Well, I guess I haven't mentioned before now that I've been letting my bangs grow out. That would not seem an issue of interest to most, but anyone that knows me and has for a long time will realize the significance.
I believe I first had bangs in 1st grade. That, for me was 1980-1981. The clencher is I've had them ever since. I've considered growing them out several times, but never had the patience or the self-confidence to endure the awkward "in-between" stage when they are too long to hang down your forehead but not long enough to pull over to the side out of the way.
And then there was the haunting remark that was made to me very early in life by a family member. "Your forehead is so big you should always wear bangs." It really stinks how one person's not so bright comment can stick with a child her whole life.
So anyway, between moving to Colorado, my working to get my body healthier, and having a fresh clean slate to be and do whatever I want, I've decided to grow my bangs out. Oh, and being too busy to go get a haircut helped too. I have to say Mark and I are both digging it!
I think I goofed though. I could tell health wise my hair wasn't doing well. I had lots of split ends and it was very tangled after shampooing. And that was after I'd been using Redken a.k.a. expensive shampoo. I also noticed my bangs weren't blending in with the rest of my hair. They were down below my eyes but when I put them over to the side, they just didn't blend in.
So, I decided I would get a little trim and then ... oh my ... a body wave perm. Now, I didn't want tight little curls and I didn't want a cotton ball head. I just wanted a little bit of a wave and I thought that would help blend my bangs into the rest of my hair.
Well, I did it on Monday night. I don't think I'm happy with it. And that depresses me because I know how much it cost. However, I haven't gotten to wash it, which I know (and am praying) will help relax it. And, I got a special re-constructor to help with the tangles, which are much worse now.
Basically folks, I'm a schmuck. I was getting uncomfortable with the change. So I made a decision to try to fix it. I had decided which size rods I wanted ahead of time and I let the lady with weird hair and tattoos talk me into smaller ones. It will last longer she said. What is wrong with me?
Well, at least now I have the option of curls. I can straighten it out some with a blow dryer or a curling iron. And after it relaxes some it may be just what I had in mind. I just can't help wondering what is wrong with me. Why not just leave well enough alone? I'll give myself a break. It needed something. I just guessed wrong!
I'm working on that whole "being content in any situation" we're encouraged to practice in the Bible. So, I'll just focus on the cuteness of the tight little curl that keeps falling in front of my left eye. And now, maybe no one will ask where Trini gets her curls from! They don't have to know I paid for mine!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
New Dentist It Is
Since all zero of my readers gave me some input on what to do about the dentist issue, I decided I would be more relaxed with another dentist. I am wise beyond my years!
My new dentist was so nice. She cranked up my Nitrous and numbed me up BIG TIME!! She filled my cavity and sent me on my way! What a relief.
I prayed before I left and just as I walked in. I asked God to guide her hands and asked Him to chill me out and let this get taken care of. Between my prayers, her good work, and them not treating me as if I was some crazy nut job, it went well!
I thanked God as I left for letting this get taken care of. Now I get to focus on having another cavity filled and a crown replaced. WOO HOO! It is easier to look ahead after having a better experience though!
My new dentist was so nice. She cranked up my Nitrous and numbed me up BIG TIME!! She filled my cavity and sent me on my way! What a relief.
I prayed before I left and just as I walked in. I asked God to guide her hands and asked Him to chill me out and let this get taken care of. Between my prayers, her good work, and them not treating me as if I was some crazy nut job, it went well!
I thanked God as I left for letting this get taken care of. Now I get to focus on having another cavity filled and a crown replaced. WOO HOO! It is easier to look ahead after having a better experience though!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Debating Dental Decisions
I am not a big fan of dentists. I've had more than one or two downright awful experiences with them. I don't enjoy going but I make my appointments religiously to ward off having to go any more often than that.
Somehow between November and early May, I managed to get two cavities. Don't tell Trinity as I will never hear the end of it. I got one or two while I was pregnant with her and two while I was pregnant with Will. My teeth react poorly to growing babies for some reason. So anyway, I was SHOCKED.
So yesterday I went to the new, sweet voiced, cutesy dentist I had chosen. They started my nitrous going and put on the topical. (A girl has to have her nitrous you know!) She numbed right under the tooth again and again and again and then it was time to start. She had barely started drilling when I felt a cold sensation and I knew all too well what that was.
So she stopped. Then she gave more and more and more anesthetic to the same place and waited. After 5 minutes, she started to drill again. Almost immediately, it was cold again.
This time she went for the main nerve in the back of my mouth where my jaw hinges. I was thrilled to know this was happening. A few minutes later she was rinsing the tooth with cold water and I FELT THAT COLD TOO!!!!!
I started crying I was so frustrated. Here I'd had shot after shot after shot and it wasn't working. And guess who's fault that is? Not the dental assistant, not even the dentist's. According to them, it WAS MY FAULT! It was all in my head and I was so stressed out I wasn't allowing myself to get numb.
Silly me, enjoying those jolts of cold wondering how close to a nerve she was. Silly me, enjoying shot after shot after shot into my GUMS! I was so mad. I was stressed, I don't enjoy these things. But folks, cold is cold! And I felt it! And I could feel my tongue press against my gums too even after she had supposedly numbed he whole quadrant of my mouth that tooth was in.
I was also getting my teeth cleaned while I was there so they decided to send me in to have that done and reschedule me to come back. They would prescribe a VALIUM for me to take the night before and the morning of my next appointment. Meanwhile comments about my state of mind and me making it worse than it had to be were thrown around. Livid. I was just absolutely livid.
The night before all of this I had gotten a piece of meat stuck in a gap I have. (It was created by the orthodontist for my braces a few years ago.) I know this is a gross but it is important. I had brushed and flossed and flossed and poked and I could not get it out. Yesterday morning I was going after it again and realized the dental hygienist would be able to get it out so I quite worrying about it.
Most of the "gap side" of my mouth was numb during the cleaning. That was a blessing I suppose. So, I couldn't feel her doing anything up there but assumed no dental oriented person would miss that. Right?
WRONG! After the anesthetic started wearing off, I could still feel the pressure of something up there. She had given me these little soft pick things as a sample so I used one of those and out it came. Again, I was so angry. What on earth??
So here is my dilemma. Almost every ounce of me wants to somewhere else, as much as I hate starting over and meeting new peeps when it comes to medical and dental persons. The only thing that makes me consider going back is that maybe this dentist would start out differently next time. Maybe go straight to the big guns, although those didn't seem to knock out the sensation. I'm not convinced the mild Valium will make that big of a difference either, and I won't be able to have the nitrous with the Valium.
I don't think the dentist is too questionable. I just didn't liked being blamed for it when I was already frustrated with not getting to have the work done after I had prepared myself for it.
So what would you do?? I'm torn and would love some input? I'd love some general anesthesia for this too but I suppose that isn't going to happen.
Somehow between November and early May, I managed to get two cavities. Don't tell Trinity as I will never hear the end of it. I got one or two while I was pregnant with her and two while I was pregnant with Will. My teeth react poorly to growing babies for some reason. So anyway, I was SHOCKED.
So yesterday I went to the new, sweet voiced, cutesy dentist I had chosen. They started my nitrous going and put on the topical. (A girl has to have her nitrous you know!) She numbed right under the tooth again and again and again and then it was time to start. She had barely started drilling when I felt a cold sensation and I knew all too well what that was.
So she stopped. Then she gave more and more and more anesthetic to the same place and waited. After 5 minutes, she started to drill again. Almost immediately, it was cold again.
This time she went for the main nerve in the back of my mouth where my jaw hinges. I was thrilled to know this was happening. A few minutes later she was rinsing the tooth with cold water and I FELT THAT COLD TOO!!!!!
I started crying I was so frustrated. Here I'd had shot after shot after shot and it wasn't working. And guess who's fault that is? Not the dental assistant, not even the dentist's. According to them, it WAS MY FAULT! It was all in my head and I was so stressed out I wasn't allowing myself to get numb.
Silly me, enjoying those jolts of cold wondering how close to a nerve she was. Silly me, enjoying shot after shot after shot into my GUMS! I was so mad. I was stressed, I don't enjoy these things. But folks, cold is cold! And I felt it! And I could feel my tongue press against my gums too even after she had supposedly numbed he whole quadrant of my mouth that tooth was in.
I was also getting my teeth cleaned while I was there so they decided to send me in to have that done and reschedule me to come back. They would prescribe a VALIUM for me to take the night before and the morning of my next appointment. Meanwhile comments about my state of mind and me making it worse than it had to be were thrown around. Livid. I was just absolutely livid.
The night before all of this I had gotten a piece of meat stuck in a gap I have. (It was created by the orthodontist for my braces a few years ago.) I know this is a gross but it is important. I had brushed and flossed and flossed and poked and I could not get it out. Yesterday morning I was going after it again and realized the dental hygienist would be able to get it out so I quite worrying about it.
Most of the "gap side" of my mouth was numb during the cleaning. That was a blessing I suppose. So, I couldn't feel her doing anything up there but assumed no dental oriented person would miss that. Right?
WRONG! After the anesthetic started wearing off, I could still feel the pressure of something up there. She had given me these little soft pick things as a sample so I used one of those and out it came. Again, I was so angry. What on earth??
So here is my dilemma. Almost every ounce of me wants to somewhere else, as much as I hate starting over and meeting new peeps when it comes to medical and dental persons. The only thing that makes me consider going back is that maybe this dentist would start out differently next time. Maybe go straight to the big guns, although those didn't seem to knock out the sensation. I'm not convinced the mild Valium will make that big of a difference either, and I won't be able to have the nitrous with the Valium.
I don't think the dentist is too questionable. I just didn't liked being blamed for it when I was already frustrated with not getting to have the work done after I had prepared myself for it.
So what would you do?? I'm torn and would love some input? I'd love some general anesthesia for this too but I suppose that isn't going to happen.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Another Arm Milestone
Well, Trini's little arm is now "pin free". They took her pink cast off today and then took x-rays. This made no sense to me. If I hadn't, at the last minute mind you, grabbed her sling to bring with us, they would have had her walk way down the hall without any support for that arm. You know, the one that hasn't moved on its own in a month! She was so scared. It irked me.
So the x-rays weren't fun. The radiologist tried to bend and reposition that arm. I was afraid a good smack was about to be needed but I just told him he wasn't going to have a picture from that angle. My poor baby.
So then we're back down the hall and the doctor comes in and asks her if she is ready to have her pins out. She matter-of-factly says, "No," with a big head shake for emphasis. He gets her laid down and my baby was trembling she was so scared. I noticed he had one half way out so I asked her if she was ready for him to start. She replied that she wasn't and I told her too bad because it was already out. She felt a little better after that.
After they were done her little tears flowed. I ached for her. She had a sense of relief but was also scared for them to examine her arm at all. She was so stressed that he decided to wait and check for feeling and reflexes next time.
I asked him about the x-rays and he said everything looked really good. He thought she was progressing right on track. He said she should be able to play soccer in August which she has really been asking about and wanting to do.
They then fitted her with a removable cast. Basically, they re-cast her arm, in a beautiful emerald green this time, and then cut it off of her and cut a strip out of one side of it. They then placed strips of adhesive velcro across it and she was good to go.
We're allowed to take it off for baths now and if she is sitting, still, and right beside one of us. The bad news is she can also take it off for physical therapy which he ordered for her. She can't even wrap her brain around the idea of that. She doesn't want anyone jacking with that arm and I can't say as I blame her. We'll work with her on it at home and hopefully the PT won't be a necessity. She had it at about 3/4 of the way straightened tonight so maybe, in the security of our home, she'll accomplish more than a professional could in a scary office.
We go back in 4 weeks and she should be released from the cast then. She'll still be on limited activity but 2-3 weeks after that she should get the all clear.
My child amazes me. She's so brave and tender hearted and kind. I wish I was more like her.
So the x-rays weren't fun. The radiologist tried to bend and reposition that arm. I was afraid a good smack was about to be needed but I just told him he wasn't going to have a picture from that angle. My poor baby.
So then we're back down the hall and the doctor comes in and asks her if she is ready to have her pins out. She matter-of-factly says, "No," with a big head shake for emphasis. He gets her laid down and my baby was trembling she was so scared. I noticed he had one half way out so I asked her if she was ready for him to start. She replied that she wasn't and I told her too bad because it was already out. She felt a little better after that.
After they were done her little tears flowed. I ached for her. She had a sense of relief but was also scared for them to examine her arm at all. She was so stressed that he decided to wait and check for feeling and reflexes next time.
I asked him about the x-rays and he said everything looked really good. He thought she was progressing right on track. He said she should be able to play soccer in August which she has really been asking about and wanting to do.
They then fitted her with a removable cast. Basically, they re-cast her arm, in a beautiful emerald green this time, and then cut it off of her and cut a strip out of one side of it. They then placed strips of adhesive velcro across it and she was good to go.
We're allowed to take it off for baths now and if she is sitting, still, and right beside one of us. The bad news is she can also take it off for physical therapy which he ordered for her. She can't even wrap her brain around the idea of that. She doesn't want anyone jacking with that arm and I can't say as I blame her. We'll work with her on it at home and hopefully the PT won't be a necessity. She had it at about 3/4 of the way straightened tonight so maybe, in the security of our home, she'll accomplish more than a professional could in a scary office.
We go back in 4 weeks and she should be released from the cast then. She'll still be on limited activity but 2-3 weeks after that she should get the all clear.
My child amazes me. She's so brave and tender hearted and kind. I wish I was more like her.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Progress Report Mid-Week 8
I truly didn't mean to take so long to compose an update. I've been busy around here though!
"We" completed Kindergarten last week. Trini got to go see Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate. Then we had to get busy preparing for a HOUSE FULL O' COMPANY! My mom, step-dad, sister, and her four kids came for a visit. They left this morning after arriving late Sunday night. I'm whooped!
So, I've been busy and distracted and just now getting some time to catch my breath.
Body Clutter:
Week 1 - 5 1/2
Week 2 + 1/2
Week 3 - 4
Week 4 No weigh in - at hospital
Week 5 + 2 1/2
Week 6 + 1/2
Week 7 - 4 1/2
Total weight loss since committing to do it .... 10 1/2 lbs.
Total weight loss since January .... 21 lbs.
For some reason, I wasn't giving myself credit for the weight I lost when I wasn't really trying to. How stupid is that? I lost more than 10 pounds during the process of our move. I had gained a little back by the time I started trying hard to get it under control but still, I've come a long way since January so I'm going to start giving some credit where credit is due. Thank You, Father, for delivering me from 21 lbs. of overweight.
Spiritual Jewels:
Overall I'm feeling better about my prayer life and about my time in the Word. Life actually slows down and falls into place after I've talked with God each day. He manages to speak to me in at least a verse or two every time I open my Bible.
Physical Jewels:
Clothes are getting looser. My knees and feet aren't aching quite as bad. Still no wedding rings but I feel like I'm getting closer.
Devotional Time:
I have postponed my copying project in Isaiah. I was in the middle of chapter 11 on that. I took a break because I was reading After the Boxes Are Unpacked regarding moving on after moving in. I finished it last week but am still retracing parts of it. It was fraught with Scripture reference and so much insight to the struggles I've had recently with living in a new place. I plan to go back and search through more of the Scriptures referenced in the weeks ahead. It is my hope to post some of what I sort through on my blog.
I have continued on with my journey through the book of Psalms. I start chapter 92 tomorrow. I've never read the book all the way through and I chose to start with it because the writing speaks to me and I knew I would stay with something I like.
Blessing My Heart:
Other than catching up on housework that had fallen by the wayside when Trini got hurt, I've abandoned how well I was doing with walking each morning. I miss it and do intend to get back to it. Mark trimmed the branches of the tree in our front yard as Spring had caused them to block my view of the Colorado National Monument mountain.
Struggles:
I'm still starting with too much food at meals. I've decided that I'm going to start using a dessert plate for my meals. That usually works for me. I don't like for the plate to be full so I end up with a portion smaller than a dessert plate which is often less than a "not full" portion on a regular sized plate.
Prayer Concerns:
Gramps is doing as well as could be expected. He's been moved to a nursing home and they've had him up in a chair some. Pray for his peace with his situation and for his wife's comfort and strength during this whole ordeal.
Trini's arm isn't bothering her too bad and isn't slowing her down too much. She goes on Tuesday for more x-rays and to possibly get the pins out. Pray that her itches won't get the best of her and that if the pins are removed she'll be brave and it won't be too uncomfortable.
"We" completed Kindergarten last week. Trini got to go see Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate. Then we had to get busy preparing for a HOUSE FULL O' COMPANY! My mom, step-dad, sister, and her four kids came for a visit. They left this morning after arriving late Sunday night. I'm whooped!
So, I've been busy and distracted and just now getting some time to catch my breath.
Body Clutter:
Week 1 - 5 1/2
Week 2 + 1/2
Week 3 - 4
Week 4 No weigh in - at hospital
Week 5 + 2 1/2
Week 6 + 1/2
Week 7 - 4 1/2
Total weight loss since committing to do it .... 10 1/2 lbs.
Total weight loss since January .... 21 lbs.
For some reason, I wasn't giving myself credit for the weight I lost when I wasn't really trying to. How stupid is that? I lost more than 10 pounds during the process of our move. I had gained a little back by the time I started trying hard to get it under control but still, I've come a long way since January so I'm going to start giving some credit where credit is due. Thank You, Father, for delivering me from 21 lbs. of overweight.
Spiritual Jewels:
Overall I'm feeling better about my prayer life and about my time in the Word. Life actually slows down and falls into place after I've talked with God each day. He manages to speak to me in at least a verse or two every time I open my Bible.
Physical Jewels:
Clothes are getting looser. My knees and feet aren't aching quite as bad. Still no wedding rings but I feel like I'm getting closer.
Devotional Time:
I have postponed my copying project in Isaiah. I was in the middle of chapter 11 on that. I took a break because I was reading After the Boxes Are Unpacked regarding moving on after moving in. I finished it last week but am still retracing parts of it. It was fraught with Scripture reference and so much insight to the struggles I've had recently with living in a new place. I plan to go back and search through more of the Scriptures referenced in the weeks ahead. It is my hope to post some of what I sort through on my blog.
I have continued on with my journey through the book of Psalms. I start chapter 92 tomorrow. I've never read the book all the way through and I chose to start with it because the writing speaks to me and I knew I would stay with something I like.
Blessing My Heart:
Other than catching up on housework that had fallen by the wayside when Trini got hurt, I've abandoned how well I was doing with walking each morning. I miss it and do intend to get back to it. Mark trimmed the branches of the tree in our front yard as Spring had caused them to block my view of the Colorado National Monument mountain.
Struggles:
I'm still starting with too much food at meals. I've decided that I'm going to start using a dessert plate for my meals. That usually works for me. I don't like for the plate to be full so I end up with a portion smaller than a dessert plate which is often less than a "not full" portion on a regular sized plate.
Prayer Concerns:
Gramps is doing as well as could be expected. He's been moved to a nursing home and they've had him up in a chair some. Pray for his peace with his situation and for his wife's comfort and strength during this whole ordeal.
Trini's arm isn't bothering her too bad and isn't slowing her down too much. She goes on Tuesday for more x-rays and to possibly get the pins out. Pray that her itches won't get the best of her and that if the pins are removed she'll be brave and it won't be too uncomfortable.
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