This was an entry I wasn't expecting to make. It will be one of the few (outside of my YouTube postings) that will get published soon after I have written it. Friday's article about me learning how to square dance suprisingly brought back a lot of memories regarding one particular girl. This would be one of the girls who didn't want to dance with me. This was another crush with unusual circumstances surrounding her, as I will explain.
I'm not going to play the name game with her because I don't want anyone to think her name is one thing and it's actually another. She was a year younger than me. She had long dark hair and was very cute. I should explain that my family had to drive 20 miles to this small community to get to the square dance lessons. This girl was there every week, and I just assumed that she went to school in that small community.
I found out I was wrong when I saw her around Zia Intermediate school. We had been going to the same school for a couple of months and I had never noticed her before the square dancing lessons. One other thing I do know about her is that she was very smart as I always saw her name on the honor roll. Since the sixth and seventh graders were in mostly separate parts of the school, it was conceivable that I would not run into her very often.
I guess she somehow knew that I was into her. I know she had caught me looking at her several times. The only time during the lessons that we wound up together was during a partner switch. One move forced us to slightly hold hands. She scrunched and twisted my fingers and laughed about it a little. I said, "Ow!" but I was really enjoying the delicate torture.
After the square dance lessons were over, I rarely saw her at school. One day, my Mom's friend (the one from the Bible Stories and Radio Christmas story), who was also Zia's guidance counselor was telling her about this one girl at school she was working with. She didn't mention her name, but it was apparent to me who she was talking about when she said that she was one of the top students in the sixth grade. She said something to the effect that she had a messed-up family life at home and was really struggling to deal with both school and family.
I didn't know what to think of this. I remember her father was at all the square dance lessons, and he seemed like a normal person to me. I guess he worked at the refinery. I also think that her younger brother was at the lessons. I don't remember seeing the mother. Since the father brought his daughter and son to this kind of social setting, I never would have thought that there were problems at her home. At least, nothing any worse than what I was going through with my family.
I knew that I would not be seeing her the next year as I went to Park Junior High School, but I knew she would coming to the eighth grade there and I looked forward to seeing her again. In the summer of 1978 (before the ninth grade), I was riding my bicycle near Yucca Elementary. I thought I saw her outside one of the houses across the street from the school. I don't know if it was her, or even where she lived. It just looked like her.
Anyway, the start of the school year arrived and she wasn't there. I don't know what happened to her. I have not thought about her in more than 35 years. I have to wonder if she was able to get away from her home situation and make a success of her life. I'd certainly hate to think that she might have fallen into the Get Pregnant-Get Married Trap that a lot of girls in that situation were prone to.
I don't expect anyone who reads this blog to have the answer and I doubt I will ever find out. But the idea of wondering what happened to someone who actually had so little impact on my life will stay with me while she has likely completely forgotten about me.
Many people might call me a loser. Even though I don't have many negative attributes, I just haven't been able to really get what I want out of life. This blog is a means of helping me figure out what things went wrong and how they went wrong, but will not offer any solutions on how I can fix my problems. There will be no epiphanies here. I am trying to take a light-hearted look at my life, despite the many dark areas.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
I see Aspie people
It seems like I see people with neurological disorders on TV all the time.
I should add that one of the best portrayals of Aspeger's that is currently on TV is on the show "Parenthood." The way that boy's character is written and portrayed is very similar to my own experience, without realizing what was going on.
I should add that one of the best portrayals of Aspeger's that is currently on TV is on the show "Parenthood." The way that boy's character is written and portrayed is very similar to my own experience, without realizing what was going on.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Infected by the acting bug
I managed to skip over a minor event in this blog that took place in the sixth grade. It actually had a major impact on my life. I got to take part in a school musical production. However, since I did it again in the seventh grade, I'll just let it count for this year as well.
In the sixth grade, the choir teacher (the one from the fire drill story) announced that since it was the Bicentennial (this was 1976), we were going to do a musical about the Boston Tea Party called "The Party that Shook the World" or something like that.
I had mentioned earlier how I got mad at seeing other kids my age on TV and wondered why I wasn't on TV. However, I was aware I was plain scared of getting up in front of an audience. The teacher said that she needed volunteers for the backstage crew. I volunteered. A few days later, she cast the show with two (almost) separate casts and needed to fill a few spots. There were some bit parts with one or two lines and she asked me to be one of them. It was like "Second Patriot." I thought I could handle this.
Then about a week later, the student she had cast as the lead character's son was unable to take part and she asked me to do the part. It was considerably larger, but I decided I thought I could handle it. However, I about freaked when the script called for me to sing a solo number. But then I got ticked off because the teacher turned it into an ensemble piece. I was actually was looking forward to doing that solo.
We performed the show for a few classes at the school in the cafeteria. While there were times that the other cast performed for the classes, our cast was the one selected to perform the production before a local civic group. The fun part was the actual Tea Party scene. We had a limited number of boxes that we could work with, so instead of bursting open the boxes and throwing them overboard like it was really done, we sort of played volleyball with them. When I was sitting in the audience watching the other cast, it only looked like they were throwing the boxes back and forth.
The next year, the teacher decided to do a musical called "The Saga of Dead Dog Gulch." It took place in the old west and was about a small town that was being taken over and re-designed by the women. They get scared at the end after they see a bunch of guys in their underwear. I got chosen for the largest role, which was the narrator. But I didn't really get to do much except recite my lines and sit on the stage most of the time watching everyone else do stuff. But it's not like the play had guys kissing girls or anything, so I wasn't really missing out on much. I still did not get to sing a solo. Dang it! I had a great voice, too.
However, this was a major production compared to what we had done the year before. We got to perform at the high school auditorium and had the setting painted on this huge backdrop. We felt like we had made the big time. However, it meant we had to yell all our lines in order to be heard. The choir teacher didn't know how to teach us to properly project.
So this is how I got started being interested in live theatre. I would do more once I got to high school and I eventually took Theatre as my second major when I was in college. However, I have never been able to make any kind of real living at it. I'll be tell you more about my exploits in theatre in upcoming blog posts.
Interestingly enough, when Loyd was in the seventh grade in 1980, his choir teacher (a different teacher) also decided to do "Dead Dog Gulch" and he wound up playing the same part I did. (The funny thing is that his class used the same backdrop we did because no one painted over it.) He did not get as bitten by the acting bug as I did, but that's because the high school completely did away with the drama department by the time he got there.
In the sixth grade, the choir teacher (the one from the fire drill story) announced that since it was the Bicentennial (this was 1976), we were going to do a musical about the Boston Tea Party called "The Party that Shook the World" or something like that.
I had mentioned earlier how I got mad at seeing other kids my age on TV and wondered why I wasn't on TV. However, I was aware I was plain scared of getting up in front of an audience. The teacher said that she needed volunteers for the backstage crew. I volunteered. A few days later, she cast the show with two (almost) separate casts and needed to fill a few spots. There were some bit parts with one or two lines and she asked me to be one of them. It was like "Second Patriot." I thought I could handle this.
Then about a week later, the student she had cast as the lead character's son was unable to take part and she asked me to do the part. It was considerably larger, but I decided I thought I could handle it. However, I about freaked when the script called for me to sing a solo number. But then I got ticked off because the teacher turned it into an ensemble piece. I was actually was looking forward to doing that solo.
We performed the show for a few classes at the school in the cafeteria. While there were times that the other cast performed for the classes, our cast was the one selected to perform the production before a local civic group. The fun part was the actual Tea Party scene. We had a limited number of boxes that we could work with, so instead of bursting open the boxes and throwing them overboard like it was really done, we sort of played volleyball with them. When I was sitting in the audience watching the other cast, it only looked like they were throwing the boxes back and forth.
The next year, the teacher decided to do a musical called "The Saga of Dead Dog Gulch." It took place in the old west and was about a small town that was being taken over and re-designed by the women. They get scared at the end after they see a bunch of guys in their underwear. I got chosen for the largest role, which was the narrator. But I didn't really get to do much except recite my lines and sit on the stage most of the time watching everyone else do stuff. But it's not like the play had guys kissing girls or anything, so I wasn't really missing out on much. I still did not get to sing a solo. Dang it! I had a great voice, too.
However, this was a major production compared to what we had done the year before. We got to perform at the high school auditorium and had the setting painted on this huge backdrop. We felt like we had made the big time. However, it meant we had to yell all our lines in order to be heard. The choir teacher didn't know how to teach us to properly project.
So this is how I got started being interested in live theatre. I would do more once I got to high school and I eventually took Theatre as my second major when I was in college. However, I have never been able to make any kind of real living at it. I'll be tell you more about my exploits in theatre in upcoming blog posts.
Interestingly enough, when Loyd was in the seventh grade in 1980, his choir teacher (a different teacher) also decided to do "Dead Dog Gulch" and he wound up playing the same part I did. (The funny thing is that his class used the same backdrop we did because no one painted over it.) He did not get as bitten by the acting bug as I did, but that's because the high school completely did away with the drama department by the time he got there.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Only a square learns to square dance
One thing that my parents liked to do was go square dancing. When I was in the seventh grade, they decided it was time that Loyd and I learn so we could go out as a family and square dance. Yeah, square dancing is for losers. That's part of what makes me one, even though I don't do it anymore.
I was okay with it up to the point that Loyd was going to get to learn at the same time. He just barely missed the cutoff for the lowest age they would accept. That meant I was going to have to put up with his nonsense.
Learning how to square dance gave me my first indication of how I was going to do with girls. At first, it wasn't that hard getting girls to be my partner. However, as the weeks wore on and more of my quirks became apparent, I couldn't get anyone close to my age to dance with me. I had to settle for asking the older women to be my partner. I kind of didn't like that. (I should also add that Loyd had similar problems.)
During your average square dancing song, everyone changes partners. The women move over to the men on their right side. This process continues until you get your original partner back at the end of the song. The first time the instructor pulled this switch after about a month's worth of lessons, he forgot to explain that changing partners is what's supposed to happen. So when the switch occurred, the experienced dancers knew what was going on, but we newbies were all, "What's going on?"
The one thing about doing that switch is that all those girls who didn't want to dance with me wound up being my partner at some point anyway.
However, the important thing about square dancing is that you absolutely have to have a partner if you are an adult at an actual dance. I feel sorry for someone who shows up solo at one of those things. It's one thing to be a teenager going with your parents. You can at least ask your mother to be your partner for a few dances. (Yes, I had to do that. I was such a loser.)
But I attended my last square dance when I was 13. And now, I can't even remember 90% of the calls. I would have to go through the whole learning process again. I'm not planning on doing that.
I was okay with it up to the point that Loyd was going to get to learn at the same time. He just barely missed the cutoff for the lowest age they would accept. That meant I was going to have to put up with his nonsense.
Learning how to square dance gave me my first indication of how I was going to do with girls. At first, it wasn't that hard getting girls to be my partner. However, as the weeks wore on and more of my quirks became apparent, I couldn't get anyone close to my age to dance with me. I had to settle for asking the older women to be my partner. I kind of didn't like that. (I should also add that Loyd had similar problems.)
During your average square dancing song, everyone changes partners. The women move over to the men on their right side. This process continues until you get your original partner back at the end of the song. The first time the instructor pulled this switch after about a month's worth of lessons, he forgot to explain that changing partners is what's supposed to happen. So when the switch occurred, the experienced dancers knew what was going on, but we newbies were all, "What's going on?"
The one thing about doing that switch is that all those girls who didn't want to dance with me wound up being my partner at some point anyway.
However, the important thing about square dancing is that you absolutely have to have a partner if you are an adult at an actual dance. I feel sorry for someone who shows up solo at one of those things. It's one thing to be a teenager going with your parents. You can at least ask your mother to be your partner for a few dances. (Yes, I had to do that. I was such a loser.)
But I attended my last square dance when I was 13. And now, I can't even remember 90% of the calls. I would have to go through the whole learning process again. I'm not planning on doing that.
Fun in the doctor's office!
My time waiting for the doctor is worth at least a little something.
I'll let you know if I'm ever able to score a dialysis machine.
I'll let you know if I'm ever able to score a dialysis machine.
Braceface! (Redux)
(A note to readers: I had used the Blogger App on my phone to publish this on 11/21/13 because I was spending a lot of time on the road. However, the post, which was accessible because I shared it on Facebook and Twitter, seemed to completely disappear from my list of published articles and was not retrievable from my list of drafts. It ceased to exist on my profile. I copied and pasted the text below into a new blog post because there is a reference to it in the final sentence of the previous article.)
This is probably the main thing that affected my life the most when I was in the seventh grade: Having to get braces. I had seen lots of TV shows in which kids get braces. I never thought I would be one of them. (I should note that "The Brady Bunch" flat out LIED about braces. In one episode, Marcia has to wear braces for only TWO WEEKS! There is NO WAY that would happen in the real world! Braces for two weeks would be a waste of time AND money. I wonder how many kids watched that episode and were shocked to find out how long they were really going to have to wear braces.)
I never thought my teeth were that incredibly crooked, but I guess my Mom thought so, and she took me to see an orthodontist. At this time, in 1977, there was only one orthodontist in our region of the state. His regular practice was in Roswell. What he would do was work four days a week there and then spend one Friday a month in the surrounding towns. This meant that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN ARTESIA WHO HAD BRACES ALL HAD TO COME SEE THE ORTHODONTIST ON THE SAME DAY!
He probably saw between eight to ten people an hour. Most of the time, the patients just needed a quick adjustment. If I was able to get in at 8am, I could make it to school on time. But I rarely got that slot, so I would be late for my first class at least once a month.
When my Mom took me to see him for the consult, he said I would need to wear braces for two years. He also said that at some point, I would have to wear a night brace for a while. The cost was estimated at $2,000. This was back before dental insurance would cover braces. In fact, dental insurance started paying for braces about one year after I had mine removed.
Before I got the braces put on, I had to have four teeth extracted. I went to two separate appointments at my regular dentist. The first time, I kept my eyes closed the whole time. I could feel the dentist doing a lot of pushing and pulling in my mouth. The next week, I opened my eyes once. Big mistake. I could see the dentist was using what appeared to be a pair of pliers to remove my teeth. That freaked me out.
To have the braces put in, I had to go to Roswell and miss some classes. They didn't feel too bad. In the gaps where my extracted teeth used to be, there were these little springs.
The first few monthly appointments were fairly smooth. I would just go in and he would adjust the springs. However, after he removed the springs, the real torture began. Every month, he would tighten the wires strung through all the braces and my mouth would be in severe pain the entire weekend. I would not be able to eat anything solid. Mom got mad at me because all I wanted were milkshakes. After the weekend, everything felt normal again and I could eat regularly.
I never did have to wear the night brace. However, I did have to wear a rubber band that connected the top and bottom teeth of my left side for a couple of months. I had to keep the band in at all times, even when I was eating. I was given a small bag of rubber bands and was told to replace them if they broke. I sort of got into the habit of chewing on the rubber bands while they were in my mouth. This made them break more often. It got to the point that I was breaking one every hour. I had to start being more careful with them.
Almost two years to the day I had the braces put on, I got to have them removed. Two weeks later, I had to go back to get the retainers. He put a permanent one on my lower teeth and the removable one for the upper part of my mouth. I had trouble removing the upper retainer on my first day. I coughed up some phlegm and it got stuck between the retainer and the roof of my mouth. Once I actually got the retainer out for lunch, it was permanently stained with the phlegm. I could not remove that stain no matter how much I brushed the retainer.
I continued to wear the retainers through high school and I never lost the upper one. I made certain to wear it every day and my teeth stayed straight. I only had to see the orthodontist about once every three months at this point. I basically came in, sat down, he'd look in my mouth, say everything looked good and told me to come back in three months. During my senior year, he told me that my next appointment would be the last one I would have with him.
I assume that he was going to remove the bottom retainer at that last appointment, but I didn't go for some reason. I think it had to do with me forgetting what date the appointment was and his office never called to confirm it. I stopped wearing the upper retainer less and less, but kept the bottom retainer in.
That bottom retainer would stay in my mouth until I was 36 years old. Because I didn't have dental insurance, I didn't go see a dentist for more than 13 years, even though I could see and feel the wisdom teeth on the right side of my mouth decaying away. The dentist who cleaned my teeth said they would need to remove my bottom retainer so they could clean my teeth better. They would also have to create a new Invisalign retainer so I could keep my bottom teeth straight. I said I didn't think I needed a bottom retainer because I was pretty certain everything was going to stay in place. They said they could do it, but it would cost $150. I told them I didn't want them to do it.
I had planned a vacation home to New Mexico. I decided to look up my old orthodontist. I found out he had retired and someone else had taken over his practice. I was able to see that orthodontist and he said he could remove the retainer and make the Invisalign for $70. When I told him the retainer had been in my mouth for 22 years, I'm pretty certain his assistant was thinking, "Wow! That's longer than I've been alive!" I wore the Invisalign retainer for a few weeks, but I got fed up with it and stopped using it. Nothing ever happened to my bottom teeth.
An amusing follow up to this story is that about 15 years after I graduated from high school, Mom decided she wanted to get her teeth straightened and she went to see the same orthodontist Loyd and I did. She chose to get the regular braces and not the Invisalign. She soon found out what it was that me and my brother went through. She said, "I was not sympathetic enough with you boys. I had no idea it was this painful."
This is probably the main thing that affected my life the most when I was in the seventh grade: Having to get braces. I had seen lots of TV shows in which kids get braces. I never thought I would be one of them. (I should note that "The Brady Bunch" flat out LIED about braces. In one episode, Marcia has to wear braces for only TWO WEEKS! There is NO WAY that would happen in the real world! Braces for two weeks would be a waste of time AND money. I wonder how many kids watched that episode and were shocked to find out how long they were really going to have to wear braces.)
I never thought my teeth were that incredibly crooked, but I guess my Mom thought so, and she took me to see an orthodontist. At this time, in 1977, there was only one orthodontist in our region of the state. His regular practice was in Roswell. What he would do was work four days a week there and then spend one Friday a month in the surrounding towns. This meant that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN ARTESIA WHO HAD BRACES ALL HAD TO COME SEE THE ORTHODONTIST ON THE SAME DAY!
He probably saw between eight to ten people an hour. Most of the time, the patients just needed a quick adjustment. If I was able to get in at 8am, I could make it to school on time. But I rarely got that slot, so I would be late for my first class at least once a month.
When my Mom took me to see him for the consult, he said I would need to wear braces for two years. He also said that at some point, I would have to wear a night brace for a while. The cost was estimated at $2,000. This was back before dental insurance would cover braces. In fact, dental insurance started paying for braces about one year after I had mine removed.
Before I got the braces put on, I had to have four teeth extracted. I went to two separate appointments at my regular dentist. The first time, I kept my eyes closed the whole time. I could feel the dentist doing a lot of pushing and pulling in my mouth. The next week, I opened my eyes once. Big mistake. I could see the dentist was using what appeared to be a pair of pliers to remove my teeth. That freaked me out.
To have the braces put in, I had to go to Roswell and miss some classes. They didn't feel too bad. In the gaps where my extracted teeth used to be, there were these little springs.
The first few monthly appointments were fairly smooth. I would just go in and he would adjust the springs. However, after he removed the springs, the real torture began. Every month, he would tighten the wires strung through all the braces and my mouth would be in severe pain the entire weekend. I would not be able to eat anything solid. Mom got mad at me because all I wanted were milkshakes. After the weekend, everything felt normal again and I could eat regularly.
I never did have to wear the night brace. However, I did have to wear a rubber band that connected the top and bottom teeth of my left side for a couple of months. I had to keep the band in at all times, even when I was eating. I was given a small bag of rubber bands and was told to replace them if they broke. I sort of got into the habit of chewing on the rubber bands while they were in my mouth. This made them break more often. It got to the point that I was breaking one every hour. I had to start being more careful with them.
Almost two years to the day I had the braces put on, I got to have them removed. Two weeks later, I had to go back to get the retainers. He put a permanent one on my lower teeth and the removable one for the upper part of my mouth. I had trouble removing the upper retainer on my first day. I coughed up some phlegm and it got stuck between the retainer and the roof of my mouth. Once I actually got the retainer out for lunch, it was permanently stained with the phlegm. I could not remove that stain no matter how much I brushed the retainer.
I continued to wear the retainers through high school and I never lost the upper one. I made certain to wear it every day and my teeth stayed straight. I only had to see the orthodontist about once every three months at this point. I basically came in, sat down, he'd look in my mouth, say everything looked good and told me to come back in three months. During my senior year, he told me that my next appointment would be the last one I would have with him.
I assume that he was going to remove the bottom retainer at that last appointment, but I didn't go for some reason. I think it had to do with me forgetting what date the appointment was and his office never called to confirm it. I stopped wearing the upper retainer less and less, but kept the bottom retainer in.
That bottom retainer would stay in my mouth until I was 36 years old. Because I didn't have dental insurance, I didn't go see a dentist for more than 13 years, even though I could see and feel the wisdom teeth on the right side of my mouth decaying away. The dentist who cleaned my teeth said they would need to remove my bottom retainer so they could clean my teeth better. They would also have to create a new Invisalign retainer so I could keep my bottom teeth straight. I said I didn't think I needed a bottom retainer because I was pretty certain everything was going to stay in place. They said they could do it, but it would cost $150. I told them I didn't want them to do it.
I had planned a vacation home to New Mexico. I decided to look up my old orthodontist. I found out he had retired and someone else had taken over his practice. I was able to see that orthodontist and he said he could remove the retainer and make the Invisalign for $70. When I told him the retainer had been in my mouth for 22 years, I'm pretty certain his assistant was thinking, "Wow! That's longer than I've been alive!" I wore the Invisalign retainer for a few weeks, but I got fed up with it and stopped using it. Nothing ever happened to my bottom teeth.
An amusing follow up to this story is that about 15 years after I graduated from high school, Mom decided she wanted to get her teeth straightened and she went to see the same orthodontist Loyd and I did. She chose to get the regular braces and not the Invisalign. She soon found out what it was that me and my brother went through. She said, "I was not sympathetic enough with you boys. I had no idea it was this painful."
Braceface!
This is probably the main thing that affected my life the most when I was in the seventh grade: Having to get braces. I had seen lots of TV shows in which kids get braces. I never thought I would be one of them. (I should note that "The Brady Bunch" flat out LIED about braces. In one episode, Marcia has to wear braces for only TWO WEEKS! There is NO WAY that would happen in the real world! Braces for two weeks would be a waste of time AND money. I wonder how many kids watched that episode and were shocked to find out how long they were really going to have to wear braces.)
I never thought my teeth were that incredibly crooked, but I guess my Mom thought so, and she took me to see an orthodontist. At this time, in 1977, there was only one orthodontist in our region of the state. His regular practice was in Roswell. What he would do was work four days a week there and then spend one Friday a month in the surrounding towns. This meant that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN ARTESIA WHO HAD BRACES ALL HAD TO COME SEE THE ORTHODONTIST ON THE SAME DAY!
He probably saw between eight to ten people an hour. Most of the time, the patients just needed a quick adjustment. If I was able to get in at 8am, I could make it to school on time. But I rarely got that slot, so I would be late for my first class at least once a month.
When my Mom took me to see him for the consult, he said I would need to wear braces for two years. He also said that at some point, I would have to wear a night brace for a while. The cost was estimated at $2,000. This was back before dental insurance would cover braces. In fact, dental insurance started paying for braces about one year after I had mine removed.
Before I got the braces put on, I had to have four teeth extracted. I went to two separate appointments at my regular dentist. The first time, I kept my eyes closed the whole time. I could feel the dentist doing a lot of pushing and pulling in my mouth. The next week, I opened my eyes once. Big mistake. I could see the dentist was using what appeared to be a pair of pliers to remove my teeth. That freaked me out.
To have the braces put in, I had to go to Roswell and miss some classes. They didn't feel too bad. In the gaps where my extracted teeth used to be, there were these little springs.
The first few monthly appointments were fairly smooth. I would just go in and he would adjust the springs. However, after he removed the springs, the real torture began. Every month, he would tighten the wires strung through all the braces and my mouth would be in severe pain the entire weekend. I would not be able to eat anything solid. Mom got mad at me because all I wanted were milkshakes. After the weekend, everything felt normal again and I could eat regularly.
I never did have to wear the night brace. However, I did have to wear a rubber band that connected the top and bottom teeth of my left side for a couple of months. I had to keep the band in at all times, even when I was eating. I was given a small bag of rubber bands and was told to replace them if they broke. I sort of got into the habit of chewing on the rubber bands while they were in my mouth. This made them break more often. It got to the point that I was breaking one every hour. I had to start being more careful with them.
Almost two years to the day I had the braces put on, I got to have them removed. Two weeks later, I had to go back to get the retainers. He put a permanent one on my lower teeth and the removable one for the upper part of my mouth. I had trouble removing the upper retainer on my first day. I coughed up some phlegm and it got stuck between the retainer and the roof of my mouth. Once I actually got the retainer out for lunch, it was permanently stained with the phlegm. I could not remove that stain no matter how much I brushed the retainer.
I continued to wear the retainers through high school and I never lost the upper one. I made certain to wear it every day and my teeth stayed straight. I only had to see the orthodontist about once every three months at this point. I basically came in, sat down, he'd look in my mouth, say everything looked good and told me to come back in three months. During my senior year, he told me that my next appointment would be the last one I would have with him.
I assume that he was going to remove the bottom retainer at that last appointment, but I didn't go for some reason. I think it had to do with me forgetting what date the appointment was and his office never called to confirm it. I stopped wearing the upper retainer less and less, but kept the bottom retainer in.
That bottom retainer would stay in my mouth until I was 36 years old. Because I didn't have dental insurance, I didn't go see a dentist for more than 13 years, even though I could see and feel the wisdom teeth on the right side of my mouth decaying away. The dentist who cleaned my teeth said they would need to remove my bottom retainer so they could clean my teeth better. They would also have to create a new Invisalign retainer so I could keep my bottom teeth straight. I said I didn't think I needed a bottom retainer because I was pretty certain everything was going to stay in place. They said they could do it, but it would cost $150. I told them I didn't want them to do it.
I had planned a vacation home to New Mexico. I decided to look up my old orthodontist. I found out he had retired and someone else had taken over his practice. I was able to see that orthodontist and he said he could remove the retainer and make the Invisalign for $70. When I told him the retainer had been in my mouth for 22 years, I'm pretty certain his assistant was thinking, "Wow! That's longer than I've been alive!" I wore the Invisalign retainer for a few weeks, but I got fed up with it and stopped using it. Nothing ever happened to my bottom teeth.
An amusing follow up to this story is that about 15 years after I graduated from high school, Mom decided she wanted to get her teeth straightened and she went to see the same orthodontist Loyd and I did. She chose to get the regular braces and not the Invisalign. She soon found out what it was that me and my brother went through. She said, "I was not sympathetic enough with you boys. I had no idea it was this painful."
I never thought my teeth were that incredibly crooked, but I guess my Mom thought so, and she took me to see an orthodontist. At this time, in 1977, there was only one orthodontist in our region of the state. His regular practice was in Roswell. What he would do was work four days a week there and then spend one Friday a month in the surrounding towns. This meant that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN ARTESIA WHO HAD BRACES ALL HAD TO COME SEE THE ORTHODONTIST ON THE SAME DAY!
He probably saw between eight to ten people an hour. Most of the time, the patients just needed a quick adjustment. If I was able to get in at 8am, I could make it to school on time. But I rarely got that slot, so I would be late for my first class at least once a month.
When my Mom took me to see him for the consult, he said I would need to wear braces for two years. He also said that at some point, I would have to wear a night brace for a while. The cost was estimated at $2,000. This was back before dental insurance would cover braces. In fact, dental insurance started paying for braces about one year after I had mine removed.
Before I got the braces put on, I had to have four teeth extracted. I went to two separate appointments at my regular dentist. The first time, I kept my eyes closed the whole time. I could feel the dentist doing a lot of pushing and pulling in my mouth. The next week, I opened my eyes once. Big mistake. I could see the dentist was using what appeared to be a pair of pliers to remove my teeth. That freaked me out.
To have the braces put in, I had to go to Roswell and miss some classes. They didn't feel too bad. In the gaps where my extracted teeth used to be, there were these little springs.
The first few monthly appointments were fairly smooth. I would just go in and he would adjust the springs. However, after he removed the springs, the real torture began. Every month, he would tighten the wires strung through all the braces and my mouth would be in severe pain the entire weekend. I would not be able to eat anything solid. Mom got mad at me because all I wanted were milkshakes. After the weekend, everything felt normal again and I could eat regularly.
I never did have to wear the night brace. However, I did have to wear a rubber band that connected the top and bottom teeth of my left side for a couple of months. I had to keep the band in at all times, even when I was eating. I was given a small bag of rubber bands and was told to replace them if they broke. I sort of got into the habit of chewing on the rubber bands while they were in my mouth. This made them break more often. It got to the point that I was breaking one every hour. I had to start being more careful with them.
Almost two years to the day I had the braces put on, I got to have them removed. Two weeks later, I had to go back to get the retainers. He put a permanent one on my lower teeth and the removable one for the upper part of my mouth. I had trouble removing the upper retainer on my first day. I coughed up some phlegm and it got stuck between the retainer and the roof of my mouth. Once I actually got the retainer out for lunch, it was permanently stained with the phlegm. I could not remove that stain no matter how much I brushed the retainer.
I continued to wear the retainers through high school and I never lost the upper one. I made certain to wear it every day and my teeth stayed straight. I only had to see the orthodontist about once every three months at this point. I basically came in, sat down, he'd look in my mouth, say everything looked good and told me to come back in three months. During my senior year, he told me that my next appointment would be the last one I would have with him.
I assume that he was going to remove the bottom retainer at that last appointment, but I didn't go for some reason. I think it had to do with me forgetting what date the appointment was and his office never called to confirm it. I stopped wearing the upper retainer less and less, but kept the bottom retainer in.
That bottom retainer would stay in my mouth until I was 36 years old. Because I didn't have dental insurance, I didn't go see a dentist for more than 13 years, even though I could see and feel the wisdom teeth on the right side of my mouth decaying away. The dentist who cleaned my teeth said they would need to remove my bottom retainer so they could clean my teeth better. They would also have to create a new Invisalign retainer so I could keep my bottom teeth straight. I said I didn't think I needed a bottom retainer because I was pretty certain everything was going to stay in place. They said they could do it, but it would cost $150. I told them I didn't want them to do it.
I had planned a vacation home to New Mexico. I decided to look up my old orthodontist. I found out he had retired and someone else had taken over his practice. I was able to see that orthodontist and he said he could remove the retainer and make the Invisalign for $70. When I told him the retainer had been in my mouth for 22 years, I'm pretty certain his assistant was thinking, "Wow! That's longer than I've been alive!" I wore the Invisalign retainer for a few weeks, but I got fed up with it and stopped using it. Nothing ever happened to my bottom teeth.
An amusing follow up to this story is that about 15 years after I graduated from high school, Mom decided she wanted to get her teeth straightened and she went to see the same orthodontist Loyd and I did. She chose to get the regular braces and not the Invisalign. She soon found out what it was that me and my brother went through. She said, "I was not sympathetic enough with you boys. I had no idea it was this painful."
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