"I'm rising up slowly, and getting higher..."

"...I've been living with a hole in my heart. Weighing down on me, but I'm a fighter I know I still got a shot in the dark."
- Shot In the Dark by: Augustana

  This song has definitely kept me going these couple of weeks, sorry I haven't posted in a long time. Trust me, I had allot to say I just could not bring myself to blog about it, I tried, trust me I tried I just couldn't. Here's what happened.

  So we left off with the insurance, the orthodontist, a letter to be opened, and a frustrated teenager. Well, here's a good story for you all. We called the insurance they said it was sent off, I called my orthodontist to see if they had received the letter that had been waiting for them for a week and some more. They hadn't received anything.  So, my mother said ok we can wait to see if they just put it somewhere special and won't give you that information over the phone. So instead the next day we called the insurance. Oh hey there's been a change in reference numbers for this approval process. So we had to re-send it. The next few days occur as so: We don't get a call from the orthodontist at all, we call the insurance people everyday each day something goes wrong, they didn't get all the information, they didn't have the right reference number for the right place to put it all into the system to send it off, they are still in the old place waiting to be sent for approval. All this time, I'm pestering my mother everyday, "did the insurance people say anything?" "did Ms. A (the surgery scheduler) call you?" Background: Every time we called the insurance we also called Ms. A to let her know whats going on, she is an absolute angel and this week would have been twice the hell without her. Everyday, for a week something went wrong setting my surgery back further and further.

  Finally last Friday, the hellish week ended. My mother said she and Ms. A had done everything they could, my mother kept on the insurance company's back, she talked to someone who realized the whole situation of the switched numbers and unattached folders I guess, and sent it to the final guy to give to get the approval. I was told this could take on average a month. I would've cried myself to sleep that night had my mother not told me we were going to visit my sister for the weekend, and float the river. This was a huge distraction and I am so thankful for it. I love getting to see my big sister, I rarely see her anymore she was a huge part of my life  when I was younger and the last two years she's established herself in her college town so we don't see much of her anymore. It was so much fun, so relaxing, and quite worry free.


  Here comes Monday, I had an orthodontist appointment. My mother was at work, so my dad drove me to the appointment. I decide I'm going to ask about surgical hooks, because they aren't in the office next week for education. My orthodontist says they go on 3-5 days before surgery, its a hour appointment because of the pictures and such they do but just call as soon as you get a date and it shouldn't be a problem, and that hour appointment shouldn't be a preventing factor for the surgery. But then he gets all "it won't be that soon insurance takes up to 60 days to approve." and "I can't imagine him doing it that soon" (I told him we were looking at the last week of July or first week of august, when I told him that he was quite befuddled). But I told him, this is happening as soon as possible, this summer. He said ok but was totally thinking I was a delusional fool I could hear it in his tone, and see it in his face.

  That same Monday morning, Ms. A called they had approved it Friday afternoon/evening. So my mother was able to schedual my surgery. Delusional fool my eye. My mom didn't get home untill after their hours so we called the next day. That 'shouldn't be a problem' turned into, well we can't accommodate you so you need to change your surgery date. HELL NO. It's a good thing my mother didn't let me talk to them. They gave us a date they were ok with, 3 WEEKS OUT. I would've already started school, and he knew that. Sorry about my language guys but this is unacceptable. Does anyone have an orthodontist like this? He wouldn't even talk on the phone to us. His front desk ladies said, he doesn't do that. Most of you guys that post it said your orthodontist was accommodating and stayed after hours to get you in for the hooks appointment. My mother offered to pay their overtime wages if they could stay friday afternoon, its an hour (they leave at noon on fridays). Well the best they could do was 2 WEEKS OUT. Please, if I am being ridiculous about this some one tell me, but we've been with these guys for 2 years, they've known my story from the beginning, and we reminded them almost every time we went in. So, we may or may not be using the hospital's orthodontist. We've paid in full at this place, I feel absolutely horrible for my parents. so they have the ultimate say in this.

  But we have a date, and I would tell you all but these past events worry me that I could jinx it all, but I can tell you I have pre op appointments on friday!


Great song, great band, if you have the time take a listen.




Life's a party, wear the hats

Well...

everything just keeps getting worse, I'm done looking on the "bright side" for now.

I'm dumb.

  So I ask my mother everyday if anyone calls her; I mean who is going to call me, the minor, and when my mother leaves her phone number for everyone the choice is clear. So my plan of calling them yesterday began like so:

  I asked for my orthodontist's number and told her my plan. She pointed out the reasoning of why that really wouldn't do much. We can only do so much until the insurance or the surgeon's office calls us. Only then can things from our standpoint advance. Then I realized she has completely reasonable and valid points, and that I am dumb.




Oh by the way I'm drawing a cat, but I didn't get it finished over the weekend if anyone even wanted to see it. If anyone wants I'll show you when I'm done. Sorry. :\



Life's a party, wear the hats.

Monday, get ready for me

  My Orthodontist, takes an entire week off for the 4th of July. WHY!? The office gets 2 breaks a year, one for the 4th and the other for Christmas, I think they get Spring Break too but I'm not sure.

  Anyways, we had to take things into our own hands, we called the surgeon's office to get any information, they said we could call the insurance and get it in the system to get it all approved, and this is where it got fun. So, we called the insurance, (yes we were going to have to do all this eventually, but we need things to move faster than Mr. Week of vacation) we needed the numbers, we called the Surgeon's office, we got the numbers, we called the insurance we gave them the numbers, they entered everything and sent it off. I think. All while Mr. Vacation has no idea any of this is going on, so on Monday morning, I will bombard their phone system. And depending on what they say, I will call the Surgeon's office, (I will probably call them regardless what they say anyways) and report what's going on from there. Something will get done on Monday. Even a small advancement will make me happy.

Alright, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! Maybe I will draw something in my sketchbook for you guys, I'll see if I can get it done over the rest of the weekend.


Life's a party, wear the hats.

Niki

New Stuff

   Guys, I bought myself a laptop the other day, I'm so proud and happy of/with my purchase. Now I will post more,  have my own personal entertainment, and next year for school eliminate the amount of homework I won't (now wouldn't have gotten) get done. I've actually been looking for one for the past year now, I take a train to school, and its a good 40-45 min ride so I could easily start a paper or something or get a kick start on a research project. Also my school requires us to do "crew hours" so whenever I'm staying late I can just whip this out and get going. It was just an all around perfect investment.

  So, look forward to more posts, also on the whole orthodontist thing, my mother called my Surgeon's office and Orthodontist's office on Friday. My Surgeon had sent the letter to the Orthodontist, and so they were supposed to be getting it on Saturday. So I'm calling them tomorrow. I may seem psycho, BUT if you knew my Orthodontist (and the girls working the desks etc) you would be checking up on them too,or not. Maybe I am psycho but either way I will stay on their backs about this. I am having this surgery in July. No excuses. Unless of course my Surgeon has a valid excuse, but my Orthodontist should not set this back due to his stubborn and controlling attitude. (as you can tell my Orthodontist and I are not on the best of terms) Any ways, we'll see what they say!




Life's a party, wear the hats.

Choice Made

  Okay so yesterday we went to the Head of the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery. My mother and I decided and set it in stone he shall be my surgeon. She says to everyone who she's come into contact "I get to have the head surgeon work on my baby..." Hahahahaa. Mother, it was only yesterday how do you talk to 2358361982 people in 24 hours? Oh well it is very nice and a great feeling. I'm super excited!! However, he said he would contact my orthodontist before any further decisions etc to be made. Problem: my orthodontist was unhappy to hear we needed a new surgeon, letter of recommendation (we snuck around and got it from our dentist instead to get on the waiting list asap), and a snappy timeline to get this done this summer. We are not going to settle for an extra year long wait like last year. Which leads me to think it will take a super long time. So we will bug the orthodontist office to no tomorrow come Monday.

  I've been reading soo many more of these blogs now that mother finally convinced me to start my own. They're all so exciting and very helpful, is it weird when I read the stories from the beginning and get to the surgery part I get all excited and nervous for them? Hahahaa I'm foolish, oh well, you guys all look phenomenal I can't wait! But because I cherish my summers greatly I also can... (but still can't) Sorry I'm so weird.


Life's a party, wear the hats.

Potential to Kinetic

  Alright, let's begin again.

  I had already been through a considerable amount of previous orthodontics: braces phase 1 and 2, a lip bumper, a lengthy headgear wearing process, 3 or 4 expanders, and teethpulling. So I wasn't too keen on going back, but if I was going to it was gonna be fast. My brother and I agreed on a Fast Braces company that claimed braces in about a year (which was true to my brother's case 10 months total, you can imagine my jealousy).

  So we get there and he does a full check on us, he asks me "Where are your 12 year molars?" WHAT!? I'm supposed to have another set of teeth? I had no idea about these teeth, nor did I have room for them. Also my lower wisdom teeth were growing completely horizontally. My jaw measurements, also a problem far too small.

  Unfortunatley, the orthodontist told us my case was far too complicated, he could do just a cosmetic fix but I needed much more than that. He was an angel and gave us this HUGE list of orthodontists, oral and maxillo facial surgeons, periodontal surgeons, dentists, and many others. He highlited the ones we needed to see. Good Lord I've never been to soo many appointments in this amount/capacity/timeline in my life. We saw some bad ones and some really great ones and some that were just mediocre I guess.

  We settled on a oral-maxillo facial surgeon and he made sure we used the orthodontist he works with. I got my bottom wisdom teeth out and my 12 year molars (I had them under the surface) uncovered, they did however keep my top two incase the 12's didnt come in and I could use them later in life. That was done December 2008. He was great for that and we really liked him and stuck with him. He did the full work up and all that jazz, the measurements, molds, you guys know the initial fun stuff.  The teeth started to come in well so next on the list: braces. Problem: too many teeth, not enough space. I got my 4 bicuspids taken out before baces went on, in June 2009. Watch out the next paragraph is a bit angsty (I'm only 16 guys sorry for that).
  He told us 6-12 months, then surgery, then 6-12 months. I believed him. Nope. His plan has changed a good 4-6 times. It's now been two years, and the best part of all of this? Our original surgeon, doesn't acccept insurance. Cool right? We have been on a lovely search and we've gotten lists of surgeons on our insurance plan that our orthodontist has said no to every one. So we went behind his back.

  He finally agreed yesterday to contact this one. Yay! And we saw him today, he's the head of the maxillo-facial team and such a blessing. He told us almost everything we were hoping to hear. Now we've learned our lesson but when we explained our story, almost the first thing he said was insurance wasn't a problem. So we are definatley excited the way its going. I just hope the bumps in the road are small from here on out.

  I promise I will keep up with the posts and everything, like I said I should've started this a long time ago but looking at this summing up 2 and a half years in one post isn't too bad right? whoops...

Life's a party, wear the hats