Update After Week 1

Well, it's been a little over a week since I began "the first day of the rest of my life." Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but nevertheless, I've embarked on a new journey: life with dentures. Have you ever realized how much you use your teeth? As I write this, I'm only able to wear my top dentures. The swelling is finally beginning to go down on my bottom gums, thanks to the steroids (on a side note, maybe I should try out to be a pitcher for the Rockies - can't do any worse than any of the others in the Series). I go back to the dentist on Wednesday to have the stitches removed.

It's nice to know that I'm a pioneer - my extractions were the first ones that took the dentist two days to perform. Apparently I have a strange body in the fact that it metabolizes the numbing medicine at a fast rate, so much so that he was unable to extract the bottom teeth without a great deal of pain (okay, an inordinate amount of pain). In fact, even when I was completely numb, he still couldn't, so he had to numb each tooth individually. Anyway, after this exciting adventure, I spent most of last weekend taking Lortab and holding ice packs to my face. I made it for my first public outing on Monday - off to the dentist to have stitches out. Could anything go "normal" for me? Of course not. The gums were still too swollen to take them out, hence the steroids. They do seem to be working, thankfully. Now, back to the question I posed earlier - did you ever realize how much you use your teeth? My diet consists of Slim-Fast shakes, Carnation Instant Breakfasts, soups, cottage cheese, yogurt, and jello. I have made a couple of recent discoveries, however. I can handle baked potatoes, eggs, M&M's, and Reese's Pieces. My immediate goal is to try and get the lowers in for church in the morning; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Oh, on another side note, I do not wish to receive a copy of the Koran, in case anyone is wondering. I know that I wasn't asked, but I figured I'd head it off at the pass. If they have the right to offer it, I have a right to reject it.