The Day of Reckoning

Well... I had the calendar countdown clock set at one week from

 Today.

I was wrong. 

It will be TWO weeks from Today. 

February 12, 2018 

There's a difference between 4 weeks, and a month... 4 weeks is only 28 days. 

A month (can vary) but in this case its 31 days. 

Which lands on a Friday (no go) so the following Tuesday it is. 

Because nobody likes Mondays I guess...

OK. 

So... mentally, what's another week?

😳

I called the regular dentist my oral surgeon recommended for a consult yesterday. 

Dr. Hayes is a surgeon so what he offers at his office will eventually end...

 and I'll need a regular dentist to guide me through the rest. 

After explaining my situation to the receptionist who answered, she explained the normal protocol and essentially assured me I'd be without my front teeth for MONTHS, or maybe I'd get a flipper (in a few weeks) with fake ones (like a retainer) until the Crowns can be ordered and made....

 and that it's a long drawn out process. 

My heart dropped. 

I'm supposed to be in New Orleans March 1st for Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans. 

But I need TEETH!

As all scared people do... I googled 

"front teeth implants"

 (the hardest to do and most expensive I also quickly found out) 

I started to sweat. 

OMG. 

She's right. 

It requires the screws to go into your jaw. 

Possibly bone grafting that takes Months to adhere and grow and fuse into your jaw. 

Then they have to actually MAKE the teeth... 

(I've been given VERY STRICT instructions NOT to Workout... but I'm pretty sure at this point I'm sweating profusely...)

Today

 I met with Dr. Hayes for my weekly visit... I had so many questions... mainly concerns. 

Like a page worth............................ 

A bit of good news from my rather Kick A$$ doctor. 

Dr. Curtis Hayes 

(Shameless plug... he's really that great)

He knows that my livelihood depends ENTIRELY on my mouth. 

He was 10 steps ahead of me (not shocking) and already has a plan, that's been 3 weeks in the making.

(COMPLETE with full presentation on a state of the art screen with x rays and pictures and 3D images....)

His plan is to 

1.) pull out the screws in my jaw.... currently keeping it on lock down.

2.) Remove the wires.

3.) Pull my front two teeth - 1 is broken and 1 is fractured 

(oddly enough These are the only two teeth in my mouth that have almost no root... so they were basically going to get knocked out at some point in my klutzy life)

3.) Implant the screws for my new teeth

 (likely adding a bit of bone grafting material)

4.) Put in the new (semi permanent) teeth, he ALREADY ordered after my first visit. 

(the reason I had to have two rounds of big needles numbing my mouth)

God Bless him.

(until i get the fancy ones they make with those new printers. As I mentioned the front ones weren't grade A to begin with so we're moving up in the world!)

This is seriously only made possible by a thoughtful doctor who has spent countless hours at the dinner table and the gym (that's what he's said) thinking about my particular case and doing everything in his power to make this as seamless as possible. 

If this happened just so I could meet such a wonderful example of a damn good human for whom I will be eternally grateful, then at least I have that. 

And he wants to join our RAGBRAI team!!!

I knew that killer bus would come in handy some day... LOL

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. 

From excitement 

to sheer terror 

to disappointment

to unbelievable gratitude. 

A lot can change in an instant, even more can change in a month (not 4 weeks). 

I'll take another week of liquid food to save MONTHS of being without my two front teeth. 

Dr. Hayes... welcome to TEAM THOR. 

Our bus is your bus. 

P.S. I think my first meal has changed. 

I sent Peter a text last night that I would walk across hot lava for a California burrito with Chicken add egg from La Playa in San Diego or MXN 24/7 

(let's be honest I'd eat one from just about anywhere in San Diego)

But since that won't happen... 

My second choice would be 

Chick fil-a 

either the breakfast sandwich (that biscuit....)

or the original (extra pickle)

Maybe 3...

It must a be a FRIED thing? 

But the beef ragout bolognese can still be dinner. 

Or Lobster Mac n cheese 

AND Chocolate Cake... if only because I've always wanted to buy this at Costco and never felt justified... until now....

Normally Peter insists everything we eat be healthy... but I think for at least a week, maybe a month... I get a free pass. I must be forgetting things. 

What else do I need to cram into my "hall pass" month???

😄 

(note the emoji WITH teeth!)