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Am I glad I did it? Yes.

It was worth it to have my bite and teeth fixed correctly for the second time. I wore an expander and braces as a teen-ager, but my teeth decided to move around.

Here's what I've learned:

1) When you tell other adults you got braces and need surgery, they'll show you their crooked teeth despite having worn braces as a teen. Seriously, there needs to be a permanent post-braces process, so we only have to live through it once.

2) Even though SARPE surgery is out patient, if you can stay the night in the hospital- do it. I was well taken care of. Ice for my ice packs was brought to me every 2 hours. My vitals were taken every 2 hours to make sure I was recovering well. Through my IV, I was given antibiotics, anti-swelling and pain medication. Having the adjustable bed was helpful because I could sit up which was more comfortable.

3)Buy your post surgery food in advance. I purchased protein powder, applesauce, pudding, ice cream, soup, and tons of fruits & vegetables that I juiced. My favorite go-to drink was the chocolate carnation instant breakfast.

4) Sit up as much as possible to help with the swelling

5) Make sure you have someone to help you out because you're going to be tired and healing.

6) Get the best chapstick you can because your lips are going to get super dry and chapped.

7) Stay hydrated-nothing will make you feel worse then getting dehydrated

8) Make you sure you have an experienced, reputable surgeon. I had hardly any bruising and wasn't really in to much pain.

9) Be prepared to be gap toothed. As you crank the expander, a gap will develop and you'll look like Madonna.

If you are going to have SARPE surgery, I wish you good luck and speedy healing.

There's nothing like a pair of braces to make you feel like a teen-ager again. I don't have a bad perm and now wear contacts, but I still feel like I'm fourteen all over again. What's been interesting is that people stare. They stared at 14 and they stare at 47.

I have clear braces on top and metal ones on the bottom. My rubber bands on the bottom are turquoise because it's my daughter's favorite color. They didn't have fancy colors when I wore them the first time.

If the braces weren't bad enough, I have an expander in. Once I have my SARPE surgery tomorrow, it will help expand my narrow upper jaw. Right now, it only serves to make me talk weird  and is a haven for food getting stuck.

Thanks to YouTube, I've been able to get the 411 on the SARPE surgery. I got some tips like using frozen peas for the swelling since they'll mold to your face.

I also recently watched the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, on Netflix and loved it. I bought a juicer and have been enjoying some delicious juice. It will come in handy for my liquid diet post surgery.

A stack of books is on my nightstand waiting to be read. I hope I feel up to it because I relish the time I'll have to just heal and read.