A Pollyanna Dental Update

I grew up watching the 1960 Disney version of the movie "Pollyanna." It was based on a book by Eleanor Porter and is about a young girl who manages to stay positive in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances. Pollyanna had grown up as a missionary child, so she was accustomed to poverty and the hand me downs she got from the missionary barrels. Then her parents die, leaving her to go live with her aunt, a spinster who seems cold and harsh, in a town that's far from cheerful.

I couldn't find the exact quote, but Pollyanna has a policy in life of always looking for the best in any situation. For finding the silver lining in every rain cloud. Eventually her positive attitude infects the entire town!

Life wasn't always easy when I was younger, and Mom taught me to look at life like Pollyanna did. I've had people ask me in the last couple years, as I've struggled with severe asthma and migraines, how I stay positive, and the answer is often Pollyanna! (when I am actually staying positive that is) Mom and I practiced that attitude so much that looking for the best in a situation is something I do with out even thinking about it most of the time.

Yesterday I had oral surgery to have one of my back molars removed. On the one hand it's a frustrating situation because it is painful and it means I have a hole in my mouth which will making chewing more difficult. However, there are a lot of good things I can be thankful for! So here's my Pollyanna look at the whole situation :)

1. After 2 years of avoiding all milk because of the severity of my asthma I've finally been able to work it back into my diet - which means that while I can barely chew during recovery I can eat things like yogurt and mac'n'cheese!

2. For years I had to avoid having apples, applesauce, or apple juice because it would mess up my innards, I discovered about a month ago this is no longer the case, so I've also been able to eat lots of yummy applesauce as I recover!

3. The dentist was really competent and really kind. He numbed me up really well, and when I said "ow" he shot me up some more! He also gave me some really strong pain killers so for once they are working :)

4. My Mom already had the day off because she took my grandparents in the airport that morning so they could fly home, so my Mom was there with me, which was very comforting since the hubby had to be in school!

5. The dentist worked really fast so my jaw isn't nearly as sore as I thought it would be today, which means I can eat much easier than I thought I'd be able too!

All in all, despite being a little foggy from pain meds, and the pain when the meds start to wear off in that last hour before I can take them again, I have a LOT to be thankful for. Praise God!

Dental Adventures

This morning I went into the dental clinic that is set up for those of us without dental insurance and with out a lot of money to have them look at my two broken teeth. The took x-rays and the results were that we'll be able to save one tooth and not the other. I can accept that...it's better than losing both!

The only problem is that they were not comfortable with doing the extraction there at the clinic. I think I scared the doctor with how messed up my body is with asthma and stuff. So they referred me to an oral surgeon.

Saw the oral surgeon this afternoon and we're doing the extraction on Monday. I'm a little bit nervous because two of the medications I'm on will slow the healing process, but I know it can't be avoided, so I'm going for it. I'll live!

I'm really tired today. It's been a busy week and it was a long day with both the dentist appointments and several errands. So for those of you I usually chat with, that's why I'm quiet!

Health Update on my Cousin and Me

We got some good news about my cousin Mark! The one who has cancer... Anyway, this is what his sister e-mailed me this morning:

"So its called small cell lymphoma, or something to that effect. They finally got back to us with biopsy results. its more common, and lower on the severity scale than the first one mark was diagnosed with. his treatment starts again Monday, he should get his teeth taken care of this week or his next off week, he's not gonna have to stay in the hospital, just go to treatment and come home, he is going to need the stem cell/bone marrow transplant, but they can do it at any time during his treatment instead of waiting for the chemo to be completed. thats the quick synopsis anyways."

It's still serious, it's spread through out a large portion of his body, but it's nice to know its not a scary rare form like they originally thought, and this gives a little bit more hope :) He's already lost his hair from the chemo. Mom knit him a hat a week or two ago to help keep his head warm!

Now my news....

I'm continuing to stay healthier. I'm still having some asthma attacks, but they are much more infrequent than they were and I'm able to go for fairly regular walks. I've also been able to finally add some milk back into my diet after almost 2 years of having to completely avoid it! I can't tell you how happy that makes me :) There were so many foods I missed!

We are trying to get me on a daily migraine medication because I'm continuing to battle migraines almost daily. There have been a lot of hiccups and miscommunication in the process, but I'm hoping to have something by next week. Until then...I've given in and I'm drinking caffeine again. I'm not supposed to because I have an elevated heart rate from my asthma meds, but its the only thing keeping me functional. I'll trade an elevated heart rate for not being stuck curled up in bed. As soon as I get the daily meds I'll stop drinking it again. And I'm being careful not to drink too much so my heart rate isn't getting too high.

Now for the bad news. I've had bad teeth for years. It's a combination hereditary and from the steroids and other meds I've been on over the years. Yesterday I had couple handfuls of popcorn, and accidentally got a hard kernel, and it broke two teeth! One of the teeth wasn't that unexpected, they had put a temporary fix on it that was supposed to last for about 6 months...and that was two years ago. But the second tooth was a big surprise! I'm going in first thing tomorrow to get them worked on. I'm expecting to lose at least one, if not both of the teeth. I don't think we'll be able to afford anything else.

Trying not to get too depressed, they are both molars so it won't affect my smile too horridly, but it's still really frustrating. Especially because I'm already missing a tooth on the opposite side of my mouth so this just means it'll be more "fun" to eat! I'm hoping and praying that this doesn't throw my body for too much of a loop. Dental work tends to trigger my other health problems from the stress and pain. I'm trying to think positive though and really praying that I still make it to my cousins baby shower on Saturday!