Life stuff

[pegkerr]

I am awfully distracted by life stuff. The car, putting the gardens to bed. I still need to plant those tulip bulbs, and there are still leaves to rake. We've been told we need to get some of Delia's teeth pulled as soon as possible to keep other teeth that are coming in now from going crooked, and so I have to scramble to find an orthodontist. And figure out how to pay for it, damn it. We can't wait even until after the first of the year, they tell us, when we will have money in the insurance account. The girls are testing for their green belts this Friday; I'm trying to hector them into doing their homework and keeping their room picked up. I haven't done anything to make Fiona practice her violin this week. I had been working out in the evenings, but now that the girls are back in school and their school schedule is back in full swing, it's not working; it's clear that I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and starting getting up at 5:15 a.m. again if I want to have any hope of fitting my workout in.

Wah.

We have figured out financing for the car, however, and it's not going to be too bad. And we did find the car quickly, too, and for a good price.

Edited to add: We did have two of Fiona's teeth pulled, and we are convinced that it helped her. Yes, we are going to be getting a second opinion on Delia's teeth, of course. I'm making the calls today. But I've seen the X-rays, and yeah, it's really true: in my (admittedly unexpert lay opinion) the teeth coming in have nowhere to go.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Get a second opinion. My daughter's first orthodontist wanted to pull four of her teeth. Then we moved. Her new orthodontist said "No, the teeth are fine, we just need to increase the size of her lower jaw." Which they did. And all is well and she didn't need to lose any teeth and her profile is even prettier.

Not that this helps with the financial burden, of course.

When I am very very wealthy I'm going to set up yet another artist's scholarship. Only this one, instead of sending you off to the idyllic woods, will pay for a live-in amanuensis who handles all your domestic issues for six months. You get to keep your family, but without the crises.

I'm calling it the Jane Welsh Carlyle Memorial Sanity Fund.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Psst! Probably unnecessary advice, but have you considered getting a second opinion on the teeth?

I ask because an orthodontist back home was notorious for recommending teeth pulling to fix future problems. Several of my friends ended up gap-toothed as adults.

Delia's teeth

[(Anonymous)]

Do get a second opinion. And I'll bet that it CAN wait until after the first of the year - if it needs doing at all. Children's jaws have a way of accomodating by growing.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Want help planting bulbs? I'm not doing any additional bulbs (I'll be happy with my daffodils for next year, though I am contemplating moving my irises) and have extra bits of garden-y energy building up as I don't have much to take care of with my prairie gardens.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's exactly what I have said I would do if I won the lottery: set up artists' grants.

Not that I play the lottery very often, of course. I generally have better uses for my money.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lindsay_/]

::hugs:: Peg, it is encouraging to see you facing these obstacles with such grace and overcoming them.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

My older sister was told she needed to have teeth pulled, but my parents didn't have it done, her jaw grew, and everything ended up fitting fine.

Just any FYI.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I may take you up on this! Um . . . I have to figure out when. Would Sunday afternoon work for you, by any chance?

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Milk teeth or permanent teeth pulled ?

I had most of my front milk teeth pulled because they just would not come out by themselves. It was definitely a good thing.

[kate_nepveu]

How did they increase the size of her lower jaw?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Milk teeth. The permanent ones are right in there, ready to drop in, but there isn't any room.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Well, going by my experience and that of some contemporaries in school, there's little potential for harm and lots for permanent teeth to come out crooked if the milk teeth are obstinate.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

My daughter has an overbite; she wore a special dental appliance inside the mouth that pulled the lower jaw forward. New bone grew in at the joint to support the jaw in its new position. (You obviously have to time this one to match adolescent growth; we waited two years from initial diagnosis to begin treatment.) There are also devices that increase the size of the upper dental arch called "palate expanders". (Which, candidly, look painful.)

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

On the flip side (and this is just an anecdote) I had a milk tooth pulled because the adult cuspid just wasn't erupting. I then had two successive operations on the bone to make the adult cuspid come down.

Thank God dentistry has changed a lot in the last thirty years.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I had teeth pulled for the same reason.

B

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I had a milk tooth pulled because they thought the adult tooth would come in crooked if it wasn't. It was excruciatingly painful, I ended up really dentist-phobic, and the adult tooth came in sideways anyway-- and it's not noticeable and has never caused me any problems.

I would get a second opinion.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Sunday afternoon would work fine, weather willing. I'm usually waking up around 2-ish these days (which isn't enough sleep, but I catch a nap later). Drop me email with your address if that turns into a good time.