Here's an example of one....
And it will be causing me heartache and pain as well because every night for the next 4 months I will be inserting that blue tool into a tiny little hole in the expander and cranking it one notch.
And poor Peter. The expander makes it difficult to eat and to talk. Food gets caught underneath it and around it and his tongue doesn't know what to do with it's self because that thing is in the way.
My plan was to take him for lunch and then back to school so he could at least make it back to math class where they were finishing up a math test. However, all plans for heading back to school were derailed when he could barely eat.
The nurse said it would take several days to get used to eating with the expander and she was right. We stopped at Bojangles which is one of Peter's favorite fast food restaurants. He was only able to eat the mashed potatoes because he didn't have to chew them and they didn't get stuck on the expander. The chicken, the mac and cheese and the biscuit were giving him problems. So, it took an hour for him to eat some mashed potatoes and to chew some tiny bits of everything else and he was so upset and frustrated that I didn't even bother taking him back to school. I took him for a milk shake because he was still hungry and then back home.
He had basketball practice last night and was able to get down some oatmeal before that and Dan took him for another milk shake on the way home for practice because once again he was starving.
He ate oatmeal this morning for breakfast and I sent him to school this morning with a big thermos full of mashed potatoes and some bananas which I hope he is able to eat.
His lower lip had quite a few sores on it where the braces had rubbed against it over night so I showed him how to put some wax on the braces. I'm hoping that being at school will keep his mind off his teeth and that he really is able to get used to eating with the expander over the next couple of days.
As we were sitting at lunch yesterday, he was Googling "how to eat with an expander" and was only more frustrated when all the search results basically said the same thing - "You'll get used to it and it will be no problem."
Yesterday, I opened up the back door and literally jumped back when I saw the patio. I guess I had forgotten that it was fire engine red and it was such a shock to see it again.
And just so you don't think I'm exaggerating, here's a shot of it glowing fiery red in the afternoon sun.
See, how this red is not the color of bricks at all? I told Dan we needed to go with a terra cota and hope for the best so this morning I'm headed to Sherwin Williams to pick up a million paint swatches in more earth tones. Wish me luck, my friends. I'm going to need it!
7 comments:
I had an expander as a kid and I have to be totally unhelpful and echo what you've read - he'll get used to it really quickly!!
Same as Rosie, I also had one. He will get there I promise! In the meantime, green smoothies with protein powder might help with his appetite. It's the worst right away. And the day after he will get new wires he will be sore again, but this is the lowest point really! I hope you find a color you like, and not just because it's better than the red.
Wow the patio is shocking. ( my grandma has her entire wood deck painted that color ) I'm used to it now, but it is a shocker in the beginning.
Smoothies for Peter -- Pack lots of stuff in them, I work with someone who is going thru that, and is on the exact same diet, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, and avocado. Then she started on smoothies. Then eventually small bites of normal food.
After enduring 4 years of orthodontic hell as a teenager, I have determined that I will never do that to one of my children unless they request it for themselves and understand that there will be considerable pain, and then I'd choose the most minimal treatment. It's just not worth it. Unless you have terrible TMJ pain-and I didn't, at least not until I had braces and a palatial expander and rubber bands. Over ten years since I got them off, and I still have jaw pain and issues that I never had pre-braces.
I am not saying I think you are a bad parent or have done something bad for your boy. I know it was done in love and concern. The orthodontist is concerned, too-for his income to stay nice and high.
Poor Peter that sounds awful, and not nice for you either.
Good luck on the paint color!
We just painted our door red. The first time it was a fire engine red that burned out your retinas - probably the exact color of your patio! We repainted in "colony red" though (which almost looked too brown on the swatch) and it was just perfect. Should have listened to the guy at the paint store the first time, because that's what he advised me to do!
I read you blog, but this is my first time commenting. Two of my children havevhad expanders,but not with braces. I initially fed them soup,yogurt,and applesauce until they got used to it. I also gave them ibuprofen for pain. My oldest son has braces now and he usually uses ibuprofen for a day after he gets an adjustment and I make sure to have food around that doesn't require chewing. I can totally relate to the pain as a mom having to prime the expander. God bless and may he feel better soon!
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