Today I met with Dr. Vogt for a first consultation. He looked in my mouth, and sure enough, just like all the other orthodontists I’ve seen over the years, he recommended four teeth be pulled, and two years of braces. I’m not surprised. At least he didn’t recommend head gear, like that other doctor! I really like his attitude. He’s young, not stuffy, and his staff has a really happy, casual attitude. He’s also the father of a toddler, which makes me like him even more. I felt very comfortable there.

Well, my friend Heidi has spent two years in braces with him, and she speaks highly of his practice. I feel comfortable enough to go ahead with it. I feel kind of sick about pulling those four bicuspids, but I suppose if enough orthodontists tell me they must go, then that must be the case. If I want straight teeth, those bicuspids must go. I feel bad about it, but I’m determined. I think I’m going to go through with it this time. I’ve never been able to picture myself with straight teeth. And they will only get more crooked as I get older. It’s really now or never.

Anyway, I was pleased to find out that I could eat almost anything I want, as long as I’m good about my oral hygiene. I could also use my electric Sonicare toothbrush (I was afraid I’d need to use regular ones, which I dislike).

The next step is x-rays. I was able to schedule them for the day after tomorrow. I want to move ahead with this.

The electrician came back and upgraded our electrical box. He did what he was supposed to, but then there was a big, unpleasant surprise. He put a big hole in our stucco, outside where the old breaker panel was. He needed to do this to accommodate the new, bigger panel. I wish he’d have told me about that beforehand, because it will probably cost me several hundred dollars to get that fixed. I would have suggested putting the panel in the different location that did not involve breaking up stucco. Damned half-assed contractor! He told me he “forgot to mention that.” Yes, the fun begins….

I got the x-rays taken of my mouth today. Uugh, I hate biting those x-ray film things; they always make be gag. But I got through it. They took 20 of those x-rays in addition to the panoramic films. What a pain.

I never realized how truly crooked my teeth were until I looked at the photographs they took. Yes, they not only took x-rays, but photographs. I don’t think the last place took photographs. Now I’m more convinced than ever that I must get this done. How have I gone through life looking like this, all these years? Suddenly, I feel embarrassed.

The guy from the window company came out today to give me an estimate for the windows. Unlike the other flaky companies, (which I met with before I began this journal), he calculated a price right then and there for me. Those other flaky companies too my measurements and never got back to me.

The electrician came back and hooked up the spa. I am so annoyed that he is flaky about coming to my house and finishing the work: one day he’s here, the next day he’s not. He says he’s coming, and then he doesn’t show up. I was so excited when he finally finished the work, and the city inspector gave his blessing. I filled it with water, and then went to the spa store to get the necessary chemicals after I picked my younger daughter up from school.

By 3 p.m., after I had picked up my older daughter, the spa was already 75 degrees. I turned it on to run the pumps, and that’s when disaster struck. I couldn’t shut it off. Then I realized, hey, I don’t have an owner’s manual. So I called the spa store. Soon a technician (the owner’s son) came out. I was sure it was a simple fix. Well, it wasn’t. Something very strange was wrong with my spa. I was so incredibly disappointed. Then, when I looked closely at the inside of my spa cabinet, I noticed a laminated sign, which said, “This spa shown with options.” My heart sank. This spa was a demo, and maybe it was a lemon. I knew it had been “in the factory” and wasn’t made specifically for me, but I didn’t buy it knowing it had been a demo or on display anywhere. There’s something fishy here, and we’ll need to get to the bottom of it.

After troubleshooting the spa for almost two hours, the technician concluded that the circuit board was cracked. How it got cracked was anyone’s guess. Maybe it came that way; maybe the stupid electrician cracked it when hooked it up. In any case, they would need to order a new circuit board. With Christmas around the corner, this was going to take a while. What a royal pain.

I called the references for the window company, and everyone gave them glowing reviews. I think we’ve found our window company.

I think I’m coming down with a cold that I caught from one of my kids. When I catch a cold, it usually turns into an exhausting ordeal of coughing fits for weeks. I’m going to try to rest more, and take zinc lozenges and Vitamin C.

Thursday, January 10

Today the roofers came and tore off our old roof. What a noisy proposition that was. All day long, thumping and crashing. Tomorrow they put on the new roof. Thank God it has finally stopped raining long enough for this work to commence.

I had a pleasant surprise today at my consultation. Dr. Vogt told me that I probably would NOT need to have those bicuspids removed! He said that he thought it might change my lip line too much and mess up my profile. He wants to put on the braces and see how things progress in about four months. He thinks he can straighten out my teeth without pulling any (although my bite will still be a bit off, but I don’t really care about that). Wow! I’m ecstatic! I had agonized over getting those teeth pulled, and now I may not need to do it! I feel like I’ve passed some sort of karmic test. It was like a leap of faith.

I will get “regular” braces on all the teeth except two molars on the bottom. Because those have fillings that continue to the outside of the tooth, those teeth must be encircled entirely with metal braces (regular braces won’t adhere to fillings). Since my molars are very tight, Dr. Vogt said he would put temporary spacers between them, to make room for those circular braces.

The top braces will go on next week, on Tuesday. The bottom ones will go on about 10 days later. I can hardly wait!

I finally got to Armadillo Willy’s for ribs, but wound up eating them at home. I wanted to be sure to work out today, and by the time I finished with that, and showered, I had just enough time to run to the restaurant before picking up my daughter. Ah, and what a feeding frenzy it was. I’ve probably had enough protein to last me the entire week.

We got together with Hubby’s Mom today and ate pizza. Then we went for ice cream. I ordered “nutty coconut” with hot fudge. It occurred to me that I might not want to eat ice cream with nuts for a while. Then I felt stupid that I hadn’t gone to my favorite ice cream shop and gotten my favorite coconut-macadamia nut-fudge. Darn it.

The kids were home for Martin Luther King Day, and I didn’t feel like doing anything ambitious. The painter came over to prep the fireplace for painting, and a neighborhood boy, who is my daughter's class, came over to play for a while. Later in the afternoon, the guy from the countertop place came over to take exact measurements and give me a real bid. I was actually a little less than I expected. I’m going to go ahead with that part of the project, especially since their references were so glowing.

After I picked up my kids from school, I went to the supermarket to hunt for “soft foods” for tomorrow and later this week. I chose canned tuna, some chopped meat for meatloaf, turkey deli meat, yogurt, and wheat bread without seeds.

Well, today was the day. I would lie if I didn’t admit being a bit apprehensive about getting these braces put on. But I want straight teeth, and this is the only way to get them. I made sure to eat a really hearty breakfast, because who knows how I’ll feel by lunchtime.

First, they dried off my teeth with gauze and air. Then they put nasty stuff called “etchant” on them. This attaches the brace to your teeth. It’s kind of like Krazy Glue for teeth, and it tastes like it, too. Bleck, I couldn’t wait to rinse my mouth! You’d think they’d find a way to make that stuff taste good, like the stuff they use for the molds. Now there’s a niche market!

It was over in about 45 minutes, and suddenly, I looked like a teenager with a few wrinkles. After putting on all the braces and running the wire through them, they put spacers between two bottom molars. This was necessary to make room for the wrap-around braces those teeth will need. The dental assistant put a comfortable rubber spacer between two of the teeth, but couldn’t get it between any of the other three. So Dr. Vogt put some sort of hinged metal spacer between them. I was afraid that they would hurt, but truthfully, they didn’t really. In fact, the entire procedure didn’t hurt at all. Well, it was a little uncomfortable when he first put in the metal spacers, but only for a minute or two. The entire process, including spacers, took a little over an hour. My braces are the “clear” type. You still see some metal, but not as much as all-metal braces.

Jeez, it feels so weird. So far, it doesn’t hurt very much. It just feels like I’ve got stuff in and on my teeth – which I do. It’s the weirdest feeling, having “stuff” under your lips and sorta in your cheeks. I keep wanting to run my tongue into my cheeks to get the stuff out. I suppose I’ll get used to it. Everyone tells me that you do; that you forget about it after a while. I kept looking in the mirror and smiling all day. I actually think it makes me look cuter. I’m glad I’m married, though. I bet some guys would be really turned off by a single woman my age having braces. Who knows. I suppose a woman could always lie to a guy she met, tell him they’re coming off in a few months, and then say the dentist changed his mind. Oh, enough of that!

I actually felt so good after my dental appointment that I went shopping for sheets for my daughter's room. I popped some more Ibuprofen just in case.

Eating. Now that’s a subject I can sink my teeth into (NOT!) I was starving by 3 p.m. and finally decided to venture into the wild world of eating with braces. I had some turkey deli meat and cheese, and found that I could eat saltine crackers, if I broke them in half. I could chew the food just fine, but I couldn’t voraciously bite into anything. I took delicate, deliberate bites. No problem.

For dinner, I made myself some tuna salad. That was fine. Fortunately, Hubby did not expect me to cook dinner for him tonight (I think he had some leftover pizza).

As if by strange coincidence, my older daughter's front tooth decided to come out today, after months of being loose, and days of hanging on by a thread. Dr. Vogt told me to just pull it out, downward, but she wouldn’t let me touch her. At 4 p.m. she swallowed the tooth. I thought: “How ironic, my teeth are being held in place by super glue and metal, and hers are falling down her throat.” Of course, she wailed uncontrollably, partly from fear of swallowing the tooth, and partly from fear that the tooth fairy wouldn’t come. It took a good 15 minutes for me to calm her down on both accounts.

The day got even weirder around 6 p.m., when the power suddenly went out. At first I was afraid that it had something to do with the new spa we put in and that bum electrician, but a quick call to PG&E informed me that about 4,000 people in my neighborhood were without power, too. It was out for four hours! So Hubby first saw his metal mouth wife by candle light. There must be something romantic about that.

Well, today my teeth are definitely achier than yesterday. But it’s not a headache sort-of pain, or an unbearable “get this stuff out of my mouth” pain; it’s more like somebody punched me in the mouth and hit my teeth. A couple of Ibuprofen takes care of it. I slept last night with no problem. It only becomes a problem when I eat, so I’m eating very soft foods. For breakfast I had yogurt, a scrambled egg and some saltine crackers. For lunch, the rest of that tuna salad and some turkey deli meat. For dinner, I made meatloaf; with garlic mashed potatoes and some sautéed greens. I ate it with no problem. But then again, meatloaf isn’t difficult to eat.

One curious thing is sudden tooth sensitivity on a couple of the top bicuspids. I can brush my other teeth with no problem. When I get to those bicuspids, on either side of the top, yowza, what horrible nerve sensitivity! I figured maybe it was the strong pulses from my Sonicare toothbrush. So the next time I brushed my teeth, I used a regular toothbrush for the top sides. Same thing. In fact, just touching those teeth with anything gives me a nerve pain. I decided to go back to brushing with Sensodyne toothpaste. I think if I just don’t rinse with Plax, it will not make my tongue feel weird. Dr. Vogt said that these sorts of sensitivities could come and go, as the root of the tooth is disturbed. Since my teeth are cold sensitive, I hope I’m not more prone to it than normal. That would really suck. I can’t imagine feeling those nerve zings every time I brush my teeth for the next two years!

Wow, things are so much better today. I actually ate some cookies! Even yesterday I couldn’t have imagined biting into anything even remotely crunchy. I can’t bite directly in front; my front teeth are still kind of sore. But biting on the side is no problem. No pain at all. I’m amazed how quickly my teeth are recovering. I had expected at least a week of pain and discomfort. I was even afraid of headaches. But none of that has occurred.

Today I roasted a chicken for dinner, and included some potatoes and carrots. Although the chicken wasn’t quite as soft as tuna salad, it was ok. I just made sure to choose pieces that were rather soft, and cut them into small pieces.

I finally got those metal spacers out of my mouth. It’s interesting how much easier the rubber ones fit in today. I had no idea that teeth could move so much in such a short period of time. The dental assistant got the rubber spacers in with very little trouble. They are much more comfortable than the metal ones, but the one on the bottom right sticks up a bit, and feels weird, like I’m chewing on something.

The nerve pain is starting to go away on one of those top bicuspids. Thank God for that! The other one still zings me, but is a bit better. I can use my Sonicare all the time now.

Today I realized that I didn’t take any Ibuprofen at all. That’s amazing. It has only been three days!

I went to the Countertop Store and ordered those Zodiaq countertops and the limestone tiles for the backsplash. I’m still confused about what kind of sink to get, but it will all work out. I’ve narrowed it down to two faucets, and I think I’ll wind up buying them online.

I also went to Organized Living for the first time and fell in love with that store. They have anything and everything for closets and organization! I sat down with one of their planners, and decided to buy some bracket shelving as a solution for my daughter’s closet. It was on sale at 25 percent off, and didn’t cost that much. It is so rewarding to get in there with a tape measure, get some measurements, and then DO SOMETHING!

Not much to report today, except that my lower right molar seems to hurt. I’m not sure why. It could be the spacers they put in. Or the way my teeth are hitting. I notice that I clench my jaw more than I’d ever imagined. I need to make a conscious effort to keep my jaw relaxed and my teeth apart.

I spent the better part of the day online searching for an appropriate desk for my daughter's room. It’s so challenging. Her room is rather small and I don’t want to sacrifice floor space, but she needs more storage and a real desk. I had looked in a couple of local furniture stores, but the pickings are slim in my price range and color (white). I finally decided on a Sauder assemble-yourself desk and hutch that were in my price range. After all that, I took the kids to Target, to buy more organization stuff, including the alarm clock my daughter wants (the same type as her sister). Who would think a little kid would get so excited about a clock radio?

After the kids were in bed, I continued going through all the stuff I had taken out of the top of my daughter’s closet (mostly baby clothes I want to save). I put them into several large plastic storage containers and labeled them. I’ll move them to the storage place at some point. I’m also donating more stuff the kids have outgrown. I knew there was a reason to do this now: I now have a bunch of cardboard boxes for temporarily storing my kitchen stuff when the cabinets get re-done!

My right bottom molar still hurts, but it’s bearable. I just need to remember not to bite too hard on that side. Today I actually ate a few corn chips with salsa at a Mexican restaurant; albeit delicately. I can understand how some people might lose weight when they get braces: you can no longer stuff your face with wild abandon. You must be deliberate and careful about each bite, making sure pieces of meat aren’t too tough or too large. Making sure there are no little crunchy things (like nuts or seeds) hidden in foods.

After the meal, we went next door for ice cream. I really wanted Jamoca Fudge or Snicker Bar ice cream, but those nuts – I just didn’t want to take the chance. Instead I had coffee flavored ice cream, but I made the mistake of ordering my favorite hard sugar cone. This was my first attempt at eating an ice cream cone since the braces went on. I never realized how “front mouth” eating an ice cream cone is. I kept feeling as though I was dribbling ice cream on my chin. I finally gave up and got a spoon. Then came the cone. No way could I bite into it, so I broke it into small pieces. I ate about half before giving up. I suppose it will be ice cream cups, or soft wafer cones for the next two years. A small price to pay, I suppose, for straight teeth.

This was the first time I’ve eaten out since getting the braces. I’m so self-conscious about it. I have a toothbrush, etc, in my purse. Brushing after the meal is not the problem. I’m afraid of grossing out anyone I’m eating with during the meal. I know the day will come when I have some big piece of bleck stuck in my braces and don’t know it. I figure the best way around this is to surreptitiously swish water in my mouth when I’m eating. I usually only drink water with my meals, anyway. But it’s usually cold water, and my teeth are cold-sensitive. So swishing cold water is not pleasant. But I suppose it’s better than smiling and seeing a huge piece of black bean or chicken stuck to my bicuspids. Yuck! Maybe that Sensodyne toothpaste will make my teeth less cold-sensitive.

I’m definitely anxious about getting the lower braces put on next Friday. After what I’ve gone through this week, I’m not afraid they will hurt. I’m just wondering how it will be to eat with two sets of braces. Well, I suppose I will revert to tuna salad and yogurt for a while until I adjust. I keep reminding myself that lots of kids, teenagers, and adults go through this every year. 

While brushing my teeth this morning, I realized that the nerve sensitivity is almost completely gone from that upper tooth. Now I can use my Sonicare brush with very little trouble. I don’t know if the Sensodyne has helped, or if my tooth has just “recovered.” I suppose it doesn’t matter; I’m just glad it has stopped feeling sensitive.