TMJ and chiropractic

Even though I mentioned calling my chiropractor well over a week ago, I actually went to see her this morning. I cannot stress the level of comfort I have with this woman. I immediately feel at peace when I walk in there.

Thankfully, I decided to give her my full trust. Because that allowed me to have an experience similar to this video.



This man has amazing information for anyone interested.

I can say my treatment felt a bit rougher and intense than this demonstration. I also had my pterygoid muscle stretched and massaged. It's done from the inside of the mouth, behind your back molar teeth. That was painful, but it did help me. Other than that, the best description from my visit was the Boy's description. "She was moving Mama's head all around just like a ball!!" I couldn't have said it better myself.

Nursing School

I can't really turn back now. I just finished submitting my application to take the pre-requisites I need before entering the nursing program at a local college. I am mailing off transcript requests and getting my FAFSA figured out.

It's funny because before I was pregnant my husband and I were discussing moving out to Oregon. They were offering a fantastic program for students who studied to become nurses. If you stayed in Oregon for a certain amount of time, your nursing school debt would be forgiven. We opted against it in the end.

I only need two classes before I can officially apply to the nursing program. And, of course, they cannot be taken together. One is human biology and the other one is anatomy and physiology 1. I also need to pass some critical thinking type exam, which I not excited about taking!

I'll be taking night classes so I can stay home with the Boy. I'm hoping I'll survive the transition back into college. It's been awhile.

Moving Forward

First, thank you to everyone who sent such nice emails. Sometimes it feels like I am writing to a huge open space. Thank you for taking the time to email me!

Because I don't have a lot to say, I wanted to share some new pictures from my garden. We've been getting some much needed rain.

~Bell Peppers


~Crepe Myrtle


~Snail


~Pink Pentas


~White Plumerias

Hospital

Sitting in a hospital for a few hours at a time, watching doctors and nurses make all sorts of choices about someone you love is painful. Especially when these nurses in particular are blatantly over worked, and still take the time to be caring.

Thankfully, my Dad is OK. We didn't really get any answers, which makes the past few days seem surreal. How can you help someone make changes in their life for the better? Is that even possible? I don't post much private family matters on this blog, but you can email me if you'd like.

What do you do for work?

I've been asked what I do for work at least once a day. I used to answer "Oh, I stay home with my son.". No one blinked an eye when my son was a baby. Now that he is almost five, people seem to pass judgement quicker. Somehow, the comments or eye rolls of strangers makes me feel less secure in our decision for me to stay home to raise our son. Or the comment "Well, once he is in school, what will you do for work?". Which brings up the tedious discussion of homeschooling. I feel like when I tell people we will be homeschooling, they have to jump in with random facts of why public schools are best for children. As if they feel I am somehow judging their own choices.

The thing is, we are doing what we feel is right for our child. I have no judgments on what others choose to do for their families. Of course, just because I stay home with the Boy doesn't mean I don't have other interests. I have many.

While at the hair stylist the other day, she asked me that now dreaded question. To which I stated "At the moment, I stay home with my son." She laughed and said "Well, THAT is work. That is hard work, right??" And, it is, but very rewarding work.

Letting Go

After a long conversation last night, I realize there are a lot of things I really need to finally let go of. Holding on to the negative aspects of my past is just making it difficult to move forward. Allowing those actions of other people to interfere with my life is allowing them to still have a grip on my life today.

I tend to draw in people who are negative. I've always befriended or been nice to those who stir up drama. I still get approached by strangers almost daily who want to share their problems or life with me. I always listen and offer a kind word, but then their pain seems to dwell within me for awhile. I think about it, and wonder how they are.

I also give certain people the benefit of the doubt. Even though, in most situations I should have let them go. I'm tired of spending the majority of my time with pent up anxiety and sadness that I should be moving on from.

I'm lucky that I have a wonderful husband. I am happy that my son can make me laugh at the drop of a hat. He changed my life, as I mention frequently on this blog. I am lucky that I went out on my own at 18, and made a life with my husband who was then my boyfriend.

So, putting this out there gives me something to be accountable for. I will go back to doing yoga daily. And, my first phone call this morning will be to my chiropractor. I should have called her long before. But, for now, the Boy and I are going to drink our smoothies in the lanai.

On Being Polite

I've always made a point of not forcing the Boy to say "Thank You", "Please" and "Your Welcome". I found if we just let him see us use these terms, it worked better. He picked it up early, and we were complimented on how polite he was at such a young age. Of course, there are days when he refuses to acknowledge anyone, but I chalk it up to random moods. After all, I don't always feel like being friendly either.

Today he was making the agonizing hour long decision about what he wanted to eat for lunch, and he decided on an almond butter and jelly sandwich. As we were walking out to the kitchen to make it he stood there with his hands on his hips and said loudly "Make my sandwich and cut OFF the crusts!!!!!!!!" I turned to look at him and said "That isn't how we ask for things, is it? How do we ask for things?" And he turned with this crazy grin and said "Mama, PLEASE make me an almond butter and jelly sandwich. You are the prettiest, nicest, silliest Mama in the whole wide world. Thank you VERY much."

He cracks me up. I let him cut the crusts off.

Thinking

We've been doing a lot of thinking around here. Which usually results in reading more books than normal. Sometimes that includes finding "news" articles that make me worry. Although, I've been known to worry at the drop of a hat.

The following articles make me grateful that we have the opportunity to join a local C.S.A. We know the farmers and the apprentices, and can visit the land they grow our food on. It's also organic and sustainable.


~Tomatoes

~Food Dyes

This articles frightens me.:

~Disinfecting Wipes

And, because I am a Florida resident, this is always in the back of my mind.:

~Hurricane season 2008

But, on a positive note, we are hoping to take a road trip up north this year. Spending some time in Boston and Maine would be a nice break.

Trying To Talk Myself Out Of It

Lately, we've been spending a lot of time reading here and here. Because, I've always thought they were adorable with their little waddle walk.

Would it be the best idea in the world? In my heart, yes it would be.

Dental World

I hate to discuss things such as dental drama on this blog. But, I'm hoping I will feel a bit better just writing it out.

As I have mentioned before, I have a bad history with dentists. I picked up my new occlusal guard last Friday. His assistant was quite rude to me, but I figure she is the least of my worries. When the dentist came in he adjusted it, and sent me on my way. He assured me that if it ever felt like it wasn't fitting right all I needed to do was call so he could make an adjustment again. There would be no charge and it would be easy.

I slept fantastic Friday night. After that I was getting awful teeth pain, beyond my normal TMJD pain. My teeth felt like they were either moving or loose. I called to ask if it was normal on Monday, and for some reason the "scheduling specialist" who for safety reasons I'll call "Bob" never returned with an answer from the dentist. I called Wednesday and "Bob" was quite rude to me, but assured me he'd get back to me.

Thursday we took my son in for his first cleaning at this dentist. All went fantastic because their hygienist is wonderful. When the dentist was done checking my son's teeth and joking about soccer, I asked him if he had a second. He took me into the hall and I asked him my questions. He said "Make an appointment with "Bob". It needs an adjustment."

Easy enough, right? So, my son was given some goodies and I was ready to find out when "Bob" could fit me in. "Bob" wasn't very happy that I needed something. So, when the assistant(have I mentioned she dislikes me now?) came over and started texting on her cell phone, "Bob" interrupted her and said "Cathy has a question." The assistant was clueless. And, her decision was I indeed did not have a valid reason for seeing my dentist. So, they wouldn't schedule a time for me. Apparently having pain is not important enough for a dental visit.

Today I called their office and spoke with "Bob". Here is our conversation, verbatim:

"BOB" : "Mean Dental Office", this is "BOB"."

"Hi "Bob", this is Cathy. How are you today?"

"BOB": Big drawn out sigh. Then, one more drawn out sigh.

"BOB": "I'm OK, Cathy. How are YOU?"

"Not good, "BOB". Thanks for asking. Listen, I need an appointment
with Dr. "Occlusal Guard" for my occlusal guard."

"BOB": "Are you still having pain, Cathy?"

"Yes, and Dr. "Occlusal Guard" wanted to check me."

"BOB": "Can you hold-----SIGH------Cathy?"

"Sure "BOB", THANKS!"

I'm on hold now for a total of 7 minutes. But, I don't hang up, even
though I'm on my cell.

"BOB": "Hello??"

"Hi "BOB"!"

"BOB": "You are still here?"

"Um, yes? You put me on hold."

"BOB": "Oh, OK." SIGH SIGH, HUFF.

"BOB": "Um, Cathy. Let's see. SIGH. How about "this time" Tuesday afternoon?"

"Fantastic "BOB", thanks."

"BOB": "Cathy, I spoke with "dental assistant who hates you"........."

"Uh, huh."

"BOB": "She said by Tuesday you will not need an adjustment. It
won't hurt, LIKE SHE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY!"

"Well, "BOB" thanks for telling me. But, if I remember correctly,
"BOB", Dr. "Occlusal Guard" is the one who went to dental school. Right?"

"BOB": ---------

"So, I'll speak with Dr. "Occlusal Guard", not "dental assistant who hates me". Including on Tuesday. I should have been seen yesterday or today like I asked."

"BOB": "Well, "dental assistant who hates you"...."

"I'll be speaking to Dr. "Occlusal Guard" Tuesday. Goodbye "BOB", have a great weekend."

Click.

I almost passed out when I was done. It was hard to speak to someone so condescending.

Teeth, or another dental trip

I returned to my dentist today to pick up my brand new occlusal night guard. I was the last patient of the day, and everyone was happy. My dentist begins his weekend every Thursday night.

I was a bit concerned about the guard fitting right. I have a ton of paranoia with my mouth, plus TMJ issues. It didn't help that when they made the impressions for the night guard, the assistant was having a ton of trouble. I had to have it done not once, not twice, but three times. I felt like they were extracting each and every tooth from my mouth while removing the darn hardened impression.

Either way, today should have been quick. But, because I have fantastic luck at the dentist....the guard didn't fit. It clicked on my back teeth, but not the front teeth. Even more exciting was the fact it could also click on my front teeth, yet somehow not my back teeth.

Instead of sharing even more boring yet gory details, I'll finish up. When a dentist does the brand new impressions HIMSELF, somehow it doesn't hurt. There was no gagging, no sore jaw, and best of all my teeth didn't hurt. So much different than the last visit. My advice if anyone is getting impressions done for some reason, request the dentist.

My new guard will be ready this Wednesday. Let's hope it clicks in perfect, the first time.

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

Do you say "Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit" first thing in the morning on the first day of the month? Because my husband has been doing it since I met him in 1996. I'm pretty sure he did it previous to knowing me too.

It got to be such a routine, that I picked it up too. I really didn't know what it was all about, but I like to join into things. It was pretty simple too. So, almost 12 years later I figured I should find out the meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit

I guess we should have been saying "Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit". That must explain why there wasn't a constant flow of good luck all these years.

I think I'm superstitious by nature.

In the Garden

I was feeling a little bit down this weekend, and add TMJD to the mix......a trip to the plant store was in order. I tend to pick simple plants out. Usually these plants are ones that will grow under Florida conditions, and are fairly drought tolerant. Sometimes, I feel I should bring one of each home with me. It has been so relaxing and gratifying to garden.

Here are some photos from the backyard garden. Some of these are not new, but I am so happy to see them when I step out back in the morning. This "hobby" called gardening is quite addictive.

~Tomato Plant~



~Green Bell Pepper~


~Caladium~



~Caladium~



~Squirrel in front of new croton hedge~

Cat

Our cat is back to his mischievous self. After a rough time of it with an upper respiratory infection, then troubled with some major tummy issues which we can assume are from the high doses of antibiotics, we are thankful he recovered. He'll be 11 in April......which also means a pretty significant birthday for me too. I'll be 30. Wow. Life has a way of flying by, and I'm reminded time and time again not to rush any of it.

Shavasana

I haven't been able to find a lot of time to practice yoga in the years since the Boy was born. Maybe I should rephrase that to I haven't made much time to practice yoga. Because, it really is about me making the time.

So, for the last week, the Boy and I have been practicing every day together. He has been exposed to yoga since he was a baby, and like most children thrives while doing the various poses. It just comes natural I think.

While in Shavasana, the Boy reaches over and holds my hand. It makes all the struggles and frustrations melt.

Calenders and Time

The Boy has been really interested in what day it is, what month it is, and of course what time it is. This has opened a lot of dialogue about clocks, calenders, the sun, the moon, the ocean, the earth, stars, planets, letters, numbers, and space. Somehow, they have all intertwined and made for some fun learning.

We've talked about the different months and days of the week many times before, but he hasn't show a whole lot of interest in them. He always understood Saturday meant Bubba was home, Sunday meant Daddy was home, and Monday meant Grammie was home. Other than that, our days are so changing he just went with the flow.

So, we took a trip to our local library to get some new books. It really is fun to see his eyes light up at the fact he can choose any books he'd like out of all those shelves. I added some of the ones we picked out on the sidebar.

Sometimes I question if I am made out for homeschooling. I wonder if I can keep up with the constant influx of questions, ideas, and debates that come up on a daily basis. The thing is, when all is said and done, I realize this is exactly what I need to be doing. This is exactly what is working for our family right now, and the Boy is thriving. Sometimes, I just need to take a step back and watch what is happening right before my eyes.

Here and There

There are many times when I find myself debating between sharing the good and the bad in my life on this blog. So, sometimes it is just easier to wait until I have a moment of clarity, and don't feel like I'm going to become a blubbering mess here. I find it is easier to focus on all sorts of things at once, stressing about them and trying to find solutions, then to actually deal with what I really do need to focus on.

So, moving on from that, I wanted to share the visitor in our backyard this morning. It was beautiful, and inspiring. Also, some photos of my hibiscus before our visitor decided they were quite a delicious breakfast.

Accidental Thief

Let me preface this by saying it really is accidental. I have had this "phenomenon" my whole life.

I know I am not alone in this. I'm from Maine and have a "Maine accent". Not the downeast Maine accent, nor the northern accent. But, it is definitely there although I am losing it since being down in this area of Florida.

My thievery is of others voice tones and their accents. For instance, my cashier at the farmers market has a very strong New Zealand accent. While speaking to him, suddenly my voice thinks it too is from New Zealand. I sound quite silly, but for some reason I cannot control it. That man from Texas talking to me at the health food store? I suddently have a Texan drawl...only we all know it must sound awful fake. The New Yorker bagging my groceries at Publix? You can guess how I start talking.

I also tend to pick up on the tones people are speaking to me with. I will get very soft with a soft spoken woman, or very brash with a loud man. Deep voice? Me too! I'm not sure why this happens, but I can remember instances from various periods in my life. Maybe it's some weird insecurity in me, trying to fit in. I really don't know.

Luckily, around my husband and son I talk in what appears to be my own voice. I have the ever so slight southern accent developing, and I don't mind. So, if you are talking to me and notice I'm beginning to sound just like you.....I apologize in advance.

To market, to market

I still don't have this whole food shopping technique figured out. It became more complicated when my son decided to eat like a growing teenage boy, and less like what I had imagined four year olds eat.

I make meal plans and I budget. Somehow this process still doesn't work out for me. I am still making extra shopping trips throughout the week, which in turn leads to spending extra money. I'm always thinking: "since I'm here anyways I might as well pick up....".

I also tend to pick great items out, only to have them sitting in my house. I am great at buying things that will not go together in a meal. I have lots of pieces of meals, just not one complete meal.

This is what I'm working on. I really need to find a system that will work for me.

First one of the season, of the new year

This pretty much sums up the last couple days. The pollen count is almost the highest I think I have ever seen, but how can you distinguish this time of year? I'm treating us like it's a cold, but how I wish it were just really bad allergies. The teas, herbs, homeopathics and neti pots are out. Lots of rest, book reading and snuggles. Not bad, but more fun when you don't feel like your face is going to fall off.

I'd highly recommend using a neti pot. Here is more info about usage. I have had mine for over 5 years, and it was a great investment. My husband recently started using one fairly regularly and has noticed a big improvement. The Boy is a bit too young for the neti, so he uses Xlear.

I spend a lot of time trying to keep everyone in my family from getting sick. I feel pretty defeated when we do get ill. We are pretty healthy, so I'm not complaining about that. It's tough being a Mama sometimes.