Dealing with college – and braces

So yesterday I had the pleasure of driving back up to Stockton to have my braces adjusted for the first time. I got a lovely, new thick wire and some slight discomfort today. And bright pink and orange rubber bands. Yey. They managed to pull a bracket off in the wire exchanging, but it was quickly replaced. Dr. Wheeler was impressed with how much my top teeth have moved – they’re almost completely straight. My bottom teeth, however, are a completely different story.

However, I did get a Congo Lime smoothie at the Stockton Juice It Up!, making the entire trip to Stockton worthwhile, in my opinion (the Merced Juice It Up! disappeared years ago, only after making me fall helplessly in love with Congo Lime smoothies).

But then there’s the college side of things, which somehow has not managed to be forgotten in this extended relief from learning of mine. I attended a conference in San Diego last week – NACURH, to be exact – that dealt with resident life, specifically RHA and my involvement therein. It was probably the best two and half days of my life, for several reasons. I am so enthused and excited for both RHA and Honors Peers next year… I feel like I’m bubbling forth with energy and ideas and that this summer business is killing my res life groove. There are others reasons, too, but they shall be reserved for the moment as I do hate to get ahead of myself.

I also spent several days with my best friend who is starting to get in deep with the college hunt. She’ll be a senior and while it kills me that she wants to get far away from Merced, I know it’s what’s right for her. I know that I belong close to home: I live and thrive off the dual lives I lead. But she needs to escape the Central Valley, maybe even California entirely. Sadly.

Here are some pictures!

Yours bound by brackets

I just returned from the oral surgeon and boy, fun times. I had them save my teeth for me – pictures will come when I feel up to taking pictures. Even seven hours later, my whole mouth is still ridiculously numb, although when I had my wisdom teeth pulled last summer it took all day for the local anesthetic to wear off. I also feel like I had did a five hour work out today, even though I skipped my work out (I feel guilty!!)… must be my body reacting to the shock of the anesthesia.

This surgeon was a little different, starting from when I first arrived. They applied skin numbing cream (which had not been done with my wisdom teeth) to the areas where I would have needles inserted. It was unnecessary, as I have no problem with needles, but they really go for the no-pain-at-all approach. Then, they hooked me up to a heart monitor, a blood pressure monitor, and a couple other things I didn’t even recognize. It was serious business, apparently, although I felt it was all quite laughable.

Then, they gave me laughing gas! Again, a first, as gas was not administered to me last year. At first, as I inhaled the gas, I could feel the numbness rushing through my body and I kept thinking “Alright mind, go with it or you’re going to be stuck like Hayden Christianson in Awake.” It was a strange feeling to be open my eyes but not move a single part of my body. I thought I felt the needle go in my arm and began to panic when I didn’t go out. But then I felt the needle for real and, before the surgeon could even ask me to count down from 10, I was out.

Overall, it was a good experience although I’m still bleeding and in quite a bit of pain. Yay Vicodin. My teeth certainly look cool… they’re huge! And I got new bands for my braces – bright blue and pink for summer.

Yours bound by brackets

The first time I ever went to the dentist, I was told I had one extra tooth than normal people. In addition, I was born with naturally crumbly teeth, at no fault of my own. This meant that from age 3 – 11 or so I went to the dentist every 6 months, had several shots to my gums and had my teeth somewhat rebuilt. Then my adult teeth came in and – thankfully – there was the right amount of them and they were made normally.

I was happy. No more gum shots (Although they didn’t bother me anymore – I was adept at employing the “football player” technique of going “ARRRRRRRRGH” every time I had a needle shoved in my mouth)! Then I turned 12 and my dentist said “Woah. You need braces.” And my parents said, “We can’t afford them.”

Then, by the time I had finally convinced my grandparents to loan me braces money, my teeth had become so crowded that the only remaining option became pulling teeth. Four of them.

So this brings me to the present day, where within 48 hours I await the extraction of my four canine teeth. It’s not a big deal, I’ve already had my wisdom teeth out, but it is step #2 in the process (Step #1 being the first placement of braces about a month ago).

This extraction does mean a trip to the lovely city of Stockton (I’ll also be there on Tuesday – I can’t escape!) and two visits to my ortho in addition to a visit to the maxillofacial surgeon who creeps me out ever so slightly.

Now, enough about my teeth! Time for the college part of this blog.

I never thought it would happen, but I’m kind of missing the excitement of university living. I love the peace and quiet I get here, and maybe I’ll be more enthused about summer once mine picks up (dance recital, leadership conference and beach house trip are all coming up…), but I think most of all I miss my second world.

You see, I have two worlds. I have school and I have home. The drive to and from Stockton serves as a sort of time warp – when I enter and exit each respective world I put the other out of my mind. And I like that. I like having two separate worlds to live in. Even two separate people, if you will. At college, no one knows about my past – just the person I’ve been for the past year. At home, people love me for who I’ve always been. It’s nice to be able to bounce back and forth. There’s no overlap (except Allen Huddleston, but we aren’t really close) and it’s great. I miss that second world of mine. Now I feel trapped, stuck in the one-dimensional world I live here. Like playing the same level of Mario again and again… no warp zone to World 8 to escape to. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE my friends and family here… it’s just a little boring after being about to lead two different lives for the past year. Leading one life is lame; it’s like I lost my superhero powers or the entrance to Narnia.

Stockton is my Narnia. Never though I would say that.

- Yours bound by brackets

Why am I writing a blog? You may say, “Jillian. You have already had 3 failed blog attempts. Give it a rest.” But I suppose I don’t always learn from my mistakes… or perhaps I just have an illogical belief that trying a new blog may actually stick. You never know, it is summer, after all, and I have very little to fill my lonely days. That sounds like the hook from a bad 80′s romantic ballad.

Never mind.

I do miss writing and I do have lots to say about the new metal fixtures in my mouth (two weeks!) and the university I attend nine months out of the year. I have a feeling this blog will be the outlet for both my rants and praises. We shall see.

Until then,

Yours bound by metal brackets