Busy Week

Went out tonight with 2 of my guys and was allowed to snap this photo with my iPhone.  Convinced Holt he had to let me get this hair cut in a photo!!  I think this is the best one he's ever had, in my never to be humble opinion.  lol 

February, 2011

 Holt just got his wisdom teeth out last week and has had a bit more pain than usual, but no issues.  No dry sockets or infection.  He is on the mend.  I introduced him to Chik Fil A lemon pie and he might have died and gone to heaven.  He's pretty sure he did.  lol 

Oh, almost forgot.  Holt was recently diagnosed Severe ADD - Combined Type and put on medication for the first time in his life.  His daily commentary has been something else - he says "It feels like my brain has been turned on for the first time ever!"  He cannot get over how different he feels, how much easier it is to "think", how much easier it is to remember things, how much more he smells things (that was a shock!).......he says he can't imagine if he had taken these meds years ago, how school might have gone so differently.  He was asked repeatedly but since he always said "no", there was no getting him tested.  (He had to cooperate).  Little did we know then that the Alexithymia prevents him from being able to answer such a question.  He can't ask himself, "Do I feel confused?"  That won't register with his brain.  Interesting, huh.

Ryan got promoted at his job to Shift Trainer/Manager and is loving that.  Even though it was only a 15 cent raise per hour, he loves being in charge.  (From what we heard, he was already "doing" this job before the promotion, Ha!)  He is going well in school and is ALWAYS golfing.  I swear, we never see that kid.  He shot a 70 yesterday in heavy wind and was very stoked.  The weather is beautiful right now and he isn't wasting it.  (For his birthday next month, we got him a "new to him" set of irons from a teammate who was trading up.  Ryan LOVES these new irons.  Hasn't had a new set since age 14, we think?  He got good use out of the old ones.)

Hubby is getting his veneers redone FINALLY.  He started this over 2 years ago....thought he'd go in for veneers.  Found out his teeth were horribly misaligned and if he did not correct it, he'd be in dentures in 10 years.  So braces went on and here we are.  He spent 5 hours in the dentist chair getting his teeth ground down...........and he was SHOCKED (we all were really ) at how dark green/brown his teeth are (from Tetracycline prescriptions as a child.)  His first set of veneers lasted almost 25 years!!!! (Usually last around 10.)  

It was not fun - very much sensory overload and his teeth/gums were not happy.  They had to put on temporary veneers (where this was not needed 25 years ago) and he will go back in several weeks to get the permanent ones on.    Here are photos of before and after.  We're debating putting the green/brown teeth photo on, but may if we think it would help others in the same position "see" what a difference veneers can make. 

Braces, May, 2009

Old Veneers, AFTER braces, February, 2011

Small snapshot of 2 of his current teeth, after the grinding and before the temporary veneers.  Gums are discolored due to the procedure of grinding.

Temporary Veneers, February 17. 2011

I just did a Google search of "Tetracycline teeth" and could not find a photo any where near as dark and stained as my husband's teeth.  Unbelievable what that antibiotic can do!   YAY for veneers!!!  I am so thrilled he was able to get this done and that they have worked so well and lasted so long for him.  He's hoping no more grinding will be necessary - 5 hours is a long time without a break!!  I went in to help him pick his "new" color for the new set.  He will go back in a few weeks and get those permanently bonded on.  The new technology will block the dark gray/brown/green teeth from ever showing through.  (The first set he had DID have some bleed through over the years.)

My pain flare has decided to decrease in intensity, and I am so thankful.  It was a long month.  Sure wish I could figure out the triggers, if there was one.  I did end up getting some super soft "minky" fabric to wear around my midsection front to back (like a tube top sort of, but around my stomach ribs to hips) to keep all other fabric from touching my skin.  That "central pain" feels like the worst sunburn of you life X 10.  Air blowing on my skin can send me screaming.  Just awful.  I am thanking God it once again is going away.  How some people live with this 24/7, I do not know.  My regular nerve pain is quite enough, thank you very much.

Oh, and I took a crochet class at a specialty yarn store and I was the only student - Perfect!  She thought I was a beginner, but I showed her my projects (that hat, and a wristlet thingy I made), so we spent the time just making sure I haven't developed any bad habits (I hadn't!) and helping me learn to read patterns (since I taught myself watching videos - reading actual patterns has been somewhat difficult for me.)  I'm visual!!!

Ok, that's it.  Back to crocheting!