Well, this is gonna be the short version of my oral surgery story (because I'm really busy today).
I had my surgery yesterday (despite contemplating how I was going to get out of it all last week). I was pretty proud of myself for even showing up at the endodontists office yesterday. Inside, I think I really just wanted to get it over with. The surgery itself was not too horribly painful, because they made sure to numb me up really well. I can't say I enjoyed getting to witness my own apicoectomy (cutting out the root tip of a tooth), but I imagine that might give me some new bragging rights. No?? I mean, not many people can tell you what it sounds like to have two large roots from your upper right molar scraped out of your head. It's...memorable to say the least. Oh, and it was bloody too...very, very bloody!
The pain was pretty significant after all the numbness wore off. I thought maybe I was going to vomit in the middle of Walgreen's when I went to pick up my prescriptions last night. However, I told myself to do everything in my power to avoid vomiting, because I figured stomach acid would probably make the 20 or so stitches in my upper gums burn like wild fire! So, no vomiting for me :-). For those of you who were wondering, you CAN take prescription pain killers when you are pregnant. My lovely midwife called my endodontist a "dork" for telling me I couldn't take anything after surgery & gave me a Rx for Tylenol 3. I really love my midwife right now! Had it not been for those pain killers, I'm quite confident I would not have been able to sleep last night.
So, here's to 6 more days of soft foods, careful chewing on the left side of my mouth only, and lots of pain killers to get me through! But, at least it's over now!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
What kind of world do you want.
The last week has been full of ups and downs for me (and NO it's not just the funky pregnancy hormones messing with me!). Last Friday Jonathan and I went to Chandler's "moving up" IEP (individual education plan) meeting. My little boy is starting Kindergarten next year & believe me when I say "I am NOT ready".
I know I don't talk about it much on my blog, but most of you know our son Chandler has autism. I purposefully do not mention it all that often because I want my son to be treated normally. I don't want people to see him as "that kid with autism". I want them first and foremost to see him as "Chandler". In so many ways he is just your average 4 year old little boy (except for the fact that he is the size of a 10 year old!), doing very normal little kid things. I guess we are "lucky" that he has a very high functioning form of autism, and over the last two years he has learned to function and communicate quite well.
However, I have reminders every day of the battle I am up against. For instance, I have an almost 5 year old that still tantrums like a two year old when he gets upset & often times he does not have the words to tell me what he wants. He does not understand what kinds of things are dangerous for him (despite us explaining it to him dozens of times). He is attracted to "shiny" knives, the bright red light that comes on when the stove top burners are turned on, he loves water & will jump right in the deep end of the pool despite almost drowning one time. His syntax is often jumbled and very difficult to interpret ("I want for to the dinosaurs box books green at the store"... Take a stab at that meaning???). There are lots of little idiosyncrasies that make up Chandler, but that's part of what I love about him. He can be very difficult to understand at times, but I believe he is full of potential.
One of the more difficult tasks of being a parent of an autistic child is having to attend these IEP meetings & hear about how other people view your child's abilities. I have very high hopes and expectations for my son, and I've had to learn how to be his advocate in a world that constantly puts limitations on him. I understand why they may "limit" him in some areas, but that doesn't mean it's not painful to hear that your child can't do what all the other kids his age are doing. I've had to find the balance of fighting for him in the areas where I know he is capable, and accepting the areas where I think he still needs help. It's not a fun thing to have to talk to 8 people for 2 hours about what your child can't do.
For now, I hold on to the hope that one day we will find a cure for this awful disease that is affecting 1 in every 150 children. As a parent it's terrifying to not know what causes it. You live in constant fear that you may actually be harming your child further with everyday things like the food they eat, the water they drink, the medicines they take when they get sick, and of course the vaccines they receive (should you do them, or should you stop them altogether?). None of the answers are simple, and no one solution seems to work for every child. It's frustrating and disheartening to feel so helpless when you see that your child suffers with something that NO ONE has an answer for.
However, I have chosen not to feel sorry for myself (and I don't want you to feel sorry for me either). What I DO want to do is help my son and the millions of other children that suffer with ND's (neurological disorders)find a cure. If it means I have to be more vocal about Chandler's autism...then so be it. I'll just have to trust that the world will still see in him all the potential that I see. It's a hard thing to trust other people with your child, especially when you fear that they will judge your child just because they don't understand them. But, that's one thing that I want to change for Chandler's future. I want this world to be a place that loves and accepts him even if he is never "normal". I know that's a tall order, but unless I stay optimistic and ever vigilant, it may never happen.
So, what kind of world do you want?
*This is a video of a little boy who is struggling with autism and I thought it was touching & very appropriate for this post :-) Enjoy!
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/
I know I don't talk about it much on my blog, but most of you know our son Chandler has autism. I purposefully do not mention it all that often because I want my son to be treated normally. I don't want people to see him as "that kid with autism". I want them first and foremost to see him as "Chandler". In so many ways he is just your average 4 year old little boy (except for the fact that he is the size of a 10 year old!), doing very normal little kid things. I guess we are "lucky" that he has a very high functioning form of autism, and over the last two years he has learned to function and communicate quite well.
However, I have reminders every day of the battle I am up against. For instance, I have an almost 5 year old that still tantrums like a two year old when he gets upset & often times he does not have the words to tell me what he wants. He does not understand what kinds of things are dangerous for him (despite us explaining it to him dozens of times). He is attracted to "shiny" knives, the bright red light that comes on when the stove top burners are turned on, he loves water & will jump right in the deep end of the pool despite almost drowning one time. His syntax is often jumbled and very difficult to interpret ("I want for to the dinosaurs box books green at the store"... Take a stab at that meaning???). There are lots of little idiosyncrasies that make up Chandler, but that's part of what I love about him. He can be very difficult to understand at times, but I believe he is full of potential.
One of the more difficult tasks of being a parent of an autistic child is having to attend these IEP meetings & hear about how other people view your child's abilities. I have very high hopes and expectations for my son, and I've had to learn how to be his advocate in a world that constantly puts limitations on him. I understand why they may "limit" him in some areas, but that doesn't mean it's not painful to hear that your child can't do what all the other kids his age are doing. I've had to find the balance of fighting for him in the areas where I know he is capable, and accepting the areas where I think he still needs help. It's not a fun thing to have to talk to 8 people for 2 hours about what your child can't do.
For now, I hold on to the hope that one day we will find a cure for this awful disease that is affecting 1 in every 150 children. As a parent it's terrifying to not know what causes it. You live in constant fear that you may actually be harming your child further with everyday things like the food they eat, the water they drink, the medicines they take when they get sick, and of course the vaccines they receive (should you do them, or should you stop them altogether?). None of the answers are simple, and no one solution seems to work for every child. It's frustrating and disheartening to feel so helpless when you see that your child suffers with something that NO ONE has an answer for.
However, I have chosen not to feel sorry for myself (and I don't want you to feel sorry for me either). What I DO want to do is help my son and the millions of other children that suffer with ND's (neurological disorders)find a cure. If it means I have to be more vocal about Chandler's autism...then so be it. I'll just have to trust that the world will still see in him all the potential that I see. It's a hard thing to trust other people with your child, especially when you fear that they will judge your child just because they don't understand them. But, that's one thing that I want to change for Chandler's future. I want this world to be a place that loves and accepts him even if he is never "normal". I know that's a tall order, but unless I stay optimistic and ever vigilant, it may never happen.
So, what kind of world do you want?
*This is a video of a little boy who is struggling with autism and I thought it was touching & very appropriate for this post :-) Enjoy!
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/
Thursday, April 24, 2008
What have I done?
Today, I did a very bad thing. I let my 2 year old have a Ho Ho. You know...the chocolate cake rolled with creamy filling. What have I done? It was a moment a weakness that I'm sure I will soon come to regret.
As it is her entire diet consists only of string cheese, grapes, bananas, cheese-it crackers, yogurt, Pb&j and the occasional bowl of mac-n-cheese. The child does not eat meat or vegetables of any kind. But I'm pretty sure she would sacrifice her right arm for a cupcake, or even just a handful of M&M's. Yes, she has her mothers cursed "sweet tooth".
Well, at least I got some cute pictures of her Ho Ho dreams coming true...
The first bite....
Pure delight!
Now, that's the stuff dreams are made of.
As it is her entire diet consists only of string cheese, grapes, bananas, cheese-it crackers, yogurt, Pb&j and the occasional bowl of mac-n-cheese. The child does not eat meat or vegetables of any kind. But I'm pretty sure she would sacrifice her right arm for a cupcake, or even just a handful of M&M's. Yes, she has her mothers cursed "sweet tooth".
Well, at least I got some cute pictures of her Ho Ho dreams coming true...
The first bite....
Pure delight!
Now, that's the stuff dreams are made of.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
And then you have a night like last night....
Well, I was all set to do a whiny post about having "one of those weeks" when everything breaks at the same time (at our house it was the car, the washer, and my mouth!). Then, something very sad happened in our neighborhood last night that made me reconsider how "bad" I really have it.
Around 6:00 pm last night Jon and I were in our back room talking when all of the sudden we heard a BOOM! CRASH! Then our lights began to flicker & we heard the unmistakable crackle and pop of a transformer blowing up. We immediately ran to the back yard to check on the kids, then we turned toward our neighbors house and saw his back yard go up in flames. Jon yelled at me to call 911 & he hopped the fence to run next door to check on them. I quick rounded up the kids & got them inside just about the time we lost all power. I could see all the neighbors coming out of their front doors, but I stayed on the line until I got through to 911. That's when the 911 operator picked up and said "Are you calling about car accident on your street?". My first words were "NO...I'm calling about the fire in my neighbors back yard"! I didn't even realize yet what was going on.
What I saw next was in one word...horrific! No one knows how or why, but a young girl somehow managed to skip the "gully" (otherwise known as a trench for storm water), plow through a fence, flip her SUV, and hit a light pole before finally coming to rest. The end result was pretty ugly. Her SUV was on it's side, trapped under the largest portion of the broken light pole (it split in two!) with the windshield and roof bowed inward pinning her inside the car. My neighbor and I were the first ones to approach the car, and suffice it to say it was frightening to see this poor girl trapped! I won't go into all the details, but from what we could see it looked like the girl was alive when they got her out! Life flight landed a few blocks up the street & the police told us she was still alive when they got her to the helicopter.
It took all night to clean up the mess & when I finally went to bed at 1:00 am our street was still blocked off and glowing with emergency lights. What a night! It's times like these that make you realize that the "little stuff" like bills, car repairs, and whiny kids is NOTHING in the cosmic grand scheme of things. NOTHING! I went to bed feeling so thankful that I had my whole family tucked safely into their beds. This life is so precious, and I want to remember that every time I'm tempted to complain about the "little" things that clouds my vision.
Last night was a wake up call! As I watched emergency crews work to free that girl, all I could think was "this life is too short to obsess over the things I have no control over". I want this event to remind me that NOW is the time to embrace this life. NOW is the time to appreciate all the many blessings that God has given me. NOW is the time to remember that each day, each moment we have is a gift. 50 years from now I can guarantee you that this time of "struggle" we are going through will mean NOTHING! 50 years from now I probably won't even be able to recall the week that everything in my house decided to break at the same time. Nope! I won't remember those things because honestly...they just don't matter. I've got what matters right now...and I'm going to try my hardest to remember that this week :-).
Around 6:00 pm last night Jon and I were in our back room talking when all of the sudden we heard a BOOM! CRASH! Then our lights began to flicker & we heard the unmistakable crackle and pop of a transformer blowing up. We immediately ran to the back yard to check on the kids, then we turned toward our neighbors house and saw his back yard go up in flames. Jon yelled at me to call 911 & he hopped the fence to run next door to check on them. I quick rounded up the kids & got them inside just about the time we lost all power. I could see all the neighbors coming out of their front doors, but I stayed on the line until I got through to 911. That's when the 911 operator picked up and said "Are you calling about car accident on your street?". My first words were "NO...I'm calling about the fire in my neighbors back yard"! I didn't even realize yet what was going on.
What I saw next was in one word...horrific! No one knows how or why, but a young girl somehow managed to skip the "gully" (otherwise known as a trench for storm water), plow through a fence, flip her SUV, and hit a light pole before finally coming to rest. The end result was pretty ugly. Her SUV was on it's side, trapped under the largest portion of the broken light pole (it split in two!) with the windshield and roof bowed inward pinning her inside the car. My neighbor and I were the first ones to approach the car, and suffice it to say it was frightening to see this poor girl trapped! I won't go into all the details, but from what we could see it looked like the girl was alive when they got her out! Life flight landed a few blocks up the street & the police told us she was still alive when they got her to the helicopter.
It took all night to clean up the mess & when I finally went to bed at 1:00 am our street was still blocked off and glowing with emergency lights. What a night! It's times like these that make you realize that the "little stuff" like bills, car repairs, and whiny kids is NOTHING in the cosmic grand scheme of things. NOTHING! I went to bed feeling so thankful that I had my whole family tucked safely into their beds. This life is so precious, and I want to remember that every time I'm tempted to complain about the "little" things that clouds my vision.
Last night was a wake up call! As I watched emergency crews work to free that girl, all I could think was "this life is too short to obsess over the things I have no control over". I want this event to remind me that NOW is the time to embrace this life. NOW is the time to appreciate all the many blessings that God has given me. NOW is the time to remember that each day, each moment we have is a gift. 50 years from now I can guarantee you that this time of "struggle" we are going through will mean NOTHING! 50 years from now I probably won't even be able to recall the week that everything in my house decided to break at the same time. Nope! I won't remember those things because honestly...they just don't matter. I've got what matters right now...and I'm going to try my hardest to remember that this week :-).
Monday, April 14, 2008
Bins and Bellies!
What an exciting life I lead! Wanna know what I did this weekend? Well, I'll give you a little hint.....
Yup! I forced my poor hubby to sort through boxes, bags, and mountainous piles of children's clothing that had been taking up way to much storage room in the closets. We sorted, folded, and placed the clothing neatly into 12 carefully labeled storage bins! To accomplish this huge task we stayed up till 1 in the morning this past Saturday! Why so late? Well, because you can only do this sort of organizing while small children sleep...otherwise you would have waaaaaaay too much extra "help".
Jonathan really loves the 7 month nesting phase I go though every pregnancy :-). I think the outdoor siding needs cleaning next.....oh, and the garage floors will get a good washing too! You think I'm kidding...but I'm not! You know what the best part of all this "nesting" is (besides a really clean home)...my sweet hubby actually helps me with it! I love to do "projects" in the Spring, and now that I'm pregnant that urge is just magnified 100x more! So, the next time you see Jonathan, just sympathize with him (because he's gonna be really busy this Spring)!
Oh, and for my out of town friends...here is your "belly" picture.
Yup! I forced my poor hubby to sort through boxes, bags, and mountainous piles of children's clothing that had been taking up way to much storage room in the closets. We sorted, folded, and placed the clothing neatly into 12 carefully labeled storage bins! To accomplish this huge task we stayed up till 1 in the morning this past Saturday! Why so late? Well, because you can only do this sort of organizing while small children sleep...otherwise you would have waaaaaaay too much extra "help".
Jonathan really loves the 7 month nesting phase I go though every pregnancy :-). I think the outdoor siding needs cleaning next.....oh, and the garage floors will get a good washing too! You think I'm kidding...but I'm not! You know what the best part of all this "nesting" is (besides a really clean home)...my sweet hubby actually helps me with it! I love to do "projects" in the Spring, and now that I'm pregnant that urge is just magnified 100x more! So, the next time you see Jonathan, just sympathize with him (because he's gonna be really busy this Spring)!
Oh, and for my out of town friends...here is your "belly" picture.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Mama's Still Got It!
I could not let the events of this past weekend pass without at least a brief mention of them (because this sort of thing never happens to me). The short of it is I was hit on TWICE this weekend. Yep...two times! Now, the surrounding circumstances may take away from that a little bit, so I thought it was important to "WOW" you with the raw facts first-LOL! As I'm sure you all are aware by now, I'm carrying baby #4 and growing quite fast this time, so I've been trying my darnedest to conceal my ever-expanding tummy to the best of my ability. It gets really old to hear all the comments about how "big" I am this soon (there will be plenty of time for that later!).
So...Saturday night I decided to squeeze into my jeans one last time (mainly because I don't have anything else to wear right now) to go out for the evening. Jonathan and I went to Paddy O's to catch the KU/NC game (which was freaking awesome!) with some friends. We spent all evening at the pub watching both of the final 4 games, and by the end of the night I was feeling bloated and more than a little uncomfy in my pre-preggo jeans. That's when it happened. The drunk guy that had been sitting across from our table all evening and cheering with us told me I was "beautiful", and asked if I was married. HA! That's when my brother-in-law laughed and said "She's not only married, but she is working on baby #4". I don't really think this guy got all of that (he was on beer number 9 or 10 by that point), but he gave me a high-five & told Jon he was "lucky". Ah, nothing like a drunk man to boost a pregnant girls confidence :-).
The second "hit" happened on Sunday at the grocery store. I was in the produce section marking things things off my way-too-detailed shopping list (I'm trying to stick to a budget, which requires a lot of fine tuning to my grocery list), when I saw this Nigerian man pass by me and look over my shoulder at my produce list. I smiled because I thought he probably wondered what the heck I was doing writing prices beside all the things on my list. Then, he did it again...he pulled his cart right up to mine & looked me straight in the eyes and smiled. At this point I was pretty sure he found my shopping style down right sexy...you know, with the whole typed list with sub-categories and all. Oh, and I was also weighing all the produce, and then calculating everything with my cell phone calculator (grrrr, baby!). I know some men find that anal-retentive shopping strategy completely irresistible! I smiled back and moved along. A few minutes later, when I had moved on to the hamburger helper aisle, he came by again. This time he formerly introduced himself & asked my name, and if I had a boyfriend! There I was, holding my box of cheeseburger macaroni, wearing my first pair of maternity pants, and I was being hit on for the second time that weekend! It just doesn't get any better than this-ha!
Of course, when I told my husband about my grocery store "hit" he laughed and said "Jonathan" (that was his name...how funny is that!) was probably interested in me because I was a "citizen". Oh, puh-lease! He was clearly attracted to my very detailed hunting and gathering skills, and I won't let myself believe any different. I think this baby is giving me a "glow" that men see, but don't understand. Heck, I better get something good out of the deal since I'm already caving to the temptation of maternity wear this early on :-).
*This is a boy....I'm sure of it now! My girls just give my zits and oily hair. Chandler made me "glow"...therefore I'm voting BOY this time around :-).
So...Saturday night I decided to squeeze into my jeans one last time (mainly because I don't have anything else to wear right now) to go out for the evening. Jonathan and I went to Paddy O's to catch the KU/NC game (which was freaking awesome!) with some friends. We spent all evening at the pub watching both of the final 4 games, and by the end of the night I was feeling bloated and more than a little uncomfy in my pre-preggo jeans. That's when it happened. The drunk guy that had been sitting across from our table all evening and cheering with us told me I was "beautiful", and asked if I was married. HA! That's when my brother-in-law laughed and said "She's not only married, but she is working on baby #4". I don't really think this guy got all of that (he was on beer number 9 or 10 by that point), but he gave me a high-five & told Jon he was "lucky". Ah, nothing like a drunk man to boost a pregnant girls confidence :-).
The second "hit" happened on Sunday at the grocery store. I was in the produce section marking things things off my way-too-detailed shopping list (I'm trying to stick to a budget, which requires a lot of fine tuning to my grocery list), when I saw this Nigerian man pass by me and look over my shoulder at my produce list. I smiled because I thought he probably wondered what the heck I was doing writing prices beside all the things on my list. Then, he did it again...he pulled his cart right up to mine & looked me straight in the eyes and smiled. At this point I was pretty sure he found my shopping style down right sexy...you know, with the whole typed list with sub-categories and all. Oh, and I was also weighing all the produce, and then calculating everything with my cell phone calculator (grrrr, baby!). I know some men find that anal-retentive shopping strategy completely irresistible! I smiled back and moved along. A few minutes later, when I had moved on to the hamburger helper aisle, he came by again. This time he formerly introduced himself & asked my name, and if I had a boyfriend! There I was, holding my box of cheeseburger macaroni, wearing my first pair of maternity pants, and I was being hit on for the second time that weekend! It just doesn't get any better than this-ha!
Of course, when I told my husband about my grocery store "hit" he laughed and said "Jonathan" (that was his name...how funny is that!) was probably interested in me because I was a "citizen". Oh, puh-lease! He was clearly attracted to my very detailed hunting and gathering skills, and I won't let myself believe any different. I think this baby is giving me a "glow" that men see, but don't understand. Heck, I better get something good out of the deal since I'm already caving to the temptation of maternity wear this early on :-).
*This is a boy....I'm sure of it now! My girls just give my zits and oily hair. Chandler made me "glow"...therefore I'm voting BOY this time around :-).
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Endodontist Consult.
Let's see if I can make this short.
In a few weeks I'm going to have my gums sliced open while this endodontist digs, picks, and files away 2 twisted, gnarled up roots in my upper right molar . Then he will stitch up my gums and send me home with a Rx for...nothing! As an added bonus to all the pain and misery I'll be experiencing, I get to take good old Tylenol for pain relief (Oh, and an ice bag to the cheek for swelling-woohoo!). Yep, this is sounding better all the time isn't it?
As a added benefit to all this pain and discomfort I also get to dine on a liquid/soft foods diet for 1 week while my mouth is full of stitches. Just in case you are wondering, the stitches don't dissolve either. I'll get to go back a week later to have them removed.
This life I lead...it's so freaking glamorous at times. I already know how jealous you are going to be when you see my puffed up chipmunk cheeks. Try not to hate me, because it's really difficult to be this perfect all the time.
Just say it...you want my life.
In a few weeks I'm going to have my gums sliced open while this endodontist digs, picks, and files away 2 twisted, gnarled up roots in my upper right molar . Then he will stitch up my gums and send me home with a Rx for...nothing! As an added bonus to all the pain and misery I'll be experiencing, I get to take good old Tylenol for pain relief (Oh, and an ice bag to the cheek for swelling-woohoo!). Yep, this is sounding better all the time isn't it?
As a added benefit to all this pain and discomfort I also get to dine on a liquid/soft foods diet for 1 week while my mouth is full of stitches. Just in case you are wondering, the stitches don't dissolve either. I'll get to go back a week later to have them removed.
This life I lead...it's so freaking glamorous at times. I already know how jealous you are going to be when you see my puffed up chipmunk cheeks. Try not to hate me, because it's really difficult to be this perfect all the time.
Just say it...you want my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)