Thank you all.

Waves, I hope you feel better soon. I think exercise would be something, like you said, to help.

I had a nice day today. My friend beat me in the game of scrabble. I had a hamburger for for lunch and on of my neighbors had me over for supper.

friends are nice to have barb!
waves yes we have another cat harriet who is very sedate and about 10 yeras old and doesn't want to play with kitty hazel, so hazel gets bored and into things...she is almost 1 year old now and very kitten like still.
hOpe you feel better sooner than later.
beth

I guess I will just call it a night...so quiet here this weekend...hope every one is ok.
Have a good week!
beth

Greetings,
I got braces put on top and bottom teeth Sat am.

My grinding at night had messed up my teeth. The crappy mouth guards made everything much worse in the past 3-4 years.

Hubby went with me to the consult so he likes the Orthodontist and that helps. They gave me a new temporary mouth guard. It worked so-so last night. I woke up with great teeth pain in the am.

Keeping my teeth cleaned and flossed will take some getting used to. I am supposed to brush my teeth every time I eat something and floss once a day.

Also, it took me ages tonight to pack for work tomorrow -- put together a toothbrush kit to take to work in my purse, made chocolate rice protein drink with almond milk in the blender to drink for breakfast before work. I'll pack soy yogurt and some apple sauce in for lunch. Tomorrow is a long day. I think that on other days I might skip lunch and just take plan rice milk that comes in a little box -- no brain work to come up with that plan and even less on the follow through.

The metal has started eating into my bottom lip -- the mouth guard interrupts that contact, so maybe I will start wearing the mouth guard when I am home in the day.

I talk a little funny still as I am not used to all this stuff in my mouth yet.

. . . trying to keep up my spirits. . . ortodo says it will be a two year process but that within a few months we could start seeing the teeth fall into the right place -- this would indicate that his plan is working.

My whole body and brain is reacting to this.
I'm trying to think of this initial part as a transition period that I can get through.

M.

Hello,
It's nice to see people checking in.


I wish good days for everyone here on the thread and for others not posting at the moment

M.

Dear Mari,

Congratulations on having come all this way!!! You sound like you are on top of things, as frustrating as it may be.

the mouth lining where your braces are hitting will heal and become more resistant to the braces, and will not get eaten into as is happening now. this is just a part of the initial crud. it won't happen for the whole duration. (had metal braces, know what you mean.)

meantime, especially if the skin is cut, wearing the mouthguard during a few daytime hours sounds not to be a bad idea. the faster the lining heals the better, and once broken, having the metal hitting it makes that go slower.

anyway, it is transitional. it will stop happening. it is somewhat comparable to when one starts wearing contact lenses - especially hard contact lenses. they irritated the cornea all to heccc at first... and the conjunctiva can "feel them" when one blinks... then in a matter of days/weeks, the eye is desensitized and it is as if they are not there. the shape of the braces you will feel, unlike contacts, however the mouth lining will "toughen" to their presence and not be subject to injury as it is now. do not worry.

((( hugs )))

~ waves ~

Dear Mari,
I am sorry that you are uncomfortable now.
I like everything that waves said to you.
This is a new chapter for you and I sm sure that you will adjust to this.
The smoothies sound like a great way to ease into this as well.
I also think that comfort foods may be soft in the evenings, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes if you are allowed, creamed soups.
THis sounds painful to me...hope you get used to them very soon.
Is it ok to say
you poor thing....
beth

Dear Waves,
I thought about you at work. A student asked me today to look into his eyes and check his contact! It was his first day wearing contacts and they did not feel right to him. I told him that he would get used to them eventually.
I have ceramic brackets on the top front teeth -- the look is less metally than a full metal mouth. The ceramics are more comfortable but feel bulky.

Dear Bizi,
Great suggestions!
Mac and cheese is too hard to handle at this point. Or else, maybe it is too hard to think about.
I need stuff that does not hold together.
Tonight I had refried beans, instant mashed potatoes, and some coconut milk ice cream -- when I start freaking about my health I start to lean vegetarian.

Talking is hard.
I had a much harder time teaching today than I thought that I would.

M.