radiopeter

My cable television connection hasn’t seen HBO since Big Love left the air. January 18th it returns to the small screen (or the 56″ screen in my living room), but I’m not sure if I want to pay for HBO just to watch it. The internet is a wonderful thing, and I’m certain there will be episodes flying around.

Living without HBO has been fine. But I missed the beginning of a series called True Blood that was getting some pretty high praise in certain circles. My friend Troy recommended it for me, along with a couple other internet bloggers I regularly read. So I set my sights on finding the episodes. Thankfully I was able to get a hold of all twelve and watch them from start to finish.

If you know Six Feet Under or American Beauty, you know Alan Ball, writer of both. The magic in his writing is the believable reality of his characters against the surreality of their settings. Six Feet Under was entertaining because I enjoyed the characters AND wanted to see what was going to happen next in their world. It’s a kind of approachable television that looks familiar until it blindsides you with something completely unexpected. The opening death sequences of Six Feet Under are a perfect example.

True Blood is set in the regular everyday world. Except vampires, now able to survive on a synthetic form of blood, are coming out into society and mixing with the living. I know what you are thinking. Vampires? Vampires are real? Someone is making another show about Vampires? I won’t mention that horrible, craptastic, turd-laden show that rhymed with Fluffy The Tramp Fire Player because that pile of skin boil exudate deserves to be forgotten. Permanently.

Yes, the True Blood world includes vampires, locally in Bon Temps, Louisiana and around the world. Portrayed in some classical ways as highly sexual creatures, malicious in groups, and lonely in their own ways. At some points, the main plotline that flows through the first twelve episodes mirrors the classic “beauty and the beast” story. What differs in this universe of the undead is some unique twists on vampire creation, the magic that they posses, and the powerful narcotic that is vampire blood.

Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) Series books, originally created the world we’re seeing in the series. Ball has adapted it to bring True Blood to life. I haven’t yet read the books (they are next in line after I finish my tour of some books of my childhood) but I’m looking forward to digging more into her world in print. On the screen, it’s mesmerizing.

The usual vampire issues are dealt with in inventive ways. Questions of sunlight, silver, crosses, and garlic are brought up as we (the audience) watch the vampires come into contact with the living and engage in daily life. The fly-on-the-wall view of this seemingly normal world on the surface was what kept me watching.

Ball’s writing (and hopefully Harris’) truly shines as his vampires, the current scourge of the nation, deal publicly with issues akin to racism, homophobia, segregation, and that old standby, miscegenation. Mock CNN pro- and anti-vampire talking heads dot the episodes. You can almost feel the subtle movements for and against them as the characters develop and unfold. In case you didn’t know, Ball is out and proud of being gay. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt the strong ties between the gay community and the vampires. I liked that.

The character work is awesome in the series. Anna Paquin, the young quiet storm who won an Oscar at age 11, now age 26, plays Sookie Stackhouse completely. Sookie is blessed (or cursed) with the ability to read the minds of people around her, and the acting required to pull off the visual and aural riffs on her ability is so on point, you completely believe it, and even look forward to how she peeks into other folks minds.

Bill Compton, the vampire we get to know best, played by English actor Stephen Moyer (whom I recognized from a Cadfael episode) plays his part of a Civil-War era southern genteel-turned-vampire with a cool hand. He’s lovable, handsome, smart as a whip, a perfect gentleman, and has the most engaging blue eyes of anyone in the series. I fell for his character when we first meet him and during one of the more romantic scenes, I was so caught up in watching him I almost burned dinner.

The other two notables in my book are Sookie’s brother Jason and her best friend Tara. Jason, a troubled but smoking-hot young man who enjoys the pleasures of the female flesh quite a bit, provides perhaps the most skin of the show. But flesh-fest aside, actor Ryan Kwanten has taken what could have been a joke of a character and given him so many levels of depth, it’s nearly impossible to dislike him, even as he learns to hate vampires. I thought, in a strange parallel, how much his character path reminded me of Wicked and the “origins of evil” theme.

Tara, played by Rutina Wesley, daughter of an alcoholic mother (a brilliant Adina Porter), battles nearly everything that comes near her. Angry black woman is where she starts, but after the first twelve episodes, she’s looking in more mirrors than ever before. It’s tough act to play, and at first she seemed to be very one note. But slowly the layers emerge and she comes into her own in the series.

I could keep writing about True Blood for another few pages. But if I did that I’d start to letting spoilers slip out left and right. Thus far I don’t think I’ve written anything that will spoil the series, but I do hope you dig around and watch the series because, as much success as Six Feet Under Had, True Blood has that same potential. I hope season two is just as engaging.

I received a comment on the δοντια μου (my teeth) post I did a couple days back from Jealene (Hi Jealene!) and I wanted to dish on living with Invisalign for over a year now.

It has been a long, and honestly fairly easy journey. But I learned a ton along the way. And while it’s not 100% done, I’ve certainly come to know a few tricks that I didn’t know before.

When I first began, I realized that I eat a lot. I eat all the time. Seriously. Like six or seven times a day, albeit small meals here and there, with the occasional large meal now and again. With all the in and outs of my trays, I didn’t want to have tons of food stuck in my teeth, only to rot while I was wearing my trays. You may squirm at hearing that, but imagine having yuck-mouth times ten, and that is what I got when I don’t brush and pop my trays back in right after eating.

SO, I went out and bought a handful of toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste and scattered them everywhere I was. What does that mean? One at each job (I had several jobs when I began), several at home (I’d be brushing my teeth six or seven times a day, so I’d rotate toothbrushes), and I went online and bought a DentaKit to carry with me in my backpack (which I normally have) everywhere I went. I ditched the extra tray holder included, because the foldable cup stored inside the kit can be the tray holder if you need it to. And stow a couple Advil / Tylenol / Alleve / whatever you like in the kit.

The DentaKit was the single most useful thing I bought and I still use it regularly, but I’ve swapped out the travel toothbrush with one I like more. It has a mirror (a godsend for a vain guy like me) and places for floss, a portable cup, a toothbrush, and a small tube of toothpaste. If I’d recommend one single thing for Invisalign wearers, it’s the DentaKit. The convenience of having everything in a handy kit that is smaller than a paperback book is worth the $30.

The other major thing I learned, aside from developing a love for mint-waxed floss, is that the “Retainer Brite” cleaning tablets are pretty much useless. Same with the Polident, Efferdent, etc. I tried them all and nothing works better than a .79 cent (or .59 cent) hard bristled tooth brush from the generic section of your favorite pharmacy/convenience store.

Each morning I pop out my trays, toss ‘em in a glass of water before my shower and scrub them with the hard toothbrush after I brush my teeth. Takes a couple extra minutes in the morning, but the stiffer bristles get all the gunk out of the nooks and crannies nicely. With or without the cleaning tablets, you still have to scrub to get them clean. I even bought a ’sonic cleaner’ (not an ultrasonic…do they make those for Invisalign?) and it did little good. The only thing I found the tablets did for my trays was make them taste a bit minty. Since I use mint mouthwash and mint floss, minty trays were a moot point.

Beyond that, I always kept a folded paper towel in a pocket somewhere in case I was out and wanted to eat something. Pop out the trays, wrap them in the paper towel, put ‘em in your pocket. That way you aren’t tempted to leave them on a table somewhere.

Thursdays are the days I change my trays. I started on a Thursday night and I still stick to a Thursday night schedule (I have a couple lowers left). Thursday mornings I’d put the new trays next to the sink so I wouldn’t forget to change them that night.

As far as pain goes, yeah, it hurts sometimes. Not necessarily a sharp stabbing pain, but it throbs a bit. The morning after some new trays my teeth are a bit sensitive, but it depends on which ones are moving. That is where the stowaway Advil etc. comes in handy in the DentaKit. Sometimes during the first day or so of new trays, my mouth would hurt. It wasn’t a regular thing, and usually one Advil took care of it. But better to be prepared.

When my front teeth were moving around, the first couple days after a new tray I couldn’t even think of apples or carrots. But by the end of the first week, I could return to chomping away on harder stuff with no problems.

Ok, that was a total brain dump on Invisalign stuff. Jealene, I hope that helps some!

(my teeth)

So. It’s been a long journey with Invisalign and loads of work on my mouth. Basically, my bonus last year bought me a new smile. My bottom teeth are still a work in progress, but yesterday I visited my orthodontist, Dr. Kathryn Delfs, and she swapped my two “pegged” incisors for two temporary ones that tell the tale of the forthcoming veneers.

I love my new smile.

Yes, yes, I am vain. So what. It’s my bliss, and I’ve been known on more than one occasion to extol the virtues of vanity. Why shouldn’t I care about my appearance? Appearance counts for a whole lot in this world, and there is absolutely no denying it.

I can hear the emo kids screaming now.

If appearance didn’t matter, we’d all have smaller eyes and huge noses. And then scent would matter (although scent does matter to me). Or else we’d have huge hands and little eyes and noses, and our sense of touch would be how we’d explore our world. But we are visual creatures, like so many in this animal kingdom we claim to be at the top of.

I digress. This post is about my vanity and my teeth. Which look fan-freakin’-tastic right now, and they aren’t even in their final stages. As seen below, I had a pretty rocky-road smile with these tiny little peg-like incisors (one of which chipped last week). But now, the new ones are filled in and they smooth out the incisor/canine relationship.

My goodness how scientific sounding. Innit? I chose to put these in b&w because the coloring is not quite right on them yet, and once the new ones are in I’ll amaze you with my new choppers in full glorious color. I may even do them in hi-rez just to gross you and the rest of the internets out.

Seriously, who needs hi-def pictures of fleshy gums, right?

Ok, ok, on to the photographs.

My old choppers (far left and right bumps are Invisalign buttons)

και τα νέα (and the new ones)

All thanks to my miracle worker Dr. Delfs. Should you happen to live in Chicago, and need a great Orthodontist, as well as a kick-ass dentists office, I can’t recommend University Associates in Dentistry (Dr. Marcus is my dentist, Johanna my hygienist) any higher. These folks are fun, professional, and a delight to visit.

Face it. Nobody loves going to the dentist. But I actually look forward to visiting UAD whenever I have an appointment.

My attachments are gone from my teeth!!! Thank GOD for that because I actually had my first meal without them. It didn’t really feel any different, but my resting bite feels a lot more natural.

This morning at my ortho’s, she removed all the attachments and took impressions of my bite again. My lower needs some more adjustment, so the molds will get sent to Invisalign for imaging a new set of trays. In a couple weeks that should be back and we get to watch the videos (again) of the movements. From there, the final trays will be ordered.

For now I only have to wear my trays at night. They are much looser than before because the attachments are gone. It’s a really strange sensation but I’m glad to be free of them.

I think I’ll buy a pack of gum. I haven’t chewed gum since before Thanksgiving…

Meo giving himself a bath on my lap. Click for more of my cats.

Visited my orthodontist this morning for a bit more filing and received the final three trays for my upper teeth. In six weeks my smile will be all set to shed the four little buttons on my uppers and shine for the world. The doctor said she’d remove the buttons at my next visit. I’ll still have to wear the upper trays, but my smile will be where I want it to be. However, I won’t be done with the bottom teeth until July 12th, but I’ll have my upper smile back in action.

New Invisalign trays last night. I got in bed early because I didn’t sleep enough Wednesday night, new trays in place. Advil was my friend as I slept, but waking up this morning it felt like someone was trying to shove my front teeth up into my nose.

Isn’t that a pretty picture?

These are my 8th set of trays, past the halfway point on my uppers, but not on the lower teeth. I think this is the point where my upper teeth are starting to come into a straight line because looking at trays 7, 8, and 9, that seems to be what is happening. Somehow, turning movement or sideways movement doesn’t hurt nearly as much as pushing or pulling the teeth up and down.

I broke down and had an Advil for breakfast. Yum.

Pardon the poor quality of the first, it was taken with my RAZR. The second one was with my D70. You can see in these two photos how much my teeth have moved in just six trays, which translates to 12 weeks. The top teeth are much more in line, and the bottom major offending tooth is starting to line up with the others. Over the course of the next couple months, the bottom teeth will move down and into line and the top teeth will form a nearly perfect arc.

My top teeth are half-done for my Invisalign treatment. There was a bit of concern on my part about one of my incisors not fitting in the tray properly, but my ortho decided the tooth needed to be shaved a bit more and it should fall into line. Nothing major, but more of that eerie grinding noise in my head.

After these next three trays, my bottom teeth will be nearly half done. My top teeth are already 50% of the way to being completed (on tray 6 of 12) but I have 19 on the bottom, so still a ways to go there.

Now I can see movement. Even looking at the pictures I initially took, I can see a definite change. I can’t take a snapshot right now, but I will try to get one in this evening to show you the difference. It’s pretty damn amazing.

So a note to all of you interested in Invisalign. Do NOT skip the essential step of taking something for the pain BEFORE you put a new set of trays in at bedtime.

I woke up this morning with a symphony of hell in my mouth. My alarm rang and the first thing I noticed was how much my teeth hurt. The evening before, I decided not to take advil before I put in my new trays as a test.

So after eating a quick bit of leftovers last night, I popped my new trays in, turned down the heat, and curled up under the blankets with the cats. My teeth were aching a bit, but nothing tremendous. Until this morning.

Ouch I say. Ouch.

I saw a Frontline (or maybe it was POV or Independent Lens) once about the science of surgery and the whole scheme by insurance companies to get you out of the hospital as quickly as possible after you’ve been cut open. Researchers found that pain management for large incisions can be managed more effectively if you use anesthetic injections on the incision, even while the patient is already asleep.

The theory was, in brief, if you never inflicted pain on the pain receptors because you numbed them before you cut, as the incision site healed, the pain receptors would report less pain than if you just knocked the patient out and cut them open. It has something to do with how cellular trauma opens more pain channels, or makes the pain receptors more likely to fire after they’ve been traumatized. Really fascinating stuff (yes, I’m a total geek).

Current procedures, or at least when I saw the documentary (which was a few years ago), usually involved putting the patient to sleep, but didn’t take the added step of using local anesthetics at the incision site. According to the insurance companies, who pay for it all, why use a local when the patient isn’t going to feel it anyway?

The researchers indeed found that local anesthetics did help, and thus the patients recovered faster, using far less pain medication and experiencing quicker incision healing times.

I suppose that was a long way of explaining why, before you put your trays in, you should take something for the pain. It seems to me, by the same theory as the incision example I mentioned, if the pain receptors in your gums are less stressed while the initial movements are happening during that first night of a new tray, by the time the medication wears off, they won’t hurt as much.

I seem to have proved it with my mouth.

Truth be told, it isn’t THAT painful. It’s more of an ache. But for the next set of trays (set five) I move to, I will take something before bed. For set six, I think I’ll repeat the experiment to see what happens.

Well, it’s been six weeks since I started dating Invisalign. The relationship has been a bit rocky, but it’s going well thus far.

Wait, what am I saying? We’re not dating. We’re in a *shudder* committed relationship!

Jokes aside, it really is going on well with no apparent problems. I’m getting used to the routines associated with wearing them and I’m snacking WAY less than I normally would. So it isn’t bad at all.

I visited my ortho this morning to monitor my progress and get my next three sets of trays. All was good, and she ground away some more of my teeth, which is painless but sounds (at least in my head) like I’m chomping a bowl full of Cap’n'Crunch cereal before the milk has had a chance to make it soggy.

Not that I’m a cereal eater. I enjoy the occasional bowl of Cheerios, but cereal isn’t my thing.

Anyway, I left in a state of bliss because she gave me some bleach for my teefs. Let the whitening begin!

My typical morning routine has shifted slightly with Invisalign.

1. Alarm rings.
2. Hop out of bed and trudge to the bathroom.
3. Fumble with the gigantic bag of retainer brite tabs and drop one in a warm glass of water.
4. Snick, click, pop, off come both retainers and into the fizzy blue water.
5. THEN the normal routine begins.
6. After showering etc, I brush the retainers and then brush & floss my teeth.
7. And finally, I pop them both back in and get my day started.

Not to mention, drinking tea has become increasingly difficult. I have to pop the trays out, tuck them into their blue clamshell case, have my tea, brush and rinse, and pop them back in.

Oh, and I’m back on food again. Finished the fast over the weekend and started eating. My stomach is totally smaller, so I’m full really fast. Not a bad thing, but I’m sure over time it’ll stretch out again.

It was far easier to fast this time than ever before.