Thursday, December 16, 2010

Weird, Wild and Wooly

Things have been weird and wild and wooly these past ten days or so. These things (the weird, wild and wooly ones) have kept me off the computer and thus (or thusly? I never know the correct placement of adverbs) from blogging (I'm going to stick with thus).

A week ago I had oral surgery for the third time in two and a half years. This one sounded the most gruesome...but actually has been a breeze so far. A breeze unless I sneeze...more on that later.

So I needed three tooth implants. One was fine. But there was a place where two were needed where the bone had atrophied (common when teeth are missing) that implants were impossible unless a bone graft was performed on the area. But to accomplish this a sinus lift was needed.

I was a bit nervous but they put me out fast. I was getting dizzy soon as the IV drip begain dripping. Apparently when they made the initial incision they discovered that the bone they were planning to graft the new bone on was non-existent. They had expected to find a small layer of bone...but there was none to be found. So they got all excited and whipped out their cameras and began taking pictures because they felt this was an event publishable in a medical journal. They were going to have to come up with a new grafting procedure. It appears to have initially worked...but they really won't know for months.

If I do get published in a medical journal can I put that in my own curriculum vitae as having a work published?

Only downer is that they weren't able to complete what they were expecting to because they need to see if my system accepts the graft. This means that I will probably have a second graft (bone taken from my jaw) in about six months. Then once that solidifies they can go in and put implants. We'll have to let that heal for a couple of months. Then they'll put in the actually crowns. So I have at least a year before this whole mouth thing is "complete."

Strange side-note: It seems I was flopping around during the surgery...waving my arm around and stuff. The doctor actually had to bring me back to some sort of consciousness and ask for my cooperation and assistance. They then put me back out. It worked and I have no memory of it at all. So even when unconscious I cause problems.

I'm wearing these uncomfortable transparent retainers which cause me to lisp a bit although it's getting better. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have a permanent retainer "installed" on the lower teeth and that will make things easier. Yes, I was excited at the outset on having my braces taken off two weeks ago...but that was not nearly the end of the road as I orginally expected.

There's also a possible root canal in the near future.

But the surgery's aftermath has been surprisingly painless. There truthfully has been no pain...not even an ache. I'm off the prescribed narcotics and still no ache. I'm on a decongestant for a month because if I sneeze with my mouth closed I could dislodge the graft and tear the sinus membrane. So the fear of a sneeze hangs over my head like the fear of an atomic bomb over Kansas City in the movie The Day After.

Infection is also a possible worry so I'm on antibiodics that make me feel strange. Also my system could reject the bone graft. I still have a lot of hurdles to clear but so far it seems good. I was zoned out for a few days then I was back to work in less than a week. Easy work week too since we are giving semester exams and end the semester with three early release days.

I have my own final exam this evening. Not as prepared as I should be with all this other stuff going on. But I got a 99 on the first exam and an A on the 10 page research paper this semester. So my chances are good for an A even if I do average on tonight's three-essay test. Supposedly tonight's exam revolves around analyzing poetry. I can do that...I think.

So that and the holiday festivities have made for an interesting run of weeks. But tomorrow is Friday...and then it's Christmas Break! I can really use it.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Catch up time. (or ketchup)

Yeah I know...I haven't been blogging as much lately. Lots of things keeping me busy.

Grad school. Going great so far. Twelve page papers...how I've missed you...actually not really.

Braces came off today. Ate crunchy tacos for lunch. I forgot how easy it is to eat for humans unimpeded by wires, brackets and rubber bands.

Surgery next week. Bone graft and sinus lift to make ready for two implants in six months. That will be a lot of fun. Hydrocodone vegetates me...helps me understand what my students must feel like every day in my class.

I am now the voice of Kaufman Lion soccer. Start in January. Yes...I will play Weezer after every goal. Just kidding...I think.

Can't decide what class to take next semester at SMU. Can't take the one I really wanted because it conflicts with soccer. The other one that somewhat interests me requires three three-page papers and a 25 page paper and I'm not sure I want to subject myself to that. But again...it is a Masters Program...not a slackers program.

Once again nominated for KHS teacher of the year. This is the third time. I am the Susan Lucci of KHS...always nominated...never wins. I'm sure I won't win. I don't hang out enough in the teacher's lounge. I hang out in my bat cave. My classroom is decked out with a microwave, fridge, tv, dvd player, computer, captain's chair, cantina lighting...why would I ever want to leave?

Thanksgiving was fun. Went to the Inner Space Caverns near Austin. There were bats. It was awesome. JDW loved it. Pics on Flickr.

OU-Nebraska one last time this Saturday. Another reason to hate the longhorns...driving the Huskers out of the conference. Growing up...this was the one OU game that mattered most every year.

Barcelona beats the scummy fascists of Real Madrid 5-0 earlier this week in one of the nicest games in history. So sweet to see the look on Christiano and Jose's face on the Madrid bench.

FC Dallas got shafted in the MLS cup. Ref swallowed his whistle and allowed the Rapids to murder our players. Made the beautiful game turn ugly. This isn't the NFL. Oh well.

Julian Assange has a creepy look about him. Have mixed feelings about wikileaks. So far I don't see any lives in danger...but I do see corrupt bureaucrats (Hillary) exposed for what they truly are.

Qatar...Russia...seriously? U.S.A. and England got hosed. Petrodollars can by anything. FIFA is as corrupt as the IOC.

Still debating about whether I should ask for a Kindle for Christmas. Dunno dunno dunno dunno. What a dilemma.

The doctor who is doing my surgery once skiied on the National Ski Patrol. He's my age. My orthodontist is my age. They're all my age. I'm getting old.

Okay...I guess we're caught up now. I will try to be more viligant. Peace, Love and Joy...
photo: JDW ready to go spelunkin'!