3rd Day

Well, the pain is still here...the puffiness the same. Sigh. I know this is an extreme example, but I feel a little like dizzy today.

I like "now." I don't like to wait for things. If I want something, I go and get it. Patience is not my best friend. Could be the reason golf drives me insane. If I try a new sport/skill...I want to get it right away. If I don't...well...the game just sucks anyway.

So, here I am. Waiting. Hoping. Being Frustrated. What was that? I need to surrender? Who thought of that anyway? Losers?

It's forcing me to slow down but it's frustrating. So I wait...

The Day After

Well, after much thought, I am NOT going to post a pre-op pic. If you want to know what I am looking like these days, this is about right. Or, you can scroll down to see the "before" shot. Either way...not so flattering. :) We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Frankenstein Gums

The day of surgery is the worst. The anticipation of what is going to happen to you always ensures that you won't sleep the night before. I didn't.

I arrived on time. They were quick to collect my full payment in cash upfront. Of course my nervous energy responded with, "yes, of course you need your money before I were to die in the chair..." Just a smile and an "you'll be fine" response from the woman behind the counter.

I was escorted to a room by a man coughing up a storm in his face mask. Great. My mouth is going to be wide open for that. I need to stop thinking like this...it will be fine. So, he pulls up my dental xrays and prepares the room for the doctor. Of course I have to observe every single detail like...um, those aren't the xrays of my teeth.... Good thing I know what my teeth look in an xray. I immediately said something, "um, those aren't my teeth and my name isn't alicia." Nice start to the day.

As he said something like, oh, um sorry...my tension level began to peak. The doctor came in...heard me and tried to break the ice by saying, "of course those weren't your teeth. If they were, you wouldn't need to be here!" Was that supposed to be funny? Comforting? Um, I think neither.

They didn't mess around. Right away it was time to lean back...time to get busy on this! Even though I had an ipod in my ears, he wanted to chit chat with me. First it was..."what do you do?" Well, he knows I don't have insurance so...duh... Next was, "what did you do?" So, I said, "advertising sales." Which really sounded like.. "mafetttipphin mmaelsss" with all of the crap inserted in my mouth. Really, I have no idea why he decided to chat with me..it was all so frustrating.

He admitted that he wanted to calm me down by talking to me so he thought it would be best to talk about the economy next. Really? Seriously? He asked me if I thought it was on purpose...the fall of the economy. First of all, I have no insurance and no income. Second of all..shut the hell up!

I turned the ipod up. My hands are white from gripping them.

Drills, pressure, coughing from assistant, pain, shots, more shots, taste of blood, seeing blood on his hands, more drilling, pain, assistant coughing, more shots...ah, strike gold..he found a cyst. Going to get it checked. He was pretty vague about it, but said the infection was larger than he thought.

So, I have been sleeping all day. My gums look like Frankenstein. I took pics but way too graphic to show...today. Of course I looked in my mouth...pushing my cheek around looking at the damage and after picked up my one sheet to read the "what not to do" directions for me.

(1. Don't look in your mouth and move things around.

Sigh.

Recovery time now with Maggie.

Happy Birthday Mom. I'm sorry we couldn't play today.

Birthday Surgery

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! It's also the fun day I get to go to the dentist to have my gums ripped open, hoping that this "D.D.S., MMSc., etc." played a mean game of operation as a kid. I know I did. But, don't try to get me to play after my morning coffee.

Come to think of it...the operation is in the morning and he MAY be a coffee drinker. Didn't think about that. Ugh. I am trying not to think about it.

So, after telling you to look at the utube video of my surgery (which I didn't watch, by the way), I had my friend Dan watch it as I was sitting next to him. I couldn't get myself to look at it so I told him to narrate what they were doing..."Then what? What's next? Now what's happening...how about now?" All I had to do was look at his face. Oh yeah, and the several "Holy Shit's" coming out of his mouth with the look of panic.

So, Happy Birthday Mom!

I have been thinking of why I have a hard time asking for help. I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends that offer to take care of me if I needed it. I hate to put people out. I have always been independent and never wanted to depend on anyone for anything. My mom came to help me with my myomectomy last year, but my first thought was.."it's ok, I will be fine..." I know she wanted to help, and I am glad that she did. Thanks Mom!

I am sure that it will go well tomorrow. I hope it will go well...it better go well tomorrow. OK...I need to stop thinking of it. I wonder if the dental assistant would mind documenting the surgery for a blog. Maybe too creepy.

So, thank you all for your kind words and offers to help. I think I will be ok. Maybe it will be good luck because it's on mom's birthday. Yeah...that's it!

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

Check out her beautiful sculptures on www.DianeBriney.com

I'm getting an Apicoectomy!

Do you have dental insurance? Get your teeth fixed now. Ahhh, if I only listened to that when I had insurance. Perhaps it's my fear of needles, or the fact that metal objects don't belong in your mouth...or the sounds of drilling with the pleasant smell of drilled down tooth enamel that turns me off. Whatever the case, I avoided it.

Now, with no insurance in hand...I can no longer wait for my tooth to fix itself.

No, I am not spending money on a new flat screen TV, or a week at Club Med...instead, I am going to get an Apicoectomy this week. Pure joy. :/

A root canal that I had done when I was 16 is completely infected so I am going to get a drill in my jaw to extract the infection. Fun! Well, anything to relieve the pain I had a week ago (see sad looking, infected cheek and mouth here)

Those of you that really want to gross out, this is what I will be going through. I couldn't watch it.

So, wish me luck. :) I am looking forward for it to be over with.

25 Facts About Me

This pic is me at age 4.

Yes, this 25 list has been going around the internet so I caved in. If you have nothing better to do, here are 25 random facts about my life...

1. I used to be a synchronized swimmer
2. I had stitches between my toes
3. Was an assistant college basketball coach
4. Sold a tennis racket to Chevy Chase
5. I grew up Mormon
6. I’ve never been to Europe
7. My dad died at age 55
8. I’ve been laid off twice
9. I won a coloring contest (no, not last year)
10. I slept as my neighbors house burned down
11. I have the complete Star Wars action figure collection
12. I have all albums from Elvis Costello and see him in concert every year
13. I have guns and am not afraid to use them
14. I have an original signed cabbage patch kid, beau
15. I’ve never broken a bone
16. I don’t have tonsils
17. Sat next to Arnold Schwarzenegger on an airplane
18. I would rather text than talk on a phone
19. I am NOT a morning person
20. I love to be spontaneous…I don’t plan, I do
21. I was a fencer
22. I love to make people laugh
23. I drink coffee every day (cream only)
24. I LOVE the open road and nature
25. I want YOU to answer 5 questions on http://www.AmericanLifeToday.com

Me today...

Back On The Road

The sun is out, it's a beautiful day here in Southern California. I am feeling the urge to get back on the road. This picture is from the very first day I took trailie camping for a "trial run." What a great time I had with Maggie, Karen and Heather. So, I am writing this blog inside of "trailie" in my driveway...with Maggie, of course. Some of the toughest days I had on the road were in the first 6 weeks. It's interesting being alone, not really having a schedule and exploring America. As "difficult" as it was, I miss it so much! I am ready to go again. This time, I want to explore the Southern route.

This map is what I did last summer so I am hoping to explore all of the areas I didn't see on my 120 days on the road. Also, I am going to do things a little different this time. I want to write more. I want to meet more people and listen to who they are. Besides seeing some amazing places, I especially enjoyed meeting people and learning more about their life. As I meet them, I look forward to introducing them to you on American Life Today.

For now, she sits in my driveway. It's my glamorous writing cubbie hole/guest house. However, nobody has taken me up on staying in it so far. Maggie enjoys hanging out with me inside. The only difference between now and when we are traveling (well, there are several) is there isn't anyone coming up to us asking:

What is that?
Do you sleep in it?
Is it for your dog?
Can you stand up in it?
How much does it cost?
Is there a bathroom in it?
How big does it pop up to?
Does it have air conditioning?
Where do you get one?
What's it called?
Just you and your dog?

Seriously....look at it. Of course I am friendly and happy to answer (most of the time), but it's just a hard tent in a sense...a really cool one at that! :) So, we are beginning our plans for the next outing. Perhaps I will be in a town near you. If I am...remember these answers:

It's a teardrop trailer
Yes
Yes
Depends on who's standing
Lots
Define "bathroom"
What you see is what you get
2 Doors that open
Where they make 'em
Trailie!
Yes...and misc. items

Anything I'm missing?