Wisdom Teeth Problems? Here's What I Learned

As much as I love it, I'm convinced popcorn is the Devil's food. I've had more dental complications (a chipped porcelain cap, pieces I couldn't get out from between my teeth, etc.) from this, my favorite snack! I try to stay away from it, but recently, on a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I caved and grabbed a sample of Amish kettle corn. 

 CRACK!

My wisdom tooth cracked! 

It was a wisdom tooth, one that already had a large filling in it. A visit to my dentist confirmed that the tooth was unrepairable. It would have to come out. I, of course, panicked.

I'd heard HORROR stories about people getting their wisdom teeth out – how much pain and suffering was involved. 

So I did what every anal person does and researched the teeth, the procedure, and, since I had the thing extracted yesterday, want to share some of my new wisdom with you. Note: I am not a medical professional. I'm just a lay person sharing her experience and what she's learned. Here goes:

About The Teeth

These third molars have been called “teeth of wisdom” since the Seventeenth Century. Since they appear far later than other teeth (between the ages of 17 and 25) and at an age when a person is maturing into adulthood, it is “wiser” than when other teeth have come in. (Source: www.deardoctor.com)

According to my oral surgeon, they're actually relics from earlier times when ancient people had much larger jaws. Evolution has made our jaws much smaller and sometimes, when these molars are misaligned, they come in horizontally, may be angled toward or away from the second molars, or be angled inward or outward. This can crowd or damage the adjacent teeth, jawbone or nerves.  Ow!

About The Procedure – It's All About The Place

How simple or complicated the procedure is depends on their position and stage of development. My tooth was on the top and already erupted, so it was taken out like any other tooth. But a third molar that's underneath the gum line and embedded in the jawbone means the doctor will make an incision into the gums and then remove a portion of bone that lies over the tooth. According to webmd.com, “often, for a tooth in this situation, the tooth will be extracted in small sections rather than removed in one piece to minimize the amount of bone that needs to be removed to get the tooth out.”

 

About My Experience

Fortunately, my fears were mostly unfounded. Again, because the molar was on top and already erupted, the doctor gave me a few shots of Novocaine. Then there was a lot of rocking of the tooth. The weirdest parts were the “cracks” I heard as the tooth came out. I made him stop once or twice because it was so unnerving. After the tooth was out (and I got it – for the Tooth Fairy, you know), the surgeon put a few stitches in. He gave me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine (which I never did get filled). I kept gauze in my mouth for the first hour after the extraction, but my mouth still tasted like blood for most of the night.

Now, 24 hours later, it's just sore. I've been drinking kefir and eating ice cream. I'm also taking Advil for the pain, but it's really not too bad. Tonight I'll begin rinsing with salt water to help with healing and later this week, I get my stitches out. 

So what did I learn from this experience?

• Don't believe the hype. Just because others have had terrible experiences getting their wisdom teeth out, doesn't mean you will.
• It can be survived. Having my wisdom tooth isn't something I would choose to do, but compared to other experiences (giving birth, root canals), it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated.
• Popcorn is not worth the pain it causes.
• Any experience where a doctor TELLS you to eat ice cream, can't be all terrible. 
  
  

Oh, and just for the record, the Tooth Fairy was good to me and left me these:

For even more about wisdom teeth, visit this great article from webmd.com.

Thanks for reading!

Gaucher Disease Isn't Getting THIS Kid Down! Meet Allie

The relationship started in preschool with an invitation, “Wanna play?” Allie, a human dynamo with an incredible joi de vivre, started playing with my daughter and, fast forward five years, they still enjoy each others company. It doesn’t matter to either child that Allie has Gaucher disease.

Allie with one of her many friends.

Gaucher Disease results from a deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase in the body and is caused by a genetic mutation received from both parents (source: www.gaucherdisease.org), most commonly Jewish people of Eastern and Central European descent (Ashkenazi). This deficit leads to the accumulation of certain lipids in Gaucher cells. When the cells become too large, they prevent certain organs, like the liver and spleen, from working as they should. According to mayoclinic.org, “the fatty substances associated with Gaucher’s disease also can build up in bone tissue. This weakens the bone and increases the risk of fractures.” If the bone marrow is affected, it interferes with blood clotting. The disease runs the gamut from presenting no outward symptoms to skeletal problems, liver or spleen damage, bleeding, severe disability and death.


After years of infertility testing, Allie’s parents knew that they were both carriers, but with only a 25 percent chance of having a child with the disease and medications readily available, they took a chance and started a family. Still, when Allie went to the doctor for a suspected urinary tract infection and the doctor mentioned that she had an enlarged spleen (one of the symptoms), Allie’s mother, Elisa, perked up. Elisa told the doctor that both she and her husband were Gaucher carriers. Subsequent tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Gaucher disease, especially the type Allie has (Type 1) is treatable with medications effective at relieving some of the symptoms and even reversing some of the effects.

Gaucher disease, especially the type Allie has (Type 1) is treatable with medications effective at relieving some of the symptoms and even reversing some of the effects. While the initial treatments were long and the placing of a permanent port in her side was, as her mother says, “traumatic” for the youngster, thankfully, Allie only has to receive two 90-minute treatments twice a month. Nurses come to the house to administer her medication and Elisa says Allie’s reaction when she’s told she has to receive her treatment is “Really? Again?” To her, it’s no big deal.

 
And that’s what Elisa and her husband are letting people know. The family has adopted a positive attitude and makes sure Allie doesn’t receive any special attention, especially from her two older brothers who have tested negative for Gaucher’s. The radiant, little dynamo remains active and, in fact, doctors have explained that being physically active helps the condition. The only thing that’s different for Allie is that sometimes she wears a pad over her port to protect it – otherwise, life goes on.



Allie is very open about having Gaucher’s, has done presentations at school about it and actively participates in fundraisers. She recently met another little girl in the area who was just recently diagnosed with the disease and the two became fast friends. Elisa hopes the two can grow up together and share their experiences.

To her, it’s no big deal.

So what’s the prognosis? Gaucher’s is a lifelong condition and the now-third grader wilrl always be monitored and have follow-up bone density tests. She has earned her mother’s admiration by her proactive approach to the condition. Other than that, Elisa emphasizes that she’s “just Allie, a fun, energetic kid” not “Allie, who has Gaucher’s disease.” And to my daughter, she’s just “Allie, my friend.”

And to my daughter, she’s just “Allie, my friend.”   ♥

For more information, visit http://www.gaucherdisease.org.

~~


Please note:  this article first appeared on www.thegeekparent.com.

Returning To The Workforce – Scary, Daunting, But Do-Able

 
Staying at home with the kids is a choice that many of us make. It involves sacrifice and is more than a little aggravating sometimes, but for those who choose it, we feel it's worth it for the kids. The scarey part of giving up your career, of course, is trying to get it or some semblance of it back. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar given by Lauren Markon of Career Connections (www.careerconnectnj.com). Ms. Markon is an expert in helping people become workforce ready. Here's what I learned from her and from attending that seminar.


We began with attendees going around the room and explaining what we'd done “in our former lives.” Previous occupations included a teacher, lawyer, nurse, college administrator, and yours truly, a humble marketing professional-turned writer. We realized that there are many barriers to returning to paid employment including:

• fear (of failure or, even, success)
  
• insecurity
  
• lack of focus
  
• lack of money for childcare
  
• age
  
• gaps on one's resume
  
• mental health issues, including depression and anxiety
  

There's also the fact that some of us just don't know what we want to do or are dismayed by the lack of options out there (i.e. an abundance of clerical jobs we're overqualified for or the sad fact that those of us with experience may be relegated to salaries lower than people who have just graduated college). Tackling those issues is critical before one can even think of re-entering the workforce. It may be as simple as building up your confidence or even a bit more difficult, as in getting some short-term therapy for mental health issues.


Once some of the issues are behind, it's time to get ready to jump back in. Identify your resources like workshops, professional associations, etc .and get any training you may be lacking in the form of classes, whether in-person or online. One website that I didn't know about is the one for the Goodwill Community Foundation (http://www.gcflearnfree.org) which offers free lessons in dozens of topics including technology, social media, computers, job development, and more.


Markon's website, as well, has oodles of really useful information that any job-seeker will relish. Begin networking with other people and don't be shy about letting your social circles know that you're looking for employment. Oh, and moms: lest we think we cannot network, we do it all on the time on the blacktop and while waiting for our kids who are in classes. How often are we just standing around chatting and sharing info about our kids, teachers, staff, etc.? It's time to share with those same people information about your job search and let them know you're looking for work.


Get your resume together and don't forget that volunteer experience counts and can fill the gap caused by staying at home with the kids. Make sure you have a cover letter you're comfortable with (again, resources to help you are at www.careerconnectnj.com) Let people you trust critique your resume and then get set up on Linked-In. If you aren't fluent in Linked-In, there are many books you can borrow from the library that will get you up to snuff.


Make sure you have the proper clothes to wear while interviewing. A novel idea that came out of the seminar was having business cards printed up showing your name and contact data on the front and bullets from your resume on the back that you can give out when you meet a person who can help you.
And don't forget to rehearse your interviewing skills, preferably with a professional who can give you helpful advice on how to land a job. Then, with your confidence up and the tools you need at the ready, start looking for a job.


While you're looking, volunteering for a position you might be interested can help with visibility and training. Years ago I found a great opportunity via the site: http://www.volunteermatch.org which helped me apply for a position that allowed me to learn and offered an enormous e amount of flexibility.


Re- entering the job market is difficult, but not impossible. With preparation, patience and dedication, you can find a job that will make you happy.