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My upcoming surgery
I went to the dentist yesterday and we continued our talk on my surgery. Earlier in the month, I had gone to the orthodontic session thinking I was in need of braces but the dentist there said my teeth were perfect and it was the skeletal arrangement that needed to be restructured, therefore I will need a maxilo facial surgery. I was looking at her. Here am the I thinking I had found a solution and I am told 'it is complicated.'
The dentist, God bless her sould, gave me a smile that put my heart to rest. She called in another specialist and he examined me and said another specialist will be called in. And yesterday, he told me I will also need to see a psychologist and in my mind, I was counting the number of specialists I had seen and was yet to see. Was nothing less than four.
What is the point of this story?
Well, let's go to the beginning. I grew up in Delta State, Nigeria and as a teenager, I noticed that I looked different from my peers. I had a lisping tongue and when I smiled, I had an opening between my teeth. It made me different. Being different is sometimes bad, sometimes good. In my case, it was not good. I studied English and Literary Studies in the university and wanted to go into acting and modelling. I however notice that when my height and physique took me to the top, my smile brought me down.
I stand at 5ft 7". Not bad. My stat? please look at my picture and guess (it is not airbrushed.) I had a good shot at appearing on TVCs, I had a good shot at movie appearances but my smile would not let me. As I missed opportunities after opportunities, I found myself becoming more and more self conscious. (This specialist said the psychologist has to check for body dysmorphic symptoms. I understand why. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder).
Where does this lead?
I moved to Lagos, an emerging mega city in Nigeria, in October 2008 and in 2009, I went to the government-owned-and-run hospital. That was where I met these doctors whom I am writing about. They have been wonderful. The environment is neat and the specialists are on ground to answer my questions. This is a far cry from where I come from. I was being treated in a private clinic, where, of course, I ha no opportunity of having multiple specialists. But nation wide, such a success story is rare. Healthcare in Nigeria is not what you want to trust.
My late birthday mate (Gani Fawehinmi) was wrongly diagnosed of an ailment and this hasten his journey to the grave. It happens time and again, although I can't say if it was in a government hospital that he ogt the wrong diagnosis.
I count myself lucky
It turned out my other dentists had done a shoddy job (already have two bridges done on two of my teeth). These new dentists explained this to me. And I wonder what it would have been, if I wasn't in Lagos, a state where I have access to quality health care. I wish all state governments and the Federal Government of Nigeria will emulate the example of the Lagos State government, by making health care a priority.
Are we there yet?
No. The doctors said I may still wait a while as they have applied for saws (saws? Yes that was my first thought. This time, they are for the teeth, not for wood.) When the saws are approved and bought,sometime in 2010, it will be time. In the absence, they will invite a more experienced dentist who can do without saws, because "I motivate them." Hmm... can you beat that?
A new me...
Expect no magic, expect no drastic change. I am a tall, slim, beautiful, self-confident young lady of 26. I however want to do this for myself and for a world which judges people by appearance.
Watch out for my facebook space, where I will be posting my pictures. I will keep you informed.
The dentist, God bless her sould, gave me a smile that put my heart to rest. She called in another specialist and he examined me and said another specialist will be called in. And yesterday, he told me I will also need to see a psychologist and in my mind, I was counting the number of specialists I had seen and was yet to see. Was nothing less than four.
What is the point of this story?
Well, let's go to the beginning. I grew up in Delta State, Nigeria and as a teenager, I noticed that I looked different from my peers. I had a lisping tongue and when I smiled, I had an opening between my teeth. It made me different. Being different is sometimes bad, sometimes good. In my case, it was not good. I studied English and Literary Studies in the university and wanted to go into acting and modelling. I however notice that when my height and physique took me to the top, my smile brought me down.
I stand at 5ft 7". Not bad. My stat? please look at my picture and guess (it is not airbrushed.) I had a good shot at appearing on TVCs, I had a good shot at movie appearances but my smile would not let me. As I missed opportunities after opportunities, I found myself becoming more and more self conscious. (This specialist said the psychologist has to check for body dysmorphic symptoms. I understand why. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder).
Where does this lead?
I moved to Lagos, an emerging mega city in Nigeria, in October 2008 and in 2009, I went to the government-owned-and-run hospital. That was where I met these doctors whom I am writing about. They have been wonderful. The environment is neat and the specialists are on ground to answer my questions. This is a far cry from where I come from. I was being treated in a private clinic, where, of course, I ha no opportunity of having multiple specialists. But nation wide, such a success story is rare. Healthcare in Nigeria is not what you want to trust.
My late birthday mate (Gani Fawehinmi) was wrongly diagnosed of an ailment and this hasten his journey to the grave. It happens time and again, although I can't say if it was in a government hospital that he ogt the wrong diagnosis.
I count myself lucky
It turned out my other dentists had done a shoddy job (already have two bridges done on two of my teeth). These new dentists explained this to me. And I wonder what it would have been, if I wasn't in Lagos, a state where I have access to quality health care. I wish all state governments and the Federal Government of Nigeria will emulate the example of the Lagos State government, by making health care a priority.
Are we there yet?
No. The doctors said I may still wait a while as they have applied for saws (saws? Yes that was my first thought. This time, they are for the teeth, not for wood.) When the saws are approved and bought,sometime in 2010, it will be time. In the absence, they will invite a more experienced dentist who can do without saws, because "I motivate them." Hmm... can you beat that?
A new me...
Expect no magic, expect no drastic change. I am a tall, slim, beautiful, self-confident young lady of 26. I however want to do this for myself and for a world which judges people by appearance.
Watch out for my facebook space, where I will be posting my pictures. I will keep you informed.
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