The dentist is a good guy ... really!

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Just recently I got into a conversation with my "new" dentist about Lyme disease. {Stay tuned for another post about that conversation~}. I became quite friendly with him and his assistant as they've seen me & have gotten to know me more personally over the past several months.

We were all about repairing what was damaged, on all levels.

I just completed some long standing 'unfinished' teeth business that I needed to finally take care of, once and for all. I just kept putting it off for a better time, a better place ... waiting for the right time.

Until Mark finally gave me the answer I needed to hear to move forward, that wise advice of Just get it over with Lori! did I finally put myself in motion.

Intuitively I knew it needed to get done & finished in order for me to get me over my last health "hurdle",  if you will.

In it all, through it all, I learned how intricately connected our teeth are with our overall health in general - in a big, big way. Sort of like puzzle pieces guiding us to answers about ourselves.

In my years of battling so many various "diseases", but ultimately Lyme disease in the end, I have seen many, many doctors - of all kinds, of all titles, of all specialties.
{Stay tuned for a future posting on that topic}

While going through that whole process, I was also visiting many, many dentists at the same time as well.

Same thing ... all kinds, types, and specialists.

Unfortunately, many that were not so good.

Many who scared the living daylights out of me! Ones who disrespected me in the worst possible way, in the worst possible manner. Ones who made me never, ever want to return to a dentist chair again.

After all, how can you speak up for yourself when you are literally rendered speechless? Particularly when you are a child? Even as an adult?

But, of course! there were some along the way that really made the whole process go so, so much easier for me.

My dental history is also a long tale to tell, unfortunately, but I believe it is worth telling.

I think I've had it all done (well, probably not literally!)... it started when my front tooth got accidentally knocked out (chipped actually) when I was 7 years old. It fell right into the palm of my hand. At the time I thought that was a good thing, as if I saved it and the dentist could easily just glue it back on. Yah~ ... it doesn't work that way, I learned.

That led to multiple root canals, crowns - on & off again, 4 years of braces, "head gear & retainers"{I'm sorry but that was just awful, especially wearing it to grade school!} ... and along with it all also came the name calling from my peers.

And we all know that there really is no truth in that saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

Words do hurt and stick and damage. They just do.

I had a lot of "damage" to get fixed. Still do.

I sucked my thumb up until the 4th grade after all. That definitely didn't help things along. My parents (and grandparents) literally "tried" everything in their human power to get me to stop. I still can remember the smells and tastes of all of those weird topical things.

The truth is ... I also was trying everything in my own power to stop, too.

Nothing worked.

I just couldn't stop. It helped me fall asleep and get back to sleep.

I was only able to finally stop because I was forced to. The orthodontist literally put this thing in the roof of my mouth so my thumb wouldn't fit all the way in!

Well, it worked! I am not secretly sucking my thumb now as an adult woman! :) {Really!}

So majorly "buck teeth" and jaw misalignment not allowing me to chew properly finally came to a head when I was in the 4th grade and all the repair work started, even though it had essentially already began 2 years prior.

And then thankfully, it got finished in a good, good way.

But then as an adult, I found myself again having to face the dentist when at age 18 I got my very first cavities, unbeknownst to me. Interestingly enough. No big deal ... just fill them.

Fast forward to all of my 20's, most of my 30's, and the stresses of my life finally taking its toll on me, plus the various chronic infections raging in my body ... finally, my "2" cavity filled molars simply gave out; gave up. Quit.

Sort of like me.

That led to more root canals, more dental visits, more money thrown in the garbage. All to no success.

Extraction was the only option - for both teeth - 6 months apart from each other.

Yes. More stress on top of an already overloaded stressed out person! More trauma piled on top of already existing traumas.
 
I've learned that our first early experiences as children with dentists does make a huge impact on us, sometimes for the rest of our lives. Keeping some from ever going back to any dentist.

And I've learned that that is not a good thing. I've learned that that can also be overcome.

All of it.

I also learned that there are dentists out there who really truly do care. Who really do practice good patient care. Who really honor and respect their patients voices, no matter what age.

I have learned that the best ones aren't always the ones with the fancy "titles" or "years of experience under their belt", or "age" or "maturity" or whatever.

Through it all ... the pain and office visits and time & energy wasted ... I am so thankful.

I am thankful that my parents understood the importance of nice looking teeth & a pretty smile; they were willing to sacrifice of themselves so I could have that.

I am thankful for the lessons learned. The ones I needed to learn.

That is why I have been so diligent about taking care of my own teeth and teaching my kids the importance of good dental hygiene. The point is to not go back to the dentist, right?
{It's really not anything personal! :)}

Of course, when I find a "good" one, I am very happily and readily wanting to pass that information onto my readers.

Because in this day and age with all of us experiencing poor customer or patient service on some level, I like to pass along the good customer service when I come across it.

I purposely waited to get my final 2 bridges done until I could find the right place, the right dentist and the right assistant. {Can you tell that I am a very thorough researcher? :)}

I do only have a limited amount of spoons.

I wasn't going to settle anymore for anything less.

The thing is, though, I wasn't really too concerned about actually getting the work done itself. That wasn't the hard part for me anymore.

No, what they did for me was help me get over my paralyzing fear of getting back in that dentist chair again.

And they did it all with kindness, compassion, patience, and exemplary patient care.

As I am all about passing along my helpful healing "tools" from my toolbox to you my readers, I know that I've found a good "resource" for you if you are looking for a new dentist for yourself or your family. But especially if you or someone you know is simply petrified about going to the dentist, like I was and have been up until just a few months ago!

It is a good place to start anyway.

I also have a separate list of some other "good" ones out there, and also the ones to watch out for :) Contact me if you'd also like that list.

I told Dr.Tanty and his assistant, Denise, from Forward Dental that I'd be more than happy to be their "free" advertisement sign. I also got to work with his brother, who is also a dentist, in 2010 ... interestingly enough, but at a different location.

I, also, only have great things to say about him as well.

As I got to know my other "team members" on a more personal level {Yes ... I still can get my questions out with my mouth in that state! Ha!}, I learned that something called good ole' laughter and lightheartedness about the simple, silly things of Life are also very important &  necessary "tools" in healing from tooth issues.

Every issue. 

As I also now understand on a whole new level the other side of dental problems, that being - the financial side - the simple reality of high cost dental care being unaffordable to most people is sad for me.

I also am reminded now of how I should never, ever take for granted the dental insurance we are offered through Mark's employer.

The quality and health of our teeth is important. It just is.

Good insurance definitely will help things along, but only so much. And sometimes it is barely even worth getting it in the first place. I also have additional "resources" and "ideas" in that regard as well if you need further information.

In the big scheme of things, though, aren't we all after the same thing?

A beautiful Smile?

A happy, contented, peaceful, whole, complete ... fully loved heart behind that smile?

I've learned in my life, through my experiences that sometimes the way the person's teeth look from the outside really doesn't tell us much about a person anyway.

It is what is on the inside that matters.

And how and in what means that is shared with others is what matters.

Lending a hand, lending a smile, sharing love.

I like to call that Walking in Love.

I would like to leave you all with this small, but oh-so-profound 'nugget of Truth' that I learned from someone very special to my heart for her service and good to me. A life changing truth. I hope it is for you, too. I am thankful for this person's willingness to love me enough to speak this Truth to me so I could finally jump over my last hurdle {I hope you know who you are!}:

Here goes: Your body always knows the truth. The answer is inside of you. Just trust the answer you are given. "The body always knows."

The Spoon Theory

Recently in our house, I have been throwing around the word "spoon" a lot, especially to Mark when I am at the point of stress overload. {Can anyone relate~?}

He looks at me quite confused & bewildered when I say something like I only have 1 spoon today, and I already used it up getting out of bed! Now what am I suppose to do?

Because I understand all too well by now that he, also, only has so many "spoons" allotted for his day as well.

I try to go on and explain what it is exactly I mean ... what I've learned ... what I need and want, but I know I haven't fully communicated well enough exactly what it is I am trying to convey.

Although my 25-year battle to rid my body of chronic Lyme disease has thankfully -- finally! -- come to an end, the ramifications of it have not.

The damage it did to my body was done and is still present daily, in some form or another.

I'm in something I like to call a "repair" mode in which my focus is now on repairing & rebuilding what was broken in my mind, body, heart, and spirit.

I know that that takes time ... and a whole lot of sunshine & laughter! :)

However, while in the waiting, I still have to battle with the "left over" symptoms.

Some days are better than others; the good days are starting to outweigh the bad.

And for me, that is definitely something worth Smiling about! {Probably the rest of my family too!}

So with my spoon analogy being tossed around more and more, I realized that it was time I posted about this "theory" I discovered a few years back because it helped me so much personally in my own journey.

And I love to give credit where credit is due.

I am thankful for Christine Miserandino's creativity with words and analogies to make a very complicated, sometimes difficult issue to discuss and explain to a healthy person what it is like to daily live with a chronic disease.

I hope you find it helpful for yourself if you are the one who is sick or in pain or just stressed out to the max!, but I also hope it helps you understand better what someone else may be going through in their Life ... sick or not.

I think the "Spoon Theory" will definitely help you, like it did for me.   

I will leave you with this: Christine's "Spoon Theory" doesn't just apply to those who are sick. It doesn't just apply to Christine who is suffering with lupus or me who had Lyme disease, but rather this "idea" can be applied to Life in general because everybody is dealing with stressors of some kind.

Some much more bigger than others, but it is still the same.

It's an analogy teaching us all about how to make the most of our time here on earth with what we've been given.

It's a "theory" teaching us all about how to find balance in our lives~ and all taught through the wonderful use of words and a very basic, commonly used "tool" called the spoon!

But then, after you read it, please pass it along ...because I feel this one is definitely worth sharing~!

Please click here to read all about this wonderful Spoon Theory.

Freedom

Because I am a regular fan of the hit television show called Army Wives, I have a whole new appreciation & understanding for this holiday and what it truly signifies for me.

I am thankful for this day ... Memorial Day ... for several reasons.

I love this day because it is a "kick off" to summer and there is a lot of excitement and fun in the air. We, in the Midwest, are desperate for sun and warmth :) The weather has gotten better (a bit 'odd' I might add!), the flowers have popped out of the earth, our neighbors are starting to come out of their winter hibernation ... we are pulling weeds and dropping mulch in the flower beds and getting our summer yard ready for the kids we know are coming~

Yet, this day also brings feelings of sadness for me along with the good.

Army Wives has done a very nice job of blending important issues involved with military families. There is this nice mixture of family, friendship, love, morals, American pride, but then also, the tough issues like death, loss, grief, and PTSD are also bravely addressed.

The real issues facing our military and their families.

The issues that I like to ignore or push aside for another day. The hard stuff of life. The reality of our war. It is why I tend to turn off the radio or news when I hear that yet another one of our soldiers has paid the ultimate price.

I turn away because I don't want to feel sad ... because it is sad. But then our Flag reminds me that I have the right to stand proud.

Unfortunately, I've learned how easily it is for me to take what I have and what I've been given for granted.

With all of my mixed emotions of sadness yet 'fun in the air' feelings, I also feel a whole lot of pride. A good pride.

The pride of being able to say I live in America and I am free.

After all, my dad served in the Navy. Mark served in the Army; he was stationed in Germany. We do have 2 boys who have like this gun 'obsession' and as their mom, my mind & heart do go to that place of What if? when I think of their future choices.

We, also, have dear friends who currently serve and sacrifice and give for our country in some fashion or another. We know of families where this day brings only sadness.

I choose to pause now a moment longer when I see the American flag flying -- the Red, White, & Blue colors -- and I stop to remember what I have and what I've been given and what others gave for me ... for all of us.

What our soldiers sacrifice every single day to keep our freedoms in place. 

War or not.

I pause to Remember. 

I pause to give Thanks.

I pause to give Honor where it is due. 

For me ... my rights ... my freedoms. 

And, honestly, I have taken it all for granted. 

I have "skipped" voting day because I didn't 'feel' like it or figured I didn't know enough to make the best choice anyway. I figured one vote -- my vote -- didn't matter. Recent elections have taught me that one vote really does matter ... my right to vote.

I have the "right" to go to any single church I want, when I want, and openly speak about what I believe - without fear for my life.

I don't have to "hide" to worship and praise my God or even hide my bible from view ... my freedom of religion.

I had the "right" to start this blog and I have the "right" to continue it and write about anything my heart desires ... my freedom of speech.

I had the "right" to walk into any gun shop of my choosing a few months back; simply fill out a few forms; hand over my driver's license; learn how to use & operate my new firearm. And within 48 hours I was another proud gun owner in America ... my right to keep and bear arms. 

Hmm ... my mind shifts to other countries - to those much, much less fortunate than I. I think about what people are willing to do to get what I have ... my rights ... my freedoms ... the gift of my tomorrows.

The gift of just being able to live in America. To just be standing in the space I stand in.

What was sacrificed for me.

Today, on this Memorial Day, I choose to stand in a place of thankfulness and gratitude.

I will end on this note: Because I am a 'visual learner' and I love 'word pictures,' I just had to copy/paste this e-mail that you see below because pictures really do speak a thousand words. 

My wish for you Today is that you also take it all in ... the fun and sun and cookouts and parades and family time ... and Enjoy! but also to give pause like I am and remember.

To give Honor and Thanks to whom it is due.
Happy Memorial Day!
 

 

 

 

 

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial. 

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag.

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.