Head Bonking

Now both sides of my teeth touch! I had the last of the temporary crowns replaced with permanent crowns this morning at 8:00 a.m.

Exactly one year ago today, I broke my face and since that time my jaw was so out of alignment that my teeth no longer touched on the right side. While replacing all the fractured teeth, my dentist set up the crowns so they sat lower on the left side and higher on the right side so I should finally be able to chew properly.

My dentist was like a little kid this morning. He was SO happy that he was able to fix this problem and went on and on about how much thought he'd put into it. I was not only happy for me, I was happy for him that this made his day!

My front teeth also no longer rub on the front of the bottom teeth- so no worries about wearing them down to the nubbins (<- not a word!)

In other news, I get to see my sister and nephew today! I'm so excited! I even left the tree up, which is SO unlike me, so we could have pictures of the baby in front of the Christmas tree. I miss my sister so much that may just kidnap my sis and nephew and not let them go home. Tee hee. It WAS an awful lot of fun when we lived together.

Yup, today's going to be a GREAT day. A heckuva lot better than this day last year.

.... or more aptly titled, "face-bonk, the gift that keeps on giving".

Remember me mentioning that my teeth were literally falling apart? Well, when I went back to the dentist yesterday to get the new crowns in place I mentioned to the dentist that two more teeth have broken. He took a cursory look and said that those two teeth are too far gone to do just a filling. They'll need crowns if I want to keep them.

People, I'm seriously not eating anything harder than an apple. I'm not chewing gum! I'm not chewing ice! I'm not doing anything that would cause harm to my teeth, yet they're breaking apart before my very eyes since I've started actually chewing stuff.

The dentist said that he sees three more teeth that need crowns, in addition to the three that have already been crowned in the last couple of months. OUCH. Do you know how much it costs per crown? Somewhere between 1500 and 1800 per crown, depending on the prep.

I decided to call my medical insurance company to see if there is any possibility that they might pay for my teeth, since this was an incident requiring medical care. Are you ready for this? YES! Yes it is!

There's one caveat though- one that is going to be difficult (but not impossible!) to accomplish. All of the work has to be done within one year of the accident. The accident was on 12/28/08- so I have 20 days to get all of this done. Oh- and finish three projects... and do all the stuff that goes along with Christmas.

Oh vey!

I called the dentist's office and gave them the news. They're fitting me in today so we can get this party started.

I don't think ever in my life have I wanted to go to the dentist every day- but now I do because this is going to cost big bucks of insurance doesn't pay. Well over 10k, when all is said and done- probably closer to 15k if you count the money we've already spent.

This not writing in my blog much thing is getting out of control! Especially when I don't post on Thanksgiving!

I didn't even call anyone on Thanksgiving. I hope I get a hall pass though, because BJ was sick and we laid very low this year.

It's not too late to write about the things I'm thankful for. In fact, I'm trying to do that every day on my GratitudeLog.

What a year this has been, eh? A wild ride, for sure.

The year started out pretty bleak. I knew I was getting laid off, I'd just broken several bones in my face just a couple of days prior and BJ lost his job. All in that order.

But that layoff turned into a wonderful new career, working for myself and BJ working for himself too. Sure, I've had a few moments of "what if this doesn't last?", but those moments are fleeting because of the nice nest egg we have in our savings thanks to the severance pay. I don't seem to have a problem getting new projects and clients, and I've not once marketed myself. It's all come from my reputation with people I'd worked with or for in the past as they've moved to new companies.

So, all those times that I whined about how hard I was working? I guess it was worth it.

BJ's business took off too. I mean really, what are the odds?

And my face? Well, the bones didn't heal properly, but you'd never know it by looking at me. Just how does that happen? I don't know- but I'm glad it did. When I watch shows like CSI, I think about what a medical examiner would think if they looked at my bones. Ha! It kind of makes me laugh a little.

This was also the year that Einstein came into our lives. What a little bundle of joy he is. BJ told me from the time we met that he NEVER wanted any pets whatsoever. But bless his heart, he saw how the year started out and decided that getting a dog would make me so happy- so he finally said yes. I never really pestered him, I just joked with him about it mainly. Even the day he said, "OK", it was a joke.

He told me he had to go out of town for a business trip (that, of course never happened since he lost his job too!), and I replied with a picture of a puggle and the words, "then I want one of these". I made sure he wasn't joking, because I couldn't believe he'd actually said "OK" to a puppy.

And now? Well, you couldn't pry Einstein away from BJ. He just loves that little guy and tells me all the time how much Einstein means to him. He even said that it's a good thing that we'll never get divorced because I'd have a fight on my hands in regard to custody of Einstein. Who knew? BJ is just as surprised as I am about what a great little companion Einstein is for him.

I knew back at the first of this year that things would turn around. As I've probably said a million times, things ALWAYS turn around. I just needed to watch carefully for the open doors. Open doors don't scare me. I suppose that comes from living for almost 50 years. I can clearly see things for what they are- - learning experiences. Some good, some bad. But there really is no such thing as a bad learning experience as long as you've learned something from it, right?

BJ came into my life at the exact right time. Those learning experiences have come fast and furious the past few years and I don't think I would have had the fortitude to face them without him by my side. I'm so glad that I overcame my fear of relationships and grabbed onto his hand. I can't think of anyone more perfect for me than BJ.

My sons are happy and have started living their own lives. I used to be afraid of that idea, because I made them such an important part of who I was. If anyone asked me to define myself, for many years I would have said "mother", and would have had a hard time thinking of anything else. Now I have many things that define me, but "mother" will always be at the top because of the beautiful souls that were given to me to raise. I'm thankful that they are happy in their new lives. I'm especially happy for the women they have chosen.

I became an aunt for the first time this year. It's so fun to see my baby sister as a mother. I love to see the capacity of love she has for that little baby. I love to see some of her features on his cute little face. Mostly, I love seeing my sister so happy.

I'm thankful for my family and especially thankful that my family doesn't bicker and quarrel. Life is so short and family is precious. Ranger Mike and I used to be 'mortal enemies', but you couldn't find two people closer than we are if you tried.

I'm also very thankful for all of YOU. If I didn't have this place to write down my feelings, my thoughts would just fester in my brain because I really do hate whining in real life. I'm not called Pollyanna for nothing! I felt stronger because you assured me that I was strong. That's been so important for me to 'hear'. I'm so glad that I'm now friends on Facebook with many of you because it allows me to take a peek into your lives and give back some of that support. Wow, I've made such good friends here. The amazing thing is that people who read my blog know me MUCH better than friends in real life (many of which do not even know that I have a blog.) I think that's because in real life, I try to focus on helping vs. receiving.

I may ignore my blog, but it's always here when I need to write. I don't think I'll ever give it up. I suspect that I'll become more active at some point, but right now I'm just living life and thankful for all that I have.

I haven't mentioned this latest excursion into "all things face-plant", because I'm tired of complaining. I don't do a lot of complaining in real life, believe it or not. I think I'd be a complete DRAG to be around if I constantly spouted what I was thinking. Therefore, most of my whining is contained in my head or my blog.

Hmmm, that's kinda like when I'd have a crush on a boy as a teenager. Only my brain and my diary knew (and I'll bet donuts to dollars that if my diary had eyes, they'd be stuck in the rolled up position permanently.)

In the last three weeks, I've broken FOUR teeth. Some worse than others.

Sunday morning, I was eating an apple and one of my crowns came off. BJ and I had a birthday party to attend that night; a lovely multi-course meal at a fabulous Italian restaurant (thanks again C&J, it was FAB!), so I sent BJ to the drug store to pick up something to temporarily glue my crown back on. Even so, I chewed v-e-r-y carefully. Mostly because:

A: I think I put the crown on backward (only me)
B: Due to the gunk to glue it, the crowned tooth was sitting up abnormally high. I was afraid I'd chomp down and break the darned thing

The dentist was able to fit me in yesterday. He didn't have time to thoroughly examine my mouth, but the tooth next to the crowned tooth was broken so badly that it also needed a crown. Even worse, he couldn't just cement the old crown back in place because I'd broken the build up (I think that's what it's called) underneath the crown, so that had to be redone as well as a new crown.

I asked the dentist about whether he thought these teeth breaking all the sudden had anything to do with the fall, and he said that he's almost 100% sure of it. He said that stuff like this can happen months or years after trauma to the face. The fact that it's happening all at once, would be another indicator. Especially since I don't chew gum or anything harder than an apple.

When I see him next week to put on the new crowns, we'll take a look at a treatment plan for the rest of my teeth.

Gee Lori, was there any good news to report?

Why yes there is. I briefly talked to the dentist about the orthodontics issue on the table. He said that he wouldn't do orthodontics if he were me because of the trauma that I've already had to my face. He said that what he CAN do is build my teeth higher on the right side of my face so they all line up, allowing me to chew on that side. He said that I do NOT have to worry about dentures because my roots and bones are in great shape. I may end up with crowns on all my teeth, which is WAY more expensive than dentures, but he doesn't see me as ever needing to worry about being in a fixadent commercial.

Also, if we can prove that all of this is a direct result of the fall, we might be able to get medical insurance to pay to fix the teeth. Wouldn't that be awesome? Our dental insurance has a fixed amount to spend every year. That basically covers regular cleaning and exams and pretty much nothing more, so everything is coming out of our pocket so far. Yesterday's tab was almost 2500.00. Every penny of it out of our pocket.

By the way, I've started a daily gratitude blog. None of this yammering on and on stuff. Just a daily quip of what I'm thankful for. It's a safe place to go if you are tired of hearing the whining. I know I would be tired of it. Gheesh.

Let me know if you join, so I can follow YOU. If you're a Facebook user, you can set it up to automatically post your gratitude posts to your Facebook page. It will also remind you to post something if you've not posted each day. I like that. It reminds me to acknowledge what I'm grateful for (which, by the way, is plenty!)

I went back to the doctor yesterday because after four weeks and two days, I still had a headache of epic proportions 24/7. The only reprieve I had was when I was completely knocked out by my nightly sleep medication OR when I'd break down and take pain pills. Even then, I'd have headaches in my dreams and the pain meds only took the edge off.

When I saw her last week, she prescribed a nasal steroid spray and sudafed/allergy pill combo. I wasn't running a fever, and she's hesitant to prescribe antibiotics. Understandable.

She broke down yesterday and prescribed horse pill-sized antibiotics, warning me to eat yogurt because this antibiotic was a strong one. Even better news, she's agreed to take on my pain management needs for the facial fracture pain.

Can I get a hallelujah for this? No need if you're not in the mood. I have said enough hallelujahs for everyone on the planet.

I had to sign a contract, which I hear is standard. I had to agree not to obtain pain medication from any other source and not share my medication with anyone and other stuff like that. She couldn't hand me the pen fast enough.

She's also now in charge of my neurology meds, now that we've come to the point where I'm on the perfect combination.

I think she had no problem with any of this because I've been seeing her for two years now and have only once asked her for pain medication. It was when I had a sinus infection and had to fly. She also had my records from the foot doctor showing that I had a fracture and a torn something-or-other and didn't ask him for pain meds. She ALSO had the CT scans of my face showing how the fractures had not healed properly. I don't take pain meds every day (except for this sinus thing...), so I am at 15-20 per month. That’s quite reasonable considering the mess that is under my skin.

Maybe she was also feeling a little guilty because she was the one who told me "Some people are just fainters". Just maybe if she would have taken me seriously and sent me to the cardiologist BEFORE the face bonk, all of those fractures to my face could have been avoided. I doubt that she's even putting two and two together, but I'd like to think she learned something from this experience.

That's neither here nor there. She's a good doctor and I trust her (I really do!) and I think we've learned a few lessons together. She's told me more than once that I wait too long before I come to see her and she knows that if I'm actually in her office, then something is definitely wrong with me. I joked about being a frequent flier yesterday and she said I'm not even close.

I'm so relieved that I don't have to worry about being without pain medication when I need it and I'm glad that I'm starting to consolidate my list of doctors. For someone who HATES going to the doctor, I sure seem to have a lot of co-pays. With the exception of the first visit to the neurologist and cardiologist (oh, and now foot doctor- sheesh), they've all been pre-scheduled follow-ups. My gastro is the only specialist that I see when I'm having a problem. But that's not frequent either because I know there's nothing he can do for me when I'm having a flare-up except prescribe anti-nausea stuff and pain meds. I already have that stuff on hand, so I doubt I'll see him again unless I turn bright yellow.

I have a feeling that I'll be forced to be reckoned with tomorrow after being on antibiotics for 48 hours. Poor BJ. Look out world!