OW!

I'm definitely sore now, especially on the left side. I knew I would be, but it's really bothering me. I forgot to tell you that I got a spring on the front from one tooth across another tooth and attached on the next tooth. It doesn't hurt except when it pinches the inside of my mouth. On the upper left it feels like the band is cutting into the roof of my mouth. I'm hoping that this will go away by tomorrow.

10/31/11 Candied Apples & Beef Jerky

I had my appointment today. So far, so good. I know that my teeth and mouth are going to be sore. I'll take some ibuprofen with dinner. I had a long talk with them. I told them that I wished that I had been able to talk to some adults with braces before I made my decision.  Even though I had braces when I was younger it is so different as an adult. They listened with interest. I told them a big thing for me is the food. When they asked me what food it was, mostly it was nuts. However, on my way home I thought of the time of the year being Halloween and caramel apples. I love them and there's no way for me to eat one. The other thing is my husband always makes beef jerky for our grown kids and grandchildren at Christmas. Not going to be able to eat that either. They are both comfort food for me as is Waldorf Salad and Strawberry Surprise Jello. Sure they both can be made without pecans. However, the pecans are my favorite part of it. Oh well... I'm sure I'll find something I can eat!

10/30/11 Doing somewhat okay!

I found a group through yahoo e groups of adults with braces. I joined it and had a nice e mail from someone who urged me to not have them taken off.I appreciate him sending me the e mail. I'm sure I'll continue with them... it's just that I get so frustrated with the whole situation. I really wish that I had researched more with other people how they felt about having them. If anyone reading this is an adult considering getting braces, please do your research before you make the decision. Research every aspect of  being an adult with braces. I don't want to deter anyone from getting them if they are truly needed. Just do your research!

19/28/11 I didn't get...

Well, I didn't get the GI doctor to say that it was all from my braces. Looks like I'm stuck. My teeth aren't sore today, but my mouth is. Not sure if it's from something I ate or if my teeth have moved again. I have my next appointment on Monday and am DEFINITELY not looking forward to it.

The GI doctor did tell me that because of the reflux and the fact that my brother died from colon cancer that I need to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy. Got it scheduled for next month. I'm sure everything is fine, but better safe than sorry.

I'm looking forward to this weekend and hope you all have a great one!

10/26/11 Not feeling well

On top of everything else, I have a sinus infections. I feel yucky, no sleep last night. Okay, very little sleep anyway. Sure hope it's better tonight.

The braces are okay for now, have a sore on the inside lower right and left of my mouth from where things rub. It usually goes away in a day or two and doesn't hurt to much. I thought I had really thought this decision through. It was not one that I made lightly. Yet, I still wish that someone had talked me out of it. I guess two years isn't that long. Still, not looking forward to the rest of it.

Tomorrow I go to the GI doctor. Hopefully nothing will be majorly wrong with my stomach! I'll keep you posted.

10/25/11 Wanting to Scream

I think I'm getting a cold or an allergy attack. I feel yucky, but not bad enough to keep me home from work. I'm still having reflux problems and am actually looking forward to seeing the doctor on Thursday. I still believe that most of this has to do with my getting my braces. I think it changes my whole system. I did gain 1 pound, so weigh just over 113 today. Don't know how it will be tomorrow. The things I need to eat to keep my weight up seem to irritate my stomach. I think I'm wanting the doctor on Thursday to tell me that I need to have the braces taken off and take my chance with ruining my teeth later on in life.

Tired

I wish that I could find other adults and see if they are having similar things going on with them that I have. I guess I'll ask the orthodontist when I see them on the 31st. Meanwhile, I have an appointment for my reflux this Thursday. I tried to print out the patient forms and they won't print right. Oh well, guess I'll do them when I get there.

I ate another apple today with the chocolate peanut butter. So far it hasn't bothered the braces. This I'm excited about.

Off to do some sewing.

10/23/11 Spillover

I've decided that the stress I have from the braces is spilling over into the rest of my life. I can't say it's all from the braces, but a good part of it is. I've always said that I have few regrets in my life, but this will definitely be one of them. Maybe later on, I'll feel differently about it. Maybe when I'm 80 and still have all my teeth.

On the other hand, I've noticed that my lower front teeth have moved some and now they don't look like they're different heights. It use to look like on of the lower front teeth was a lot shorter than the rest and now it doesn't. I guess that's one good thing!

10/22/11 Not Bad (for now)

Today seems a little bit better. I keep thinking of things that I can't eat like jelly beans and caramel. I can suck on them if I'm careful. I ate an apple today cut into tiny pieces and for the first time, it didn't make the inside of my mouth sore. Hopefully things will get better soon.

10/21/11 Frustration

Well, the frustration has really hit. It's been just over a month and I'm not seeing anything positive about this undertaking. My teeth are sore, my stomach is still upset and mentally, I'm worn out. I have an orthodontist appointment on the 31st. Who knows what will happen then. At the age of 53, I really don't want to wish for time to fly, but I want the next 2 years to pass by quickly. I'm suppose to get TAD screws, temporary anchoring devices, at some point in my treatment. I looked it up and am NOT looking forward to that at all. I really think that when adults consider getting braces that they get psychological help first!

10/20/11 Yuck!

I feel terrible right now. My front teeth are really sore on the bottom. I swear when I had braces when I was 10, that it hurt for a day or two then stopped until the next adjustment. I have an appointment on Halloween. I hate to think of how much it will hurt then! I've lost 10 pounds now and at 112, don't need to lose anymore. My stomach is still messed up so can't eat a lot of stuff that would help me gain weight. We eat healthy for the most part, but am just so upset. I always had the reflux, but never this bad. It's downright depressing. This all started when I got my braces, the worst of it anyway. I really wish I'd taken my chances and not gotten the braces. There's always false teeth!

10/18/11 I Want To Scream

I know it's been a month and you would think that things would settle down by now, but they don't seem to be. I really wish that I hadn't done this and had taken my chances. My stomach is still messed up, going to have to go to a gastroenterologist to see what's up. I've lost more weight and I didn't want to. It's all really beginning to depress me. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

10/15/11 Hurting again

I think I overdid it this weekend. The right side of my mouth and that top molar with the band are really hurting me. I did a lot of talking this weekend and to tell you the truth, that bothers me. I'm sure my husband wishes it would bother me more and stop me from talking. Nothing will stop me from talking. If I can't use my mouth, I'll talk with my hands using sign language! Also, I ate apple pieces today and I think that's part of the cause. They said I could eat them, just cut them in small pieces. Oh well, this, too, shall pass. Thanks for listening!

10/15/11 Not to bad

Hi all,

I hope everyone is doing great. I'm doing okay, but probably shouldn't have had that cup of coffee. We're in a hotel in Albuquerque, NM and it had been awhile. My mouth is good today and I'm hoping that it will stay that way at least until my appointment on the 31st of this month. I have to remember to not put my tongue against the roof of my mouth. That should help keep the two teeth from hurting to much. I'm not looking forward to my appointment. I know they will adjust things and that will make my mouth sore all over again. Plus they'll probably yell at me because I haven't been flossing my teeth as much as I should. It's to hard to get the floss in there. I have been brushing like crazy, after every meal. I shouldn't have any cavities!

Oh well, time to go explore the city. Then it's off to the beer tasting this afternoon.

10/13/11 Better

My mouth is feeling better today. I'm hoping this continues. However, I'm thinking it's not going to.continue. Normally I'm a patient person, but with this, it's different. There's not only been changes in my mouth, I feel like there's been changes to my body as well, also my personality. I feel like I'm more cranky than usual. I've always had a bit of acid reflux, but never this bad and my bowels are messed up, too. I'm just not sure if it's all related to the braces or something else. It did start when I got the braces, so who knows?

10/11/11 Isn't 2 years over yet?

I am so miserable right now. I don't know if it's because of the soft pretzels I ate earlier or because my teeth are moving again. I'm okay when I eat, it's after I'm done they start hurting. If I had to do this all over again I definitely wouldn't do it again! I'm going to call the office tomorrow and see if they can take a look at it to see if there's anything out of place.

OW OW OW

I went to the mall with my son and couldn't resist the pretzel bites from the place there. They were so good and they were soft enough for me to chew. However, my mouth is so sore and I have sores on the inside of my mouth where there hadn't been any for quite awhile. I just don't get it, still don't see why I did this. I'm just not seeing the good in any of this other than being miserable.

Too much

Good morning everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm exhausted even though I sleep somewhat decently. My mouth is still sore today, but the day is still young for me. I'm really concentrating on keeping my tongue away from the roof of my mouth. I suppose soon it will be habit. I don't remember having this many issues with braces when I had them when I was 10. Maybe when you're younger, things don't bother you as much!

OW!

That one tooth on the upper right that the band is on is really hurting tonight. I'm trying to keep my tongue away from it, but it's hard to do. I'm sure it'll go away just like the left side did. I hate waiting! Right now I'm still wondering why I did this. Can someone please explain this to me. What made me do this?

10/10/11 Okay Day

The tooth that was sore last week is better. However, the same tooth on the other side (top) is bothering me today. I've discovered that it's from pushing against it with my tongue. It's difficult to deal with the little pain. I can't take ibuprofen because of my reflux. Guess I better take some tylenol.

Today is a good day for other reasons. My husband is almost finished with the remodel of our kitchen. He's got the counter top almost done, still needs to do the back splash. The sink is being installed today and we'll be able to use it tomorrow. The cooktop that we ordered is back ordered and we're not sure when it'll get here. He did the cut out for it and the old one will fit back in. The sink is great, really deep and will hold a lot of dishes. It's almost big enough for my little dog Bella to go swimming in!

10/09/11 Sleeping

I slept good last night for a change. It's nice to be able to do that. However. I slept so hard that it made my mouth hurt. Not much I can do about that. I keep finding all these little things that have an effect on my mouth. Anytime I push anything against my teeth, I feel like they move slightly and move back. They are very sensitive to that. I'm still trying to decide what colors, if any, to get next time. I could go with green and red for Christmas, or maybe red, white and blue to show patriotism. The school colors for the school I work at are purple and gold, may do that. I'll have to see what colors they have before I decide.

Candy Bars

My husband and I went to the grocery store tonight. I was okay with going through the store. It was when we got to the checkout to pay. They always have all the candy bars there for you to buy. I'm guessing that at least 75% of them are ones that I can't eat because of the braces. It was really depressing to see all of that there. Yes, there are many of them that I can suck on but it's not the same as really chewing something. Wow, do I miss being able to chew candy and other things. We bought some apples. I can't bite into them, it would break the braces. I have to cut them into tiny pieces. It's going to take me forever to eat a whole apple! Sure wish the 2 years was over!

10/8/11 Taking Time For Me

Today I took some time off from my braces. Okay, not really. They're still there. I went to my weaving, spinning and knitting group. There was only 3 of us there today, but we still had fun. I'm trying to finish a scarf that I'm knitting. Hoping to have enough yarn left to knit a moebius scarf with the leftovers. I might have to spin some more yarn to go with it. One of the ladies made a German Apple Cake that was delicious and well suited to my braces. Soft! I just ate a spoonful of chocolate peanut butter. I was thinking it might get stuck, but it didn't. I guess since I can't eat nuts, they're too hard, that I'll have to look for more nut butters. Yummy!

10/7/11 Okay

Okay, I'm resigned to the fact that I'm stuck with these braces for at least 2 years. I'm resigned to the fact that there will be certain foods I can't eat, that it's going to hurt a lot of the times. I've never been one to give up on something or back down from a fight. I wasn't raised that way. Thank God I have a mom who taught me to be better than that. On the other hand, it doesn't mean I'm not going to not go kicking and screaming and complaining the whole way! I have so many other things in my life that are good, family and friends, a roof over my head, food in my mouth and a job I enjoy. Going to make the best of it.

Today my mouth is sore again!

10/6/11 Light At The End Of The Tunnel

No, not yet! Today is 3 weeks since I had the braces put on. My mouth is sore in different places again today. Guess this must be boring to read! I'm sure that some day I'll find the up side in all of this. Today one of the men at work noticed my braces and told me they look nice! Hmmmm, he asked how long I've had them and I said three weeks. He's not very observant. I have an appointment at the end of this month, not sure if I want colors on them again or not. Maybe red, white and blue. It would make my 13 year old son happy. He's such a patriotic young man! I'm still at the point where I would never wish braces on anyone! Yet, I still smile. Life is indeed good!

10/05/11 Hurting Again!!

I sent my orthodontist a text message this morning to ask about the pain I'm having. I guess things are moving again. Every time they do, my mouth gets sore again. Not just the teeth, but the inside of my cheeks. I've got wax on the right side. Usually it lasts for a day and then it's okay again. Then a few days later it happens again. It's a vicious cycle. I'd like to numb my mouth for 2 years at least. then I wouldn't have to worry about the pain. I guess I'd talk funny. Oh well, the kids at school would like it!

Me Again!

Okay, so grilled cheese wasn't the best choice to have for dinner. I cut the crust off of the bread, too hard to eat. The bread wasn't the problem, it was the cheese. It got stuck everywhere! I'm still pulling some pieces of cheese out of my braces. I don't know if I want to ever do that again. It tasted so good! Oh well, some things are worth it!

10/4/11 Can't keep the date straight & OW

I posted the wrong date yesterday. Maybe the braces are fighting in my head making me forget things. It's hard when you get older. I remember when I had braces when I was 10. It would hurt for a day and then go away. Now it seems like it hurts every other day. Maybe I had a higher tolerance to pain back then. I'm not sure. I have a feeling that though sometimes things seem easier, that I will make it through these two years. I had my picture taken at work today because I won an award. I refused to smile and show my teeth. Everyone knows I have braces, almost everyone. I was embarrassed.

10/04/11Not hungry

I'm not hungry this morning, but need to eat. I'm still wondering if my stomach issues are related to my braces somehow. It's better, but not all the way. I'm watching what I eat so that I don't upset the stomach acid/reflux to much. Guess I'll ask the orthodontist about it when I go the end of this month. Well, off to work. I really like my job as a sign language interpreter in a middle school. The kids all think I'm cool because I got braces!

10/03/11 Hurts

Here I am thinking I'm doing pretty good and things start to hurt again. I'm guessing that my teeth have moved the slightest bit and it's making a new area sore. Though this time a couple of my teeth are sore, too. I've eaten more than I have, and don't think they hurt anything. I do tend to let things that will, melt in the roof of my mouth. I find that my tongue pushed against the roof of my mouth a lot and that makes things sore. Oh well... I keep looking at myself in the mirror with the braces and blue bands and wonder if I'd look less dorky if I didn't have the colors. I think the colors make them stand out more. Guess I'm not going to smile in pictures for a couple of years!

10/02/11 Dinner

We went to dinner tonight. I hate the fact that I can't pick a hamburger and bite into it with my front teeth. As a matter of fact, I can't bite into anything with my front teeth, might break something. That means no lox, bagel and cream cheese for a year, no corn on the cob, no pizza, no hard rolls, no hard anything. I have cheated, but haven't hurt my braces. I sure wish I could figure out a way to cheat with the front teeth. Anyway, at least I'm enjoying my food better even if I have to cut it all with a knife and fork!

10/1/11 Better?

Today seems to be a better day. I've gained almost 2 pounds, but don't want to gain to much. I kind of said I'll be damned if I'm going to let these things ruin my eating habits! My husband made an excellent dinner last night. He even shredded the carrots into the salad rather than slicing them. He knows I can't eat them if they're just sliced. Guess he's getting use to them, too! The inside of my mouth is a lot better. I suppose as my teeth move that new spots will get sore. Again, I'll be damned if I'm going to let it bother me. I did buy extra wax at Walgreen's and will get more if I need. I'm not looking forward to the T.A.D. screws, but will deal with it when it happens.