Smiles and Snow :-)

The pic above is the morning after my Oral Surgery...before I was going to my post op appointment at the dentist. My face was still swollen some...I didn't look so great, I just threw my hair in a ponytail and got dressed...but wanted to be sure to get a pic of the morning after. I love my new teeth...and love what all my friends and family are saying about them...and so far they have just seen pics...and already say they look so natural and I look amazing, I'm not one to take compliments well...but this time around..I am soaking them up and taking them all in...I am really proud that I finally had the guts to go through with everything!

Wed. at work Jeff called and left me a voicemail saying that he wanted to take me out to eat for a nice meal before my oral surgery the next morning and to be ready when he got home.... I chose to go to Applebee's....I should have chosen Roadhouse or Cheddars because my steak wasn't that great at all... but I made up for it with a Walnut Maple Blondie...they are ohhhhh soooo good! I have the sweetest husband....he always knows just the right things to say and do to bring a smile to my face....I love when he leaves me unexpected voicemails at work surprising me with something...whether it be going out to eat, just wanting to get out of the house that night or just calling to say I love you, or to play one of "our songs" that is on the radio, into my voicemail. :)

I was on my way to work thursday morning(I worked till noon, my appointment was at 1:30)....I pulled into McDonalds to get a good breakfast thinking it would more than likely be my last meal for awhile...and my truck started acting up, so before I even made it to the drive thru....I turned around and went back home and Jeff had to take me into work ~ it's always something! Not sure what it is yet, Jeff thinks it may be a fuel filter or something...he is going to drive it into work and work on it within the next few days, I don't have to go back to work till the 3rd...so he has time to fix it, I can always drive his truck if I have to.

Jeff picked me up at noon from work , we came home and got ready and were on our way, everything happend so fast...I won't lie...my nerves got the best of me this past week, I was really freaked out thinking about not being put to sleep and having to see and hear everything the dentist was doing....so much so I called my family Dr. and asked her for a little something to calm me down for the day of my appointment... she gave me a prescription of a generic form of Ativan(I think it is called).... so 30 minutes before my appointment I took that, and of course had been praying all week that God would comfort me and give me the strength I needed to get through this, I also prayed to my Grandma and Aunt Judy...my guardian angels and asked for them to comfort me as well. Not sure if it was the prayers or the meds or a combination of both, but once I got in the dentist office...a sense of calmness came over me, for once in a week or more I felt at ease.

My dentist is wonderful ...he really took his time and was very gentle. He gave me 9 shots to numb me, it didn't even feel like shots cause he was so gentle....he started the extractions(12) at 2:10pm and at 2:25 he was all done! I had my eyes open the entire time....saw and heard everything...and did just fine. My dentist and assistant were talking American Idol and I wanted to chime in and talk about it too but couldn't....haha

They put my dentures in, of course with lots of gauze and let me look in the mirror....even then my spirits soared....I was on cloud 9 looking at my new teeth. I came out to go to the desk to pay the remainder of the bill, and looked into the waiting room and motioned for Jeff to come in there with me(remembering the last time I had the first 19 extractions, his reaction when he first saw me...like he wanted to cry...made me burst into tears..lol) I looked alot worse in June 09' with my first oral surgery....cause I had wisdom teeth and jaw teeth extracted then.

So when he came up to the desk with me he just kept looking at me and had a worried look on his face, I just laughed and told him I was fine, I would be okay.... the receptionist looked at him and just grinned, after we paid my bill she looked at him and said... "She is going to be just fine, now you go home and do the dishes and everything" HAHA

Jeff had to run a few errands and we had to take my FMLA papers to HR before we went to get my scripts filled, not sure if it was my numbness wearing off or the bumpy road that was irritating me...but the tears started flowing...I said can you please take me home before you go to get the script filled....I just want to lay down...so he did. He then went to get my meds, and some juice and other things I needed....came back gave me my meds and I was off in la la land dreaming for awhile. That afternoon/evening I really had no desire to eat....but new I had to try a little something so I ate a half a thing of yogurt. Strawberry Banana...yum! I never realized yogurt was so good...I really like it!

Friday morning I got up and ate a whole thing of yogurt for breakfast...Banana Cream Pie...oh so good! As far as I know yogurt is pretty healthy....I think I might start buying it often. I went to my post op appointment at 11am....asked mom to take me because Jeff went back to work and of course my truck is down and out.... Thanks again Mom, I appreciate it so much. Went by White Castle to get mom and my stepdad some burgers....then went and dropped a Return to work slip for Wed. off at HR.... you would think the dentist office could have faxed all this paperwork to HR for me...but nooooooo I guess they think the patient feels like running all over town after their procedures. Friday afternoon for lunch I tried the Key Lime Pie yogurt...another good one! By friday night I was starving for some real food, Jeff made him some hamburgers and the smell within the house was enough to make my stomach growl loud enough for the neighbors to hear. So I got out a salisbury steak and mashed taters meal...and cut it up real fine...and was able to eat it...YAY! Friday night in bed my stomach was making some mean noises, I think it's pretty mad at me...for living off yogurt for awhile..haha I have lost one pound :)

Today has been the worst day as far as pain goes, my gums are just so sore and swollen...but that is to be expected...I am rinsing with salt water 3 times a day as instructed...and as far as pain goes I am okay with my pain meds. I was trying to spread them out some...but I guess it's just not time to yet... they give them to ya for a reason I guess. Talking and eating is a whole new ballgame....everyone says I sound pretty much the same. Jeff is the only one who has seen me without them and heard me talk without them....it's quite funny. I can't say my S's without them very good at all....it makes me laugh. I take that back I think my best friend, Grandad and SIL may have heard me on the phone without them while I was resting. I leave them in almost always, unless my gums feel extra sore or hurt. You wouldn't catch me out and about without them, thats for sure...haha! Sorry I am writing a book here, if you are still with me....thank you...hope I am not boring you to death :)

So this afternoon Jeff said he was going to make fried potatoes and onions with smoked sausage(cut up fine) and green peppers and cook them really good to see if I could eat it. We could live off this meal, we cook it often and love it. I haven't ate a "real" meal in days...so I was starving. I was able to eat it....we were both so glad! I had 3 helpings....I probably gained the pound back I lost...HAHA!

Last night it snowed and snowed....we have probably about 6-8 inches... I didn't think I wanted anymore snow....but it is so beautiful out! I posted a few pics below so you could see the first was last night about 10pm and the last one is this morning about 6am....

Hope you all have a good weekend!

First pic is my front yard ~ last pic is my back yard