Adjusting

I still have not been able to eat solid foods.  I tried to eat french fries yesterday.  It hurt too much.  Then I tried a soggy salad.  Nope, couldn't chew at all due to the fact that my bite no longer closes.  However, I did try a Cashew Tomato Soup which was tasty.  I'm branching out on recipes for soups. I even made up a few.  I am sure my soup repertoire will be amazing by the time my braces are off.

Having braces has slowed me down in the morning too.  I've had to adjust my schedule in order to allow for slower eating time and prolonged cleaning of braces.  I go to bed a half hour earlier and get up a half hour earlier.  Not something I had even thought would have to be changed once I got my braces.

I also figured out how to apply wax more easily too.  My jaw has been clenching while I sleep, causing neck and shoulder pain.  I've been applying lavender filled pillows that I heat up in the microwave on my shoulders to ease the soreness.  I find that if I put a piece of wax under the pillow between my shoulder and the pillow, it softens up a bit and I don't have to press it so hard onto my molars.

Still trying not to smile or laugh too much in front of people, still feeling like my braces are all people see, even though I know it's not the case.  Have to get over the self consciousness.

Finally my last triumph has got to be flossing.  I couldn't figure it out for a week.  Gross, I know.  I finally figured out how to do it carefully, plus my teeth are loose enough now that I can fit the floss in where I couldn't before.  Having braces sure has made a bigger impact in my life than I thought it would.