This takes skill...

Here’s a pretty recent picture so you can see the glamorous, hook studded smile I’m sporting. They aren’t too noticeable in most pictures (but in some lighting, the flash ricochets off them enough that I’m worried about the photographer’s eyes) In person, they look pretty funny. I’ll post a close up picture sometime, but now on to the story.
Yesterday, for the second time in as many months, I broke the same bracket on the top right side. Was I chewing gum, or hard candy, or any of the things they suspected at the orthodontist? Nope, just talking. One minute I’m having a carefree conversation, the next I’m chomping on free floating wire, hooks, and bracket grit. Apparently the ICE brackets have much less give, and I keep catching my lip on the surgical hook next to that bracket. All of that has been weakening the bracket to the point that it just pretty much explodes!
It was an interesting trip to get it fixed today, because I didn’t see my normal ortho or her staff. A new ortho was there (like, brand new) who I had met briefly before but who hadn’t seen any of my records. A lot of confusion ensued, as it does anytime I see someone new for my mouth, be it there or at the dentist. I’m sure you all can relate! Take this conversation:
“Bite together… bite together please… could you bite together? Meredith?”
“Umm… I am.”
“You are? Oh, wow, you are. We’re going to fix that, right?”
Then the assistant, who didn’t believe the wires were segmented and was sure I had cut it for some reason, really wanted to unband and redo the whole top with one wire. Thus I learned to PAY ATTENTION when someone is working on your mouth! They probably haven’t dealt with mouths as complicated before! Fortunately, I whipped out all my orthodontic knowledge to explain the reasoning behind the three separate wires, and she put it back the way it was.
In the end, it all got straightened out. Everyone was very nice, but it’s such a hassle for everyone involved that I try to avoid seeing other orthodontists as much as possible. I got a steel bracket to replace the one that’s been falling apart and was sent home, hopefully for the last time before surgery. (Even though it's still 2 months off, getting started on my 'lasts' is kind of exciting!)

Phew!

I'm in a much better mood today, so I'll try to explain myself a little more clearly! I have to say I'm sooooo grateful for the support of other people going through the same things! Rita and Anya, thanks so much for your comments.
In general, I'm pretty okay with the whole process. But on days when I'm already frustrated, it's a very easy thing to fixate on! I do believe wholeheartedly that it's going to be worth it, but I can't wait for it to be done. And I've been very blessed to be able to find ways around things. Although I lost the classroom job, my job in the doctor's office is going great and letting me have lunch almost every day with my college roomate, who got me the job. Definite blessing. And since I had to defer my admission to a special ed Master's degree program once they moved my surgery to August (should have been tomorrow, actually!) I've discovered that an online program would be more affordable, as reputable as I need it to be, and much easier to do with my schedule. Like anything else, you just have to keep an eye out for the good. I totally believe in the whole when God closes a door, he opens a window thing... some days I just don't feel like looking for the window, you know?
The surgical hooks aren't even that bad- they rubbed a lot the first week. Now there's just a few on the bottom that hurt a few days each week, probably because of how tightly I pull my lip in to close my mouth. I mainly just hate how they look! I'll put up a few pictures soon, so you all can see how funny-looking they are. But they have their advantages- now I plan to dress up as Darla from Finding Nemo for Halloween- the little girl with even more mouth gear than me!

update

Warning- this may not be a pretty post. Braces and I are not getting along right now.
Well, the way the job/surgery battle played out wasn't good. I asked for assurance from the principal that I had the job before changing surgery. He said I unofficially had the job, we just needed a contract and it would be official. So I got on the phone and changed surgery to November 10. I called to let him know, and his first words were, "About that job..."
I didn't get the job. And other appointments had already been scheduled during my surgery time (they go like hotcakes, apparently) so I also lost the surgery date.
Fortunately, I've since gotten another job working as a receptionist at a doctor's office. It's not something I want to do long-term, but they say they'll be okay with me taking a few weeks off so I'm okay with answering phones and working on insurance (I certainly have experience with that part!)
I'm just SO sick of the waiting. I want the surgery done, I want the braces off. At this point, I would settle for just losing the surgical hooks (the orthodontist was going to charge me to get rid of those, so I'll have them for 7, count 'em, 7 months before I even have surgery) But I'm just so tired of the whole process I could scream. I know that when it's over it'll feel like such a short time, but right now it feels like I'm going to look like this for the rest of my life.

Decisions, decisions!

I had my first official pre-op workup Wednesday, during which no wrenches were thrown! The removal sites are healing up well and they're still working towards an August 26 date. Very exciting.
So now that things are moving along so well... an entirely different type of wrench. I don't know if I've mentioned that I've had a lot of trouble getting a job in the past year (it seems my parents were right- a degree in psychology and Spanish doesn't qualify you for much!) A teacher who I worked for long-term last year is starting a academic life skills program at a new school and wants me to come be her assistant. This would be full time, for as long as I want it. Plus it's exactly the kind of program I want to teach in and the teacher is GREAT, I would learn SO much. And they were willing to work with me about surgery. So long as I had surgery over Thanksgiving.
Uh-oh.
So now the question is, do I apply for the job and put off surgery? There is a chance that if I did that, I wouldn't get the job and would have put myself and the entire office staff through a lot of hassle for nothing. But I need, need, need a real job.
Oh, jaw surgery... why do you have to mess with so much more than just my mouth?

a few odds and ends

It looks like I've neglected to mention exactly what I'm going to be having done! That would be a 3 piece Lefort 1 and a genioplasty. And, from talking to a nurse at the surgeon's office today, I learned I'm also scheduled for a septoplasty (you learn something new every day, right?)
My immediate reaction was "What IS that?" so naturally, I went straight to Wikipedia. A septoplasty fixes a deviated septum. I didn't know I had one, but when I started researching, I remember him telling me that my nose was off-center and he might fix that. I probably missed anything he said about it after that, because I was too busy thinking "wait, is my nose really off center?" (I've asked numerous people that, and about a quarter of them say 'yeah, i think it is' so I believe him now) Plus I do get headaches and bloody noses and mouthbreathe a lot, so I think it would be a helpful surgery.
I really need to talk more to him about it next week, though, because it sounds like a septoplasty is really hard on you breathing-wise. Like, your nose is splinted and packed, so you have to breathe through your mouth. Which could be hard, when your mouth is also splinted and packed.
Could I get some advice from those of you who've been through it? I know it sounds like breathing has been really hard for just about everyone. Would it have made a difference to have your nose completely blocked off, or was your nose so badly blocked from the tubes anyway that it wouldn't really make a difference? I'd just like to know how much I need to worry about this before I go in next week :) Thanks, everyone!

I have a date!

...the surgical kind, not the dinner and a movie kind. August 26, at 8 am. A little less than 2 months away! I've learned by now not to get too excited just yet. But I feel like this time, it really is going to happen.

Getting closer to a date!

Eek. All this cooperation between surgeon and orthodontist gets complicated, doesn't it? But I think we have it all straightened out now, for the moment. The surgeon has approved going ahead with surgery and removing a slice of bone where the bicuspids were. We have to wait 6 weeks for those to heal before they can take molds, then two weeks after that for them to heal enough for surgery. But this means we're looking at the end of August, which is much closer than December! So it's good news!