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!

Sooooo confused!

I had an orthodontist appointment today to start working on closing the gap left when they pulled teeth before surgery. And it was full of surprises. The first surprise came when I learned I would not be seeing my orthodontist, but her partner, who I will apparently be seeing from now on. I didn't ask why this was... maybe I'm just that annoying as a patient??
He came in to take a look before any of the wires came off. And the next surprise was, after looking around for a minute, he pronounced me ready for surgery! I said no, the oral surgeon said the gap would need to be closed orthodontically partway before surgery, so it won't be until December. Apparently when the surgeon and the *new* orthodontist talked yesterday, he said he would just take some bone out during surgery to close the gap. So I walked out of there with surgical wires and hooks still on, waiting for a call today or tomorrow after he checks in with the surgeon.
Of course, the possibility of going ahead with surgery is very good news. The sooner I get into surgery, the sooner I get out and get rid of the braces. But I am a serious planner, and this throws a SERIOUS monkey wrench into my plans! I really don't know what news I want to hear when the phone rings!