this is good for me to read this morning - the whole "i'm not alone in this - and it could be worse!" waking up to the first batch of real pain for months, due to just 2 new teeny elastics covering lots of teeth, makes me shudder at the idea of how many you're wearing and all that force! holy crap! i am still so happy for you too that there is no more surgery. surgery wasn't so bad the 1st time - but by now i've realised that the last thing that i want is more - it's hard to explain, but it's sorta that "i can see the light at the end of the tunnel", and the more i fixate on that light, the more i realise how important it is that we can continue on the easier-easier slope of orthodontics, rather than surgery. it's so important for my state of mind! argh, i'm not describing it well. but i'm sure you know what i mean ... we need OUT!!! i'm expecting by the end of october. CROSS FINGERS FOR US BOTH!