My son has braces, and I swear it seems like they will never come off!
I feel yours and his pain! I had them for 5 years! They are so worth it though to have nice aligned perfect teeth and a perfect bite! 
He had this device for the first six months called a Herbst.  Have you ever heard of that?
I have not specifically heard of a Herbst, but I do know many appliances are used in conjunction with the braces. I had one at the top of my mouth to widen the roof of my mouth. I had a key I had to put in it to widen it every day. What is the Herbst?
The Herbst device was to correct an overbite.  It looked like shocks from a car on each side of his mouth to pull lower jaw forward.
Oh okay yes, I have seen those my friend had them, I just didn't know their name. She said she had those because she didn't wear her rubber bands and she cant take those off! lol
They were like a torture device!  The thing you had sounds like one too!
Yes! But it did its job! Braces have been around since ancient times, I always wonder what they did in place of the devices they have now.
I'm surprised they've been around that long!  I'm picturing a cave man getting mad at his wife calling him metal mouth.
ancient times. Around 400-300 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle contemplated ways to straighten teeth and fix various dental conditions. Archaeologists have discovered numerous mummified ancient individuals with what appear to be metal bands wrapped around their teeth. Catgut, a type of cord made from the natural fibers of an animal's intestines, performed a similar role to today’s orthodontic wire in closing gaps in the teeth and mouth.
The Etruscans buried their dead with dental appliances in place to maintain space and prevent collapse of the teeth during the afterlife
. Tull took the best moments from the 88 different concerts of the tour, to create a cohesive documentary. He recalled that there were numerous footage available from the tour and they had to find the "perfect" shot for Madonna. He gave an example that the performance of "Like a Prayer" had cuts from 50 countries alone. "It was really intense. I think I looked down one day and I was like, 'Oh, my fingers are about to fall off'. But it was worth