My Adventure with Dentures – Part Five

My journey with denture placement is three and a half weeks into the making. The struggle has been real, with several setbacks along the way. But I am to say today was one of my better days and that’s a good thing.

After experiencing a lot of looseness with my new dentures yesterday, I decided to use adhesive today. The dentures had come with two trial sizes of Poli-Grip, so I figured that would be safe to use. I applied the adhesive to the dentures per the instructions on the box and experienced one of my better days today.

I have realized that I need to eat foods during the day instead of waiting for one meal. For breakfast, I went to the local cafe’ and had two scrambled eggs with cheese and spiced apples. It was by far the easiest time I had eating since I got my dentures. I counted it as a victory in this journey.

For supper tonight, I had a bowl of Irish potato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I attempted to eat the sandwich without first dunking it into the soup and had fairly good success. I have still found that the crust is a bit hard to chew. With some of the sandwich, I dunked it into the soup and ate it that way. Once again, there was much-reduced slippage like I had experienced in the past.

One of the things I’ve taken note of in my journey is that I really miss eating foods that are my favorites. I yearn for the days I was able to eat a livermush sandwich, a juicy hamburger, or a hot dog. As I continue to get more experience, I’m hoping the day will come when I’m able to eat those once again.

I have been planning a strategy for trying those delicacies for the first time, namely getting them to go and eating them here at home. I know it will be a slow process and can say I would be self-conscious trying to do so in public. So perhaps one day next week, I’ll drop by the grill and order one of those to try here at home.

My second strategy will go to a local buffet and sample foods. The main advantage with this strategy is that there are many more types of food to try and if I find something to difficult to chew on, there’s no big loss. I think I’d be a lot less conscious of eating at public here, since there are many more people at one time in the restaurant.

I have to admit the most difficult part of my denture adventure has been the psychological part. Having all your teeth removed is traumatic enough and then of course, learning how to eat all over again. The setback earlier in the week and a second oral surgery was another big blow. Hopefully things will continue to heal and I’ll be able to eat more freely as time progresses.

My Adventure with Dentures – Part Four

It’s been quite a journey over these past three weeks,,,Getting my remaining ten teeth extracted and beginning the process of getting used to life with dentures. I had no idea what the “denture life” would be like. It’s been difficult to learn how to eat all over again. There’s a huge difference between eating with your natural teeth and eating with dentures. And then there were a couple of unexpected turns as well.

A part of the initiation into wearing dentures is to go to the dentist to make adjustments. As the healing process continues, swelling decreases, and adjustments must be made to ensure the dentures fit correctly. The first visit the week after the surgery was uneventful. They did what I surmised was a bit of filing to the upper and lower dentures. He also examined the gums to ensure they were healing from the extractions.

My second visit to the dentist was a bit more traumatic. Upon examining the dentures, filing was once again done. But on examination of the jaw are, there was a bone protruding from the number 11 tooth area. The dentist explained that this was something that would need to be attended to, which likely meant another visit to the oral surgeon. The odd part about it all is that I hadn’t experienced any discomfort from that particular area. An appointment was made with the surgeon to see him the following day.

A lot ran through my mind over the remainder of the day. It was very disheartening to know that there would have to be more surgery done. And that can tend to play a number on your mental well-being. And then there was the financial part, not knowing how much all this would cost in a process that had already cost over nine thousand dollars. Needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to the visit on several fronts.

The oral surgeon had seen pictures my dentist had taken and did a hands-on exam of the affected area. He concluded that the bony area could be filed down, which he could do right away in his office. That all caught me by surprise, and before I knew it, I was headed to the treatment room.

The process was performed using a local anesthetic. It was over within a short period, and then I was given instructions as to what to do for the rest of the day. I went to the pharmacy to get the medications he had prescribed and was then headed home. I don’t plan on doing much for the rest of the day and hope this procedure will permanently fix that problem.

Given tomorrow is New Year’s Day, I’ll wait until Thursday to call my dentist to find out when he would like me to come back for my next visit. I’m hoping that this bump in the road is just a temporary setback and won’t require any further treatment.

My Adventure with Dentures – Part Three

What I considered to be the most difficult part of the process was over and done. I had ten teeth extracted and upper and lower dentures put in place. The rest should be a cakewalk, right? Little did I know what I was in store for over the next couple of weeks.

My daughter allowed me to stay with her over the next several days. I slept for much of that first day and honestly don’t remember a whole lot. I did have a lot of drainage of blood and saliva, but all that was to be expected. I was told to keep the dentures in my mouth for seventy-two hours. This would help in controlling bleeding and aid in healing. There was gauze in my mouth that also had to be changed periodically. My daughter was a most-excellent nurse.

Most of what I ate for the next week consisted of foods like jello, pudding, yogurt, and ice cream. I was on both Hydrocodone and Prednisone, as well as penicillin. I won’t say it was totally pain-free, but certainly nothing major. I honestly don’t remember much about those next three days. There was a lot of sleeping involved and I was appreciate of the quiet rest I was getting.

The next big day was the end of the waiting period to leave the dentures in my mouth. I will have to admit I was somewhat tense about taking them out. But that seemingly went off without a hitch. I would take them out each evening and clean them off before putting them in a water-filled container. I would take them out the following day and put them back in place.

The biggest hurdle that I faced during that first week was the psychological effect that the whole process was having on me. I didn’t feel that I could eat anything that I was used to eating before the surgery. I tried unsuccessfully to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I decided with the next sandwich it would be best if I removed the crust. There are several local restaurants that I frequented each week and at each of those places, I couldn’t think of anything on their menu I thought I’d be able to eat.

There was a whole different feel with these prosthetic teeth. They made me feel like I had a mouth full of hardware. The most noticeable feature was the part of the upper denture that covered the roof of my mouth. They also had a big effect on sounding out words and speaking. It definitely wasn’t like anything I had experienced before.

I could tell that this transition to wearing a full set of dentures would not be any walk in the park. My journey had only begun.

Part Four: The Recovery Period Continues…

My Adventure with Dentures – Part Two

The decision had been made that I would have my remaining teeth pulled and the same day, receive a set of dentures. The day for surgery had come. Not exactly something you look forward to, but a necessary part of the process. My daughter played a key role in helping me get through this day and the days that followed.

The day of the surgery was upon me. I had to take ten milligrams of diazepam one hour before my appointment time. This is a regimen that I usually follow before any dental procedure. It greatly reduces any anxiety that I might be experiencing, which in the past has caused problems. My daughter picked me up at my house and off we went.

I waited only a short while in the oral surgeon’s waiting area. My daughter was given instructions on how to help me with the post-surgery recovery. I was called back to the operating room and immediately noticed how cool it was. I’m told this helps with making sure the area remains sterile. Once I laid back in the chair, they pulled up an intimidating set of surgical tools. I’m glad I didn’t have much of a chance to have those staring me in the face.

The doctor came in and started the IV that would deliver the medication needed to put me to sleep. The nurse had already hooked up the EKG machine and blood pressure monitor. I remember feeling a slight prick and then the surgeon pushing the meds into the line with a hypodermic. I remember him saying, “Breathe,” and then, “Breathe deeper.” The only thing I remember immediately following that was telling him “I thought I was supposed to be asleep during this procedure.” Of course, I was asleep for the entirety of that, and I am grateful for that.

I had ten teeth that were extracted during the process, and dentures that had been crafted for me were placed in my mouth. They said that immediate placement of the dentures would aid in controlling the bleeding that would naturally occur. Stitches were also placed where the teeth were extracted. Gauze would also be used to help control the bleeding and that’s one of the main tasks my daughter attended to once the surgery was over.

Part Three: The Recovery Period Begins…

My Adventure with Dentures – Part One

Dental well-being is something I’ve struggled with for quite some time. At a recent cleaning appointment at my dentist’s office, I was given several options going forward and decided it was best, both from a dental and financial standpoint, to get upper and lower dentures. I will, with the next several blogs, detail what that journey has been like and continue keeping you up-to-date with future progress.

My regular six-month dental cleaning was on the day before Halloween. The hygienist did an excellent job with the ten remaining teeth I had intact, and then the dentist came in for the exam. As he went through the upper and lower rows of teeth, he mentioned what would need to be done with several teeth. Upon hearing this and understanding the extractions would be necessary with two of the remaining teeth, I asked at what point dentures would be possible. After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that the optimal option would be to get both an upper and lower set of dentures. This would also mean oral surgery to remove the remaining teeth I had intact.

The journey had begun….I got an appointment with an oral surgeon and scheduled surgery for one month later. At the same time, I returned to the dentist to get imaging done so dentures could be ordered in sufficient time to have them placed immediately following surgery.

Part Two: Oral surgery and denture placement

Proudest of….

Daily writing prompt
What are you most proud of in your life?
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Two answers to this one,,,my two adult children, who have both left their mark in life.

Secondly, my teaching career of twenty-nine years and the fourteen years of interim and substitute teaching positions that have followed. Along with my BA and MA in Education.

Visit to the Frontlines…

Three weeks ago, heavy rains and winds made their way through western North Carolina. Areas to our west in the North Carolina mountains suffered catastrophic damage that will take months, if not years to repair. Today I traveled to those areas to see what possibilities of service there were and the sights that I saw were never to be forgotten.

I left Hickory just after lunchtime and headed west on Interstate 40. The first remnants of the storm were visible as I crossed into Burke County. Multiple trees had fallen along the side of the interstate. Most of them had limbs cut off to keep the interstate clear. Once I got to McDowell County, the number of fallen trees seemed to lessen. Once I got to Buncombe County, the fallen trees again increased.

Once I entered Buncombe County, I also started to notice signs that the storm had increased its effects in the area. In addition to the fallen trees, many of the interstates had tread wear from vehicles that had been in muddy areas. You could also start to see larger deposits of what the river had carried downstream and deposited along its sides.

As I got closer to Asheville, I also started to notice a lot of heavy equipment traveling in both directions on the interstate. There were front-end loaders, dump trucks, and flat-bed trucks carrying what I assume were loaded dumpsters. More than a few NC DOT vehicles, as well as military vehicles, were headed in both directions.

I had planned on traveling to the areas of Asheville I was most familiar with, notably Biltmore Village. However, I knew the river flowing through had exceeded its capacity and had destroyed many of the businesses along its path. The closer I got to the river, the more noticeable the devastation was. The streets were partially blocked, and many of the stoplights still weren’t functioning. The businesses closest to the river were, understandably, the ones that suffered the most damage. I did manage to take a few video clips of the work being done and am trying to decide whether or not to share those.

On the trip up the mountain, I rolled my windows down and soon began to feel a large amount of airborne dust. I noticed most of the workers removing dust and other debris were wearing full Hazmat suits. Obviously, any work in this area requires some time for protective clothing. I stopped by the Residences at Biltmore, where I usually stay on trips to Asheville, and their parking lots were completely empty.

I returned to the interstate and traveled to Swannanoa to see what had transpired there. Once I got off the exit, traffic was at a standstill. I’m not sure where those in line were heading, perhaps waiting for gasoline or hot meals, but after moving only slightly, I decided to head back to the interstate.

I took the Black Mountain exit and traveled to their downtown area, where I once again encountered long traffic lines. I traveled through several side roads and finally reasoned that it hadn’t been affected as much as the areas I had already been to on my journey. I noticed there were free hot meals and several restaurants that had reopened their doors.

Before my trip, I saw that the areas I had visited weren’t ready for visitors yet. I soon found out that the people who live in those areas are the ones who need to occupy the roadways. Although I intended to find some way to assist, I concluded that the professionals already in place were the best ones for that job. Perhaps at a later date, I’ll get more specific information about where and when more help is needed.

On the way back down the mountain, I once again saw the effects of the storm along the side of the interstate. Once again, there were fallen trees, but I also noticed large deposits of rocks and other debris that the river had picked up on its way down the mountain. It truly was amazing how much the landscape had changed since the storm.

For those who call these areas home, I can’t imagine what it must be like living with that reality each and every day. Seeing how radically the landscape had changed since my summer visit was eerie. For those living in the area, it’s a reality they’re living with every day.

David Lee

It’s Been a While…

I had told myself I’d write one-hundred days on this blog and well, have fallen through again. While I write most every day in my journal, I have found it difficult to sit down at the keyboard and put my thoughts together. I guess I could just copy what I’ve written in my journal, but as of yet, that has falled by the wayside as well.

So just for today, I peck on my keyboard and write whatever comes to mind. There is no them, no plot,,,just me writing whatever comes to mind.

I have determined that I am indeed a person of habit. I tend to start my day the same way every day. There are the medicines that I have to take, the daily online puzzles to be solved, teeth to brush. And of course, get dressed and showered.

I also frequent the same establishments, especially restaurants. Especially if it’s a restaurant we’re speaking of, I tend to order the same menu items. This morning, I started with a bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee. For lunch, I had a livermush sandwich and large diet Mt. Dew. All were things I’d ordered one thousand times before. The usual as I like to say.

This evening I’m doing the public address announcing for a middle school football game. I started this “hobby” when I was fifteen years old and have done it ever since. I guess that makes this my fiftieth anniversary in announcing sporting events. It also, at least in part, led to a job in local radio. This Friday night, I’ll be on the air once more, providing updates on the game my alma mater is playing.

I recently have started attending church again. Three different people, unbeknownst to any of the three, had invited me there for one function or another. I’ve been attending for five weeks now and have enjoyed each service, class, or meal that I’ve been to. They are offering a new members class this upcoming Sunday and I’m planning on attending that as well. You never know what direction your spiritual journey will take and this, at least for now, seems to be a positive direction for me.

Well, that’s it for now. Next time….

David Lee

Cultural Heritage

Daily writing prompt
What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?
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I am most interested in the parts of my ancestral heritage that were involved in ministry. I am aware that several ancestors down the line were Lutheran ministers. I’ve done some research on their service in the ministry, finding that one helped found the local university I attended and received two degrees from.

I just wonder what part of their DNA was passed down to me to have things of a spiritual nature be of interest to me. That divine quest to find out all I can about the author of creation and my part in that creation. I have learned to keep the faith and trust the journey.

David Lee