Richard Gandy

Wow, finally got the braces off – at least off the upper teeth. You hardly know I still have the lowers on. Dr. Williams said it will take a few more months to get my bite equilibrated. Feels great to be able to feel the front of my teeth again. It’s one of those simple pleasures you take for granted.

Shot this a few weeks ago off the balcony of our hotel in Dayton Beach, Florida. The balcony was at an angle to the beach, and as I was about to click the shutter, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see a lady in her nightgown on the balcony behind me trying to get a view with her camera. I snapped mine and retreated into the room.

Shot with the Canon 1D MkIIN and 24-70 2.8L.

Here is a portrait I painted several years ago of my dear friend Benito Artinano. Benito is from Costa Rica, but we became close friends when he came to Atlanta to study engineering.

As many of you know, I have been wearing braces to correct my bite following my MMA surgery. My orthodontist, Dr. Moody Williams, says the top braces will probably come off at my next visit. While I have gotten somewhat used to having a mouth full of metal, I can’t wait for them to come off. The lower will stay on for a while longer.

Kailyn wanted to go see Santa this year, but when we got there, it apparently was not everything she imagined it would be. She got shy and would not sit in the sleigh without her mommy. Santa was a good sport and offered to get out to stretch his legs.

Kudos to the City of McDonough. The town square looked great! After our visit with Santa, we went over to the Gritz Family Restaurant for some good home style cookin’.

It has been just over a year since I had my MMA surgery. Thought I would give a quick status.

• Sleeping quietly and soundly at night.
• No signs of apnea coming back.
• Still in orthodontic treatment to adjust my teeth.
• Teeth fit together better, but still does not feel like they have a home position. This is tiring during the day. My orthodontist, Dr. Moody Williams, says will probably be a few more months.
• Still some minor pain when chewing chips or crunchy stuff. I’m not to be eating that anyway with braces. I think the pain is coming mostly from my teeth still being moved around with the braces.
• Eating regular food now is no problem.

Yes, I would do it all over again.