Hi all

I haven't been checking into the forum much for the past few months, but wanted to share my recent dental experiences.

I've been working on this program for many years (eight, I think), and have not progressed as far as I had hoped I would when I first found the program. But I have made changes and seen small improvements along the way.

I have finally been able to give up coffee, after having tried for about 2 years. I knew it was bad for me, but after several failed attempts at quitting, was finally able to make a connection to how exactly coffee affects me (it increases my anxiety and irritability). After that, I was able to give it up for good (I had been gradually reducing how much I was having) and have had no problem staying off the coffee for the past, umm, almost six months, I believe ... I can't quite remember for sure when I gave it up, but I am not in the least bit tempted to start again ... not even when I smell that delicious aroma of fresh ground coffee! The smell alone is enough to satisfy me. :)

But, about my dental experiences:

I have had a mouthful of cavities and bad teeth since I was a child. My first dental visit ever was when I was in grade 6 and we had these mobile dental clinics that would go the schools and you would be sitting in class minding your own business and suddenly an anouncement would come "Lori, report to the dental clinic please". The first visit was a novelty ... a built in excuse for getting out of class, but for a child with a mouthful of cavities and rotten teeth, the rest of it was a nightmare ... no comforting parent with you, no one talking to you or explaining what they were doing, not being able to talk with those rotten rubber dams over your mouth, and no way to get out of having the work done when you were trapped in the school and everyone knew you were there.

After that, I avoided dentists, which didn't help. My teeth only got worse, and I have not had many good dental experiences over the years .. to the point where I would only refer to the dentist office as the torture chamber and was so anxious about seeing a dentist that I would make and cancel my appointments several times before actually being able to bring myself to go to the dental office.

After giving up coffee, and with the changes that have slowly been taking place in my diet over the past number of years, I was actually able to get myself to a new dentist after 5 years of being without one.

So, first appointment in 5 years ... I saw my new dentist for the first time on Halloween ... and he was dressed as the tooth fairy ... great first impression ... but ... I am 45 years old and need to have two of my wisdom teeth removed ... My oral surgeon turns out to be an older east indian gentleman ... a bit eccentric, but so relaxed, so grandfatherly and so adorable, you can't help but love him, in spite of the fact that I know he is going to cause me pain ... and, lucky me, I'm a "special" case ... he only sees about 4 cases like mine a year ... my teeth were growing sideways and had no room to grow up, so they grew down into my nerve channel ... and pulling them out could cause permanent nerve damage ... so he has to slice them off just above the nerve.

Amazingly, I was not that nervous or anxious about having it done. The pre-surgery instructions were to not eat for 6 hours before the surgery. Oh no! I can't do that ... I NEED to have breakfast. My surgery is at 9:45. Whatever will I do? Well, you know, breakfast is so ingrained in me now, that I just set my alarm for 4:00 a.m., got up and sleepily ate, then went back to bed. No liquids 3 hours before surgery ... no problem ... set my alarm for 7 ... got up, drank a huge glass of water, ate some grapes, relaxed for a bit, then got ready to go. I brought a large bottle of water and a protein shake for after the surgery, although it turned out that I was way too groggy to drink or eat until after I got home, but the fact was, I was prepared ... and pre-program, I NEVER would have had this kind of calmness and foresight of preparation.

The surgery went well. I have had minimal pain. They prescribed T3s and percocet, but I am nervous of taking them, and have only used ibuprofen and extra strength tylenol.

My surgery was on Friday. I expected a four day crash on Tuesday, and it arrived on time. Learning about those BE crashes and why they happen is a godsend, even though it didn't stop the crankies, teariness, etc. But amazingly, the crash was over by late morning, around the same time my surgery was over on Friday.

Even post-surgery, I have been restricted to soft foods, but am still basically following the program ... scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and oatmeal for breakfast, rice or beans for all my browns ... having the knowledge of the program makes life so DO-ABLE!

I may complain about not progressing fast enough or far enough on this program, but when I can experience something as traumatic as dental surgery and not "lose it", I realize how beneficial this program, and all the little changes I have made so far, is to me. I am filled with gratitude for Kathleen and the powers that be that led me to her.

Sorry for being so long-winded, and thank you if you made it to the end of this post, but I just had to share this surprisingly positive experience.

Lookilou
aka Lori