It's been a while...I've got a teeth update.

YUP, got a teeth update. B/c, you see, this whole blog thing started as a way for me to express myself while my jaws were recovering from a 10-hour operation during which my head swelled up to twice its normal size (no, I wasn't just a fat-head back then. be nice.) and my neck looked like ppl w/ L-shaped fists punched mirror-images into my throat and everything inside my mouth was so puffy I couldn't swallow or close my lips. I bled for weeks after the surgery and would wake up in the middle of the night to painfully hack up globs of coagulated blood that collected at the back of my mouth/throat.

Needless to say, I couldn't say anything, I had stitches all around the inside of my mouth where my gums met my inner lips/cheek/flesh. I'm very well recovered now, nearly 4 years after that horrendous surgery. But, you know what? I'd do it all over again if I was presented with the choice again.

B/c now, I can bite into a sandwich in public w/out fearing the contents to be dragged out of the slices of bread, dangling like seaweed out of my sea-monster mouth. And, I can bite into a sandwich in private and I know half the insides won't be slapping on my chin. And, I can bite as self-defense if I need to. :) so many useful things I can do w/ this new BITE!

As for the migraines, mostly gone! Probably all muscle-tension triggered migraines are gone the few migraines I now have aren't nearly as drastic and painful and nauseating as they used to be, and even better, they're not a regular visitor. Just on occasional one, usually when I don't eat for a long time and my blood sugar gets low (a new development that came w/ age a couple years ago).

BUT, I didn't wear my shiny new Essix retainers and now, a front tooth shifted. So, I had to get a new retainer made to push that tooth back in its place. Sad. I need to wear it 24 hours a day for 3 months...but already I'm failing. I happen to eat at work, and then b/c I can't rinse out my mouth very well, or carry a toothbrush, I don't put it back in and I forget about it until bed time. le sigh.

So, I have a new retainer. I will post pictures with it on, but just not today. I need to go print my resume, get my stuff together for an interview (at which, I'm told by an insider, they won't be hiring anyone) but I got an interview, I signed up for a time slot and it would reflect poorly on me for my budding new career as an attorney/officer of justice to not show up just b/c I found out they're not hiring. But secretly, I hope they decide to hire me anyways. And, b/c I have to register w/ the GA Consortium of Law Schools folks 40 mins before my actual interview, I have to leave home by the awesome hour of 7:40 am. I know this probably doesn't sound too bad to most ppl who've been in the working world, but I am not a morning person and deliberately find housing close to where I have to show up to in the mornings. One day moving every time I get a new place to be, or in search of a place with an even shorter commute will not be possible (aka, one hypothetical day in which I'm married or have kids or own my dewelling place. I don't know which of these circumstances are the most unbelievable to me at this present moment.)

The new retainer cost me $150, and that's b/c my orthodontist took pity on my insurance-less state and basically charged me the lab fees. I think after I get that one tooth straightened out, I'll go back to him to get a bite-guard-splint thing made for my teeth-grinding problem. I still grind my teeth, apparently. I guess the stress from my life didn't all go away w/ the surgery. More about the woes of wearing a retainer aggressively pushing a tooth back into place to be discussed later.

In other news, I called a dentist's office and they said teeth cleaning, and an initial exam and basic x-rays are $95. Not too shabby...possibly even affordable after I scrape the bottom of my bank account to hand over to the GA Office of Bar Admissions (it's costing me more than $1000 more, that's a whole $1K, than IL did). But I'm going to call one other dentist, one that a friend recommended, to see what her prices are like. I do need a cleaning. I haven't had dental insurance since 2008, and it's been that long since I've had a cleaning. I'm overdue. It might be why I have sensitive teeth these days. I hope after the cleaning, the sensitivity will go away (????). Sounds like wishful thinking, but maybe not too out of the realm of possible realities.

Adventures in Puppyland bit: Cody is a cutie. But he loves his dog food way too much...he bit my toe/foot this morning. I'm trying to transition him out of puppy food into adult dog food and the pet store I went to didn't have the adult version of the Wellness Small Dogs Just for Puppy super5mix in the 15 lb bags. Apparently they can order the large bag, but it comes ins 12 lb bags, instead of the standard 15 lbs. So, they gave me several different sample bags of dog foods of comparable quality and price range.

Tried the Pure Vita grain free Salmon Formula a couple meals (w/ some of the old puppy mix I've been feeding him) and he's gotten some wetter stools. Not sludgy or liquidy in any way, just wetter, stickier and thus more difficult to clean up (I like his poop to just roll off the newspaper into the toilet, no shaking or shoving w/ toilet paper). It was also lighter in color. I checked the ingredients of the puppy kibbles I've been mixing and they have turkey, chicken, salmon, some other species-named fish, lamb and other stuff, so salmon isn't completely new to his diet.

I think I'm going to table Pure Vita for now, and buy some more of the Wellness just for puppy stuff (to mix into more Merrick Whole Earth Farms stuff and the remaining Royal Canin stuff...which I was told and read was not as "premium" or awesome as they say they are). I think I'll use his old mix for a bit long, to transition him into adult dog food. And, I am going to not even try the Pure Vita grain free Bison Entree sample and move on to the Taste of the Wild samples...hopefully they will agree w/ Cody's digestive tracts a little more.

Save the Date Everyone!!! Cody's 1st Birthday is Feb. 5th. If the weather's nice and the yard is dry, I am thinking of inviting his other doggy friends and their humans over for a romp in the yard and doggy birthday cake. And some of my aged glugg and/or Christmas wine for the humans/adults. Otherwise, I would have to make it an indoor event and invite less creatures into my teeny, tiny, very humble abode w/ no real seating. And then have a larger clean-up job after the guests leave.

Here's like the P.P.S. part. Remember how when we were in middle school, there was a list of P.S.'s and P.P.S.'s and P.P.P.S.'s? It's like that but I promise to stop after this. I've started studying for the GA bar examination (hopefully IL Sup. Ct. and the IARDC will get off their butts and mail in my letters of good standing so I can definitely take the 1-day attorney's examination). I bought the books and lecture notes off of a former classmate who took (and passed) the GA bar in July, instead of paying for an entire new bar course, b/c I just coulnd't afford it and figured I may not have time to do all the lectures anyways.

Here's the schedule I've come up with for the next 6 weeks:

week 1: Property and Con Law

week 2: Crim Law, Crim Pro, Agency/Partnership and Corporations and MPT

week 3: Contracts, Damages/Equitable Remedies

week 4: Torts, Evidence and Family

week 5: Wills, Trusts, Fed. Civ Pro, and GA Civ Pro

week 6: Comm. Paper, Sec. Trans., Prof. Resp. and MPT(?)

WISH ME LUCK!!!

teeth sensitivities...related to jaw surgery?

Okay, so today is December 12, 2010 (Happy Independence Day, KENYA!!!) Which is 2 yrs and 8 months since my jaw surgery. A few weeks ago, I started developing teeth sensitivity. This is a NEW problem for me. Never before has my teeth been sensitive...okay, my front bottom teeth never liked touching ice cream, but other than that, never. But it's not even my front little teeth. It's further along the sides/back. Like where my canines are. Particularly where my canines are. I am wondering if my roots are being exposed or something. I need to find a dentist quick. But I have no dental insurance under my student insurance...arg.

The other day, I was feeling really crappy, like getting sick or something, and I could literally feel the metal bits and screws around my nose. Not Kidding. I felt weirdly swollen/wonky/pain and so I touched the area that felt weird/slightly painful, and it was where the metal pieces were. They felt like they were lifting off my skull. NOT a pretty image in my over-active brain. But they're better now.

I got the metal plate and screws in my lower left jaw removed in late June 2009, but I still notice uneven swelling in that area. Esp. if the weather is bad or if I've been working too much and not sleeping enough or have lots to stress about (which law school ISN'T helping with).

But I really wanted to post a new blog (I know, it's been a year, or over a year) is b/c I wanted to start a list of things I want:

-Chemex (8-cup, which is about 40 oz, capacity, w/ the classic wooden collar)

& a box of unbleached Chemex filters (square or round, doesn't matter)

-E-Reader...I sorta want a Kindle, but the Nook also looks okay, and Sony or any other well-known brand would do as well. I haven't really read too many reviews, but I really liked the Kindle I read from, which a friend's dad left for her when he visited a few months ago. I don't know if she has to give it back during Christmas break.

-maybe a new pair of tall black boots. I have the old ones I've had for years, and they're still nice and sufficient, so I don't technically need new boots. It would be nice, is all.

-and maybe a new cashmere cardigan in a fun color. (I have a grey turtle neck, orange turtle neck--which might be a bit too loose on me now, and a fun claret-red cowl neck--which I LOVE). No need for new coats, but a pair of jeans, and maybe a pair of corduroys are needed. My clothes are growing or I'm shrinking. It's annoying but I need new pants that fit better. The clothes-makers are doing something funky w/ their sizes, I know it. I used to be a 4, or 4p. Now 2's are too loose on me, and some 0's have waists that are too big on me. This is ridiculous. I am not that tiny! I weigh more than my lowest weight after surgery, tho I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months. It's not an unhealthy weight for my height and frame. My teeny tiny friends have to resort to 0p's and -0's and 00's.

-most definitely a sweater dress appropriate for work, maybe something that's not grey or black...any other subdued and elegant color will do, about knee-length.

-possibly, a new computer in like 3-5 months. I think I want to take the bar on a new computer, if IL (or whichever state I get a job in, fingers crossed!!!!) switches to typed exams. Or, I can just get used to hand-writing lots of things, or go back to hand-writing essays exams.

-A JOB would be nice too. I mean, I should apply to jobs, but I don't know...I don't know...the economy is sooooo discouraging and my grades are just so horrid.

I might want to go back to grad school to see if I can regain confidence in my mental capacities and academic prowess. I never thought I was intellectually deficient or was a bad writer until I came to law school. I do fairly well at internships when I submit written work, but ugh...this antiquated school/teaching model has got to go. I hate the socratic method, never got used to it, and I just shy away from classes and situations where I'll be forced to speak. I think law schools should be taught on a tutelage system. It would foster better relations with professors and students that click and allow for independent learning styles and encourage students to take more responsibility/control over their legal education. So that they can focus on things they really want to, and know that the knowledge is theirs by choice, not b/c they were scared of being called on...esp. b/c the fear actually prevents ppl from learning. TRUTH. Told to me by many a fellow law student.

Okay, that's it. I need to write a 15-pg paper, due tomorrow. YIKES! And deal w/ my tummy troubles and the moon cycle and my reverse-cycling problem (sleeping btwn 5 am and 3 pm, and staying awake when it's dark out). And have 2 more papers due w/in 4 days after this one is turned in....help!

I hope to go for a check-up w/ my surgeon when I'm back in Chicago for Christmas break...and I'm coming back to the Atl the 2nd day of classes b/c dagnabbit, it's my last semester and I get to miss a couple days in the beginning of the semester!!! I never really settle down or learn anything in those first few days anyways.