight I can't remember what they were like before. I have some big spaces and she used that transparent wire, string thing to force two of them together. That was really painful, but after about three days my teeth stopped hurting.

This is how my teeth look now:
On another note, I've been watching the hills lately and i guess the reason why I love it is because of how much I can relate to Lauren, I went through all that drama with my ex flatmate and some of the other things I can relate to as well. Ok I should sign off, I had such a good workout at the gym but now I need to work. *hugs*

reflecting on my life

My teeth have been a bit sensitive on the right hand side especially the upper jaw. I guess they are moving...

I still have a week to go until my adjustment. I promise not to miss it this time!

I had lunch with a friend today, a good friend. Do you know what its like when you sit there and find yourself with someone but you can't remember what you have in common? You sit there thinking of what you want for your life and its not what the two of you are talking about or where this person is at. For the longest time I felt neglected by this friend and lately by another, but I think I've reached a point where I've realised that my real friends will call me every once in while and answer my messages... I think I've been asking myself whether it is a bad thing that the other friend never returns my calls? That means I may have outgrown this friendship.

I think I'm in a good space now because I am really evaluating my life in all aspects, emotionally, spiritually, financially and in terms of the company I keep and I have realised that if I want to get to where I want to go I need to make alot of changes.

Well, at the moment I am not single. I spent every day of the week with my new 'boyfriend'. But I've realised something, its different now. I don't have expectations. For the moment I just want us to get to know each other before deciding on anything. This one is nice but I don't know if he is the one. I do know that I'm not going to lose myself. I think I've grown up like that, I don't just fall in love with a man because he expresses interest anymore. He has to be special and while this one is nice, he doesn't fit the bill just yet.

if you'd like to know more about me....

check out bwnamibia.book.co.za and you can learn more about what keeps me busy.

totally missed my last adjustment!

ok so the only thing you can possibly be wondering is how the heck does someone miss an adjustment? oh gosh there are just so many things running through my mind at the moment.

i was really ill for about two weeks and the medication the Dr. gave me reacted so badly with my system i ended up getting hospitalised which was not fun. but i have a different kind of crisis on my hands at the moment. so remember i mentioned i went out for dinner with a 'friend' and it was just refreshing. this friend and i ended up going on more dates, holding hands and a couple of kisses.

this weekend he did not call me once, did not respond to my text messages and call me back when he missed my call. i'm so confused. anyway so i reschudled my appointment for the 31st and when i realised i missed it. damn i felt dum that day, lol.

as for my teeth, the teeth in the upper left hand jaw have been really sensitive and its worse if i eat meat or chicken. i guess it means they are moving but there was even a time when they were aching which is soemthing i have not experienced for a while because i have become used to the pain....

hope you all have some good news for me this feels like a blue monday.

braced for 11 months and loving it

So today I had to go the Dentist because my gums have been bleeding and I don't know where the blood comes from. It turns out that they are a bit inflamed because of the appliances in my mouth. The first time they were a bit inflamed was because of an infection but this time she said its just irritation and she said my hygiene is really good and my gums look strong. Amazing, considering how lazy I am, too lazy to floss everyday and immediately after meals...

I was alarmed because sometimes after brushing there is a bit of blood but my gums and teeth aren't particularly sore. I HATE going to the dentist, even if they are nice and I can watch the style network while they work on my teeth. I hate all the equipment they use and all of it. But each time I make an appointment I only remember when I have to get into the chair how much I hate it.

The oral hygienist was shocked when she saw my teeth and she asked me which tooth was skew and I could not fully remember because of how straight they have been for a while. They are almost perfect although since closing the gap at the front, the midlines are off again. Anyway she mentioned that it looks like I will not have them for much longer and then I told her that I am enjoying the braces. I love them, they make me different. And I enjoy clean teeth so yeah.

Steph had a really cool post with 7 reasons she has braces, make sure to check it out.

over and out.

still sensitive teeth

so my adjustment was 5 days ago and my teeth are almost fine, just a little bit sensitive when i try and bite on my front teeth. i can't chew properly even with the teeth at the back. normally chewing with the braces is ridiculous but since the adjustment its worse. the gap that i only noticed the night before my adjustment is totally closed but my midlines are off. i saw the lady that gave me really good advice when i decided to get braces (she's 27 like me) and her braces are off. and then i thought of how fantastic my smile is going to be under these things!!!! that was a nice thought...

ok off to clean my room. keep on keeping on.

painfree adjust yesterday = SERIOUS PAIN TODAY

So yesterday morning I went in for an adjustment. It was relatively quick because all she did was to replace the lower arch wire with a stainless steel wire (I think that what she called it). Basically my bottom teeth are perfect now so they are not supposed to move anymore.



She took the power chain off the teeth in the upper right hand side jaw, I think all the spaces are closed and she also took the miserable power string off. On Tuesday night my best friend told me I had a gap which in all seriousness, I had not even noticed. Anyway they mentioned it yesterday and she put a power string on it and the gap was closed thereafter.



Next month I get a stainless steel wire on the top jaw and elastics so that they can correct my bite. My teeth are perfectly straight now and the midlines are perfectly aligned. Only noticed yesterday after she mentioned it. So I 'sauntered' out of the ortho's office thinking that was the quickest least painful adjustment I have ever had. I was smiling to myself with glee. She told me my bottom teeth were going to be very painful but I disregarded that cos I felt fine.



Well guess what? today my whole jaw hurts, especially on the right hand side. All my teeth at the bottom are really sore and now that I think of it at the top they are sore too. I totally forgot how much it hurts after an adjustment.



I'm reading a really good book now by Louise Hay, its called: The power is within you. I think I have realised I have some serious issues about being single.

read you later.

XX

crisis?

I have an adjustment on wednesday but I can't believe it is that time already?! I bumped into three of my coworkers at the mall during the last weekend. But the thing is when I bumped into each of them I saw their girlfriends, and I was quite surprised because I guess I expected them to be prettier.

I was laughing inside at the one ladies teeth because they were badly discoloured and the other girlfriend I met looks like she is in her 40s. Anyway aside from the fact that I am obviously very judgemental as my brother informed me and also a fashion whore, I realised something I learned before and was only reminded of once again by God:

1. All the good men are taken.
2. The good men date regualar women, not bombshells.
3. It doesn't matter how many men fall for you/ tell you that are beautiful/progessive etc you could still end up alone.

So I have decided to do something for myself which is to dress the way I do (I have very expensive taste - I was horrifed when my friend told me she has not bought clothes for the entire year). So I have decided to dress as I do for myslelf and not for the approval of men or other people.

So I really reflected because I wanted to know where this whole mindset I have of judging people based on their looks comes from and I thought about the kinds of things I watch on TV: How do I look, Peter Perfect, and all the others. If it has to do with fashion I love it. But in this process I almost totally lost myself.

I guess I just feel like, I'm one of those women that everybody says is pretty and has a good body without working for it. But guess what? I'm totally single and whenever I see people with real intimacy my heart sinks. I would give anything to meet fewer men who have shallow and superficial crushes on me in exchange for real intimacy.

so yeah I am kind of in a small crisis, I hate when I feel this way but I know it will end... see you after my adjustment.

ortho bloggers starting trends...

So this is me and my friend Hanlie. She's had her braces for a month and a half and lost almost 10kg so she looks much older than she is. Anyway so we were laughing about how un - cheese friendly braces are. Our lasagne was covered in cheese. So she wanted to get braces before she turns 40 and I was there to cheer her on. This is like one of the worst pictures ever at least my teeth are behaving. Strangely enough my teeth don't touch tip to tip anymore...

I had dinner with a friend on Sunday evening and we had the most intense conversation. We spoke about his family and lots of other random stuff you would only discuss if its the two of you.

He asked me how I feel about my looks and I told him I'm okay looking I guess. He told me he thinks I'm beautiful. We're going to watch a movie tomorrow probably after we're done at the gym. It was so refreshing to just talk to someone with no agenda's or expectations. Just to have an open and frank discussion.

I totally thought he was a hot piece of ass when I met him last year, (sorry Michelle and Karen) I know its not very good language but I thought he was totally immature. Don't get excited we're just friends. Besides I think I'm too jaded to be in a relationship but at least I'm going out.... sometimes I think I'm in crisis, because I found out recently that the last man I loved is getting married. It actually hurts a bit and I don't even know why. Anyway.

Off to meet a good friend at wine bar, still tired from gym last night even though the workout was the best!

hugs and kisses on your cheeks!

adjustment number 400

Ok maybe its not 400 but yeah I have had the braces for nine months now can't believe it. Bumped into my friend Hanlie when I went in for the adjustment this morning. And she was inspired by me to get the braces, I tell you we are starting trends! its amazing how many adults I know that have braces now its great. I went for a scan this afternoon as well and a made a new friend called madelyn, she wants to get braces too as soon as she can afford it. She said her friend has had hers for a month and people keep asking her why she wants to get them because she is 23 already. I told her I got mine at the age of 27 and if people have a problem with them its their choice.

At todays adjustment they told me that I will be wearing elastics from next month because they need to correct my bite, its supposed to be a class 2 bite i think?... the spaces on both sides where teeth were extracted moved differently this time. The space on the right is totally closed so no power chain there this month, thanks be to God! I did get a power chain on the left and also a power string. When she removed the previous chain and string and even the arch wire that was really painful today. I haven't had such a painful adjustment for a while. She had to keep stopping to give my mouth a rest because she could see it was hurting me.

She placed a much thicker wire on the top jaw and also told me that they discussed my treatment and because my teeth are moving so quickly they think the braces might come off sooner than they initially thought. Lets see what happens. Had pumpkin for dinner because I was starving! haven't eaten all day. Every month I forget how painful adjustments are. oh well, each adjustment means I'm closer to my perfect smile....

cut all my hair off and an adjustment tomorrow

So this is what my hair looked like before i cut it and then after. I have never ever had short hair, its always been really really long. I always had a huge afro and then i decided to cut all of it off to have a fresh start and also because its low maintenance. I'll be back tomorrow because I have an adjustment in the morning, can't believe its that time already. Its like time is moving at break neck speed....

The bookfair

So I'm in CT and the book fair is quite impressive. Lots of distributors and publishers from India and Europe. Yesterday I spent the whole day drinking in the stalls and schmoozing. Ok what I really did was lots of networking which was good. I also attended some of the talks by women authors about their memoirs and that was quite cool.

This is totally supposed to be a working trip but I decided to have some fun in between and now I've missed the whole of the second day of the book fair because I was too exhuasted to get up. I'm doing some things on facebook at the moment and we want to go and see sex and the city later.

Cape Town is wet and miserable today, not that keen to go out. The plane trip cost me 3 grand and my mom was complaining about the expense and she is right, this is expensive but as far as I'm concerned its also an investment. So back to the plane, I am a tiny 5 foot 2 but I was squashed in the plane because the seating space is so small!! how do normal sized people fit in those seats? the food was really good even though it was really small. The trip was uncomfortable because I felt cramped in my tiny space and it was only an hour and 45 minutes but when it was over I was so relieved. So I think I have successfully written today off but tomorrow and Tuesday I will definately actually attend more of the talks.

ok checking in y'all now.

eight months down and a successful adjustment to boot...

This morning I went in for my adjustment and that was relatively quick. She put a thicker wire in on the bottom and the top. She also replaced the power chains she had removed last month. She put what she called (I think) a power string onto the teeth where the power chains are as well because apparently the power chain is not strong enough to close the spaces itself.

when she was putting on all the extra plastic/elastic/ metal it was a bit painful not unbearable though. I think my mouth is used to the trauma. Oh no, I just realised I have to brush my teeth in a few minutes. what a nightmare.

She mentioned two things which made me feel a bit disheartened for the first time in my treatment. Firstly they have not even started correcting my bite, at the moment when I bite all my teeth touch perfectly. But in actuality it is not perfect because there should be a slight overbite (Laura where are you, I know you would know the technical term for this). So at some point I will have to use elastics which is the second thing I am really not looking forward to. I don't know why the idea of having to wear elatics gets to me. Its ridiculous.

Today there were two ladies who came in for braces for the first time. I watched them put the appliances for the one whom I am estimating is about 30 years old. She has been delaying her treatment for 8 years and she said that she is not going through with the surgery. I asked the ortho assistant what happens if people don't go for the surgery and she said sometimes the surgery is purely for cosmetic reasons. So this lady told me her sister had braces too and they were on for 5 years. I was like: wow! I admire her courage and she had such a positive attitude.

braces are one of the best decision I made for myself. My lovelife is pathetic at the moment but the rest of me is doing well.

*hugs*

adjustment in two days

So I have an adjustment in three days so for the next couple of days I'm eating as much food as possible!! lol. because I'm quite sure my teeth are going to be traumatised after Tuesday so might as well eat for those 7 days.

I was out all week on a Technical Assistance visit to the regional offices that I supervise so I have alot of catching up to do with you all. I also had a chance to meet with my editor. That was an awesome experience. She edited a book called Emails from the edge by a Canadian writer and was full of suggestions to explore some themes in the book further as well add more value to it. She also had millions of grammatical changes and queries about sentence structure. Damn, this is a lot of work!

We met for about an hour and a half and now I need to sit down and review the changes. If I agree with them its up to me to decide if and how she should proceed. I'm getting tired just thinking about it. But I'm also very excited to take up the challenge.

I'll be going to Cape Town South Africa in a couple of weeks for the book fair. It presents an opportunity to meet up with publishers, aspiring authors, published authors and book lovers in general. I'm really excited about that. Imagine if this book actually got published? Besides the fact that it might help other people it will help me to launch my new career and yeah, help people.

Shontell you asked for the title, well I came up with three which were quite similar but I'm not sure about any of them anymore. My editor said she liked part of one of them but she didn't seem too keen on any of them and keeps telling me I need to pray about it so yes I think she is not feeling any of the titles I selected. She also gave me quite a bit of guidance in terms of the blurb that should be sent to the publishers and so much. Help! Can't wait to be done with this part its still too much work, anyway at least I enjoy it. This book is a memoir about my experience of clinical depression and how I recovered from it. I just think that its something that alot of women, especially professional working women, can relate to, no matter what their age. I want the target to be youngish people but my editor says she feels its geared more towards female people so yeah lets see what happens because we still have quite a bit to discuss.

let me catch up with the rest of you it feels like its been ages...

update

So its been four quick weeks since my last adjustment and my front teeth have moved quite considereably. After they added a button to my wonky tooth and a power chain its amazing to see how much my bite has been corrected. The midlines are almost perfect. This is how my bite looks before the last adjustment and then today.

This week has been a bit hectic cos one of my bes friends gave birth so I was in and out of hospital checking on her, ferrying people to visit and dropping what she needed. I can't believe there are people that would call me when they need help?! Its an awesome privilege....

As for my book, this week I was supposed to get the authors bio and sample chapters to the publishers that responded to my email but as usual I was too lazy. Besides my social life and working hard in my job I'm shocked I get any other things done...