It is done. The tooth is gone as of 2:00 p.m. yesterday.
I almost didn't go. I could barely eat lunch due to my nervousness. It took all my strength to get in my van and drive to the appointment. But I did.
And once there, I went right in and my dentist numbed my mouth. A few moments later, he began working the tooth out. Or as he stated, the three pieces of my tooth.
It made a lovely noise as he was working. Kind of like nails on a chalkboard, which was actually the tools against my tooth. And then, he had to push down on my jaw as he was working. It felt like my jaw was coming apart at the joint.
My heart was pounding so rapidly, it was skipping beats and I could feel my whole body shaking. A small tear or two slipped out the corners of my eyes and I prayed without ceasing that it would be over soon. And then it was over.
The dentist patted me on the shoulder and said it should feel better now that I had rid myself of that broken tooth.
I felt a little shell-shocked, and couldn't really respond due to the wad of gauze I had clenched between my teeth. But I managed to walk out to the desk where they informed me that I had a co-pay I needed to take care of. Couldn't they have had me pay BEFORE I went in? Somehow I wrote the check and headed out to the van.
It was then that I regretted turning down offers from my family to drive me to the appointment. It seemed like a hundred miles to my Mom's house where I had left the children.
By the time I got home, I just wanted to cuddle up in my chair and try to relax. I couldn't really eat anything; but I managed to down a whole can of cream of chicken soup. It was not very satisfying though and my tummy was growling all the way until bedtime.
So here I am, blogging away, after a decent night's sleep, trying to get back on schedule and not keep thinking about yesterday.
I do know that in the future, I will try to avoid at all costs having a tooth pulled. And lest you think I have a low pain tolerance, please know that I have had five children and two were without pain relief!
Thank you for your prayers regarding my tooth. And please feel free to share any dental moments you might like to add to my comments. I would love to hear from you!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Slacker Mom, Slacker Teacher
This morning I read a wonderful blog post http://dailydwelling.com/the-best-discipline . It really opened my eyes to see that I am a slacker mom and slacker teacher.
I am totally disorganized. I also think I have Attention Deficit. These are not great things to be when it comes to being a mom and teacher.
At the end of every day, I struggle with the fact that really, in all those hours, I have accomplished very little, especially when it comes to our homeschool. And I have to face the fact that I am the one who is causing this, not the students.
My teenage son is a "reluctant learner". He's very intelligent, but just doesn't get much work done. I have to really stay on him for him to stay "on task". And do I do that? No. I'm floating around doing umpteen other things besides teaching school: laundry, dishes, sending out packages from my Etsy business, checking the computer, etc. Meanwhile, he's wasting time doing everything but his work. We are like parallel teacher and student, never meeting at all. And that is just sad.
My girls pretty much get their work done on their own, with very little input from me. They are able to stay on task while my son and I drift aimlessly from one thing to another.
I cannot expect something from my son that I myself am not able to do.
It is me that needs to change before I can help him to change.
I am taking this issue to prayer, because I feel so weak in this area, so without self-discipline. And I need to acquire it quickly, as I have so few years left to help my son to learn.
I plan to work with him, too, by admitting that I, too, have a problem focusing, setting goals and accomplishing them, especially when it is something I don't like to do.
I need to set a good example to my children, not only in learning self-discipline, but how I go about it. They need to see my struggles and how I try to overcome them. And maybe together we can become the homeschool I know we can and should be.
Monday, April 16, 2012
I Hate Teeth...The Sequel
Just a quick update on my Friday trip to the dentist http://momsoblessed411.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-hate-teeth.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_ca
My appointment was at 11:00 a.m. Luckily, I only had to wait a couple of minutes as my heart was racing with fear as to what the dentist would have to say. Luckily, he is easy on the eyes so that helps to soften the blow.
He took a look at the x-rays the technician took and whispered the word "fracture" to her. Now I started to think maybe I had broken my jaw or something since it had been swollen there.
Then he came over and looked at my with his big brown eyes and said he had bad news...my tooth was fractured.
Phew, I thought, is that all? What a relief! He said he couldn't fix it, that it needed to come out and that he could do it right then. What? I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. I just panicked. I wanted to get out of there. As I said before, I am an avoider so I just wanted to escape.
I asked, does it have to be today? He said, no, it would need to be in the next week or so to prevent more damage. Thank goodness! I could put it off! Hurray!
So, I chose to make an appointment for the next Monday. And then he proceeded to grind the sharp edges off for me as it was hurting the inside of my cheek and I couldn't put my teeth together.
So I left feeling pretty pleased with myself for putting off the inevitable. And then, my tooth started to really hurt. More than it had before I went to the appointment! I should have known when the technician said I could take 800 mg. of Motrin (prescription strength) for the pain. I can't take that because it melts my stomach, so I managed with just 2 ibuprofen (hey, I'm tough! I had 5 children with very little pain relief).
It did get a little better. And this morning, it is feeling pretty good. In fact, it feels so good, I am starting to feel like maybe I don't need to have the tooth taken out. But I will overcome my urge to run away from the appointment and plan to be there on that Monday to have the extraction.
Please continue to pray for me!
My appointment was at 11:00 a.m. Luckily, I only had to wait a couple of minutes as my heart was racing with fear as to what the dentist would have to say. Luckily, he is easy on the eyes so that helps to soften the blow.
He took a look at the x-rays the technician took and whispered the word "fracture" to her. Now I started to think maybe I had broken my jaw or something since it had been swollen there.
Then he came over and looked at my with his big brown eyes and said he had bad news...my tooth was fractured.
Phew, I thought, is that all? What a relief! He said he couldn't fix it, that it needed to come out and that he could do it right then. What? I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. I just panicked. I wanted to get out of there. As I said before, I am an avoider so I just wanted to escape.
I asked, does it have to be today? He said, no, it would need to be in the next week or so to prevent more damage. Thank goodness! I could put it off! Hurray!
So, I chose to make an appointment for the next Monday. And then he proceeded to grind the sharp edges off for me as it was hurting the inside of my cheek and I couldn't put my teeth together.
So I left feeling pretty pleased with myself for putting off the inevitable. And then, my tooth started to really hurt. More than it had before I went to the appointment! I should have known when the technician said I could take 800 mg. of Motrin (prescription strength) for the pain. I can't take that because it melts my stomach, so I managed with just 2 ibuprofen (hey, I'm tough! I had 5 children with very little pain relief).
It did get a little better. And this morning, it is feeling pretty good. In fact, it feels so good, I am starting to feel like maybe I don't need to have the tooth taken out. But I will overcome my urge to run away from the appointment and plan to be there on that Monday to have the extraction.
Please continue to pray for me!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
I Hate Teeth
I hate teeth. Really, I do. Especially mine.
You see, I don't have very good teeth. Last year I had the pleasure of having a root canal to save a tooth. It was actually pretty painless. I was surprised. But anyway, I had a temporary crown put on at that time with the instructions to come back for the permanent crown. Oh, and don't forget your check for the permanent crown when you come.
So, needless to say, I didn't go back due to our lack of money.
At Christmas, I was eating a yummy, gooey cinnamon roll and suddenly felt something in my mouth that shouldn't have been there. Come to find out, it was my temporary crown. Oh, boy! It felt awful in my mouth but didn't actually hurt, so I chose to ignore it as we still didn't have extra money for dental work.
Then, in March, I chomped down hard on some food item and saw stars. The next day, my jaw was swollen and tender, but I couldn't see anything in my mouth that looked broken. So, once again, being the avoider that I am, I just tried to ignore it.
The week before Holy Week of this year, it started to really act up. I couldn't bite down hard on anything and had to cut my food up really small. I knew the time had come to see the dentist.
So I prayed to God that He would let my tooth stay together until after Easter and Confirmation. You see, I cantor and sing in the choir at our church and we were scheduled to sing throughout Holy Week, including Easter Vigil, Easter morning and Confirmation on Monday. I was afraid I would have to have my tooth pulled and that I wouldn't be able to sing for all those events. And God was so good. He did let me sing and worship Him without pain.
But now, I have an appointment tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Of course, they wanted me to have my teeth cleaned first, but I had to tell them that would be much too painful. Could they please do something for my tooth first? And she said, yes, X rays. And wouldn't you know this week studies came out that state that people who have dental x-rays are at a way higher risk of brain cancer? Great. More worries.
So I plan to bravely march off to the dentist tomorrow (check in hand) to find out the fate of my teeth. Please pray for me as going to the dentist is at the top of my list for places I hate to go. (or is it my ob-gyn visits). Anyway, I will let you all know what happens after my appointment. And please, don't forget your prayers!
You see, I don't have very good teeth. Last year I had the pleasure of having a root canal to save a tooth. It was actually pretty painless. I was surprised. But anyway, I had a temporary crown put on at that time with the instructions to come back for the permanent crown. Oh, and don't forget your check for the permanent crown when you come.
So, needless to say, I didn't go back due to our lack of money.
At Christmas, I was eating a yummy, gooey cinnamon roll and suddenly felt something in my mouth that shouldn't have been there. Come to find out, it was my temporary crown. Oh, boy! It felt awful in my mouth but didn't actually hurt, so I chose to ignore it as we still didn't have extra money for dental work.
Then, in March, I chomped down hard on some food item and saw stars. The next day, my jaw was swollen and tender, but I couldn't see anything in my mouth that looked broken. So, once again, being the avoider that I am, I just tried to ignore it.
The week before Holy Week of this year, it started to really act up. I couldn't bite down hard on anything and had to cut my food up really small. I knew the time had come to see the dentist.
So I prayed to God that He would let my tooth stay together until after Easter and Confirmation. You see, I cantor and sing in the choir at our church and we were scheduled to sing throughout Holy Week, including Easter Vigil, Easter morning and Confirmation on Monday. I was afraid I would have to have my tooth pulled and that I wouldn't be able to sing for all those events. And God was so good. He did let me sing and worship Him without pain.
But now, I have an appointment tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Of course, they wanted me to have my teeth cleaned first, but I had to tell them that would be much too painful. Could they please do something for my tooth first? And she said, yes, X rays. And wouldn't you know this week studies came out that state that people who have dental x-rays are at a way higher risk of brain cancer? Great. More worries.
So I plan to bravely march off to the dentist tomorrow (check in hand) to find out the fate of my teeth. Please pray for me as going to the dentist is at the top of my list for places I hate to go. (or is it my ob-gyn visits). Anyway, I will let you all know what happens after my appointment. And please, don't forget your prayers!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Unfinished Projects
My life is an unfinished project.
Or, more accurately, I am overwhelmed with unfinished projects.
Everywhere I look, I see something else that needs to be completed. For example, in my home, half of the interior doors are only primed, and they have been that way for five years. Our new (five years old) set of stairs to the upper level? Well, they are still bare wood. There is no stain or finish.
Our deck outside the house has no railings.
Inside, there is missing baseboard, missing trim, missing paint, etc. From where I sit, I can see numerous unfinished projects. And if I open my kitchen cabinets, I can find many old, worn-out "to do" lists of household projects, with nary a single item checked off as finished.
I don't even want to think about my unfinished craft/sewing projects. Oh, and I mustn't forget those half completed cross stitch, needlepoint and crewel kits.
As for my life being an unfinished project, well, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Perhaps I need to make a real effort to finished at least something. Maybe I'll rip down all my old lists and start afresh. I'll choose one glaring, unfinished project that doesn't cost much to do and get started. That way I could actually feel good about getting something done.
I'll let you know what I decide to finished first. Stay tuned!
Or, more accurately, I am overwhelmed with unfinished projects.
Everywhere I look, I see something else that needs to be completed. For example, in my home, half of the interior doors are only primed, and they have been that way for five years. Our new (five years old) set of stairs to the upper level? Well, they are still bare wood. There is no stain or finish.
Inside, there is missing baseboard, missing trim, missing paint, etc. From where I sit, I can see numerous unfinished projects. And if I open my kitchen cabinets, I can find many old, worn-out "to do" lists of household projects, with nary a single item checked off as finished.
I don't even want to think about my unfinished craft/sewing projects. Oh, and I mustn't forget those half completed cross stitch, needlepoint and crewel kits.
As for my life being an unfinished project, well, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Perhaps I need to make a real effort to finished at least something. Maybe I'll rip down all my old lists and start afresh. I'll choose one glaring, unfinished project that doesn't cost much to do and get started. That way I could actually feel good about getting something done.
I'll let you know what I decide to finished first. Stay tuned!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday
It's Good Friday, the saddest, most somber day of the Christian calendar. We must all endure this retelling of Jesus' suffering in order to even try to realize the glorious gift that is ours on Easter morning.
It was our infirmities he bore,/our sufferings that he endured,/while we thought of him as stricken,/as one smitten by God and afflicted./But he was pierced for our offenses,/crushed for our sins;/upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,/by his stripes we were healed./We had all gone astray like sheep,/each following his own way;/but the Lord laid upon him/the guilt of us all. (Isaiah 52)
This passage is as true today as it was in Isaiah's time. We have all gone astray. Like sheep, we follow so many things other than Jesus. And we forget so easily the sacrifice He made for us. That is why, at the very least, we should meditate on His pain and suffering on this day, Good Friday.
Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted Him
and bestowed on Him the name which is above every other name. (Phillippians 2:8-9)
Obedience. A word most people ignore these days. Shouldn't we try to employ some obedience into our daily lives? Obedience and humility go hand in hand. Putting others' needs before our own--isn't that what Christ did? He thought of all of us, putting aside the thought of all the pain He would endure. Our needs were above His needs. Wouldn't life here on earth be so much better if everyone would think of others before themselves and would be obedient to the will of God?
Behold your king!
"Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!"
Every time we choose to sin in this life, we are screaming "Crucify him!" We are helping to pound the nails into Jesus' hands and feet. We are turning our backs on Jesus' pain, suffering and humiliation.
It is finished.
It is done. The ultimate sacrifice had been made. And we are so undeserving, so selfish, so sinful. That is what makes Christ's sacrifice the ultimate gift to us.
So please, today, take some time to be there at the foot of the cross where Jesus suffered so. Look up at His beautiful pain-filled face, and repent and suffer along with Him, if even just on this Good Friday. Because Easter Sunday means nothing if we can't share some of the pain of Good Friday.
May God bless you and bring you closer to Him on this sad and mournful day in anticipation of the glory of Easter Sunday.
It was our infirmities he bore,/our sufferings that he endured,/while we thought of him as stricken,/as one smitten by God and afflicted./But he was pierced for our offenses,/crushed for our sins;/upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,/by his stripes we were healed./We had all gone astray like sheep,/each following his own way;/but the Lord laid upon him/the guilt of us all. (Isaiah 52)
This passage is as true today as it was in Isaiah's time. We have all gone astray. Like sheep, we follow so many things other than Jesus. And we forget so easily the sacrifice He made for us. That is why, at the very least, we should meditate on His pain and suffering on this day, Good Friday.
Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted Him
and bestowed on Him the name which is above every other name. (Phillippians 2:8-9)
Obedience. A word most people ignore these days. Shouldn't we try to employ some obedience into our daily lives? Obedience and humility go hand in hand. Putting others' needs before our own--isn't that what Christ did? He thought of all of us, putting aside the thought of all the pain He would endure. Our needs were above His needs. Wouldn't life here on earth be so much better if everyone would think of others before themselves and would be obedient to the will of God?
Behold your king!
"Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!"
Every time we choose to sin in this life, we are screaming "Crucify him!" We are helping to pound the nails into Jesus' hands and feet. We are turning our backs on Jesus' pain, suffering and humiliation.
It is finished.
It is done. The ultimate sacrifice had been made. And we are so undeserving, so selfish, so sinful. That is what makes Christ's sacrifice the ultimate gift to us.
So please, today, take some time to be there at the foot of the cross where Jesus suffered so. Look up at His beautiful pain-filled face, and repent and suffer along with Him, if even just on this Good Friday. Because Easter Sunday means nothing if we can't share some of the pain of Good Friday.
May God bless you and bring you closer to Him on this sad and mournful day in anticipation of the glory of Easter Sunday.
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