Braceless!!!

Yesterday was the day.  The day that William has been waiting to arrive for two years.  The day to get his braces off.  He came into my room first thing just overjoyed and hugging me saying I just cant believe it.  Today’s the day!  All day long he kept asking what time we were going to leave and saying how slowly the day was going by.  He hugged me twice as much as he usually does.  And that’s a lot of hugs. :)

He has done very well with having braces.  Way better than I had thought he would do.  I am so pleased with him.  He has autism and things that bother you and I a little, usually are things that irritate him a whole lot.  So he has felt a bit tortured for two whole years having them in his mouth.  From the adjustments, to wearing bands for a while, to having parts poking him at times to not being able to eat some of the foods he likes.  It was just a lot for him tolerate and still function.  As many of you know who have children with autism, if something is bugging them they usually can’t function, act out or shut down.  This was really kind of good for him.  Not just for straightening out his very crooked teeth and pallet, but to just learn to tolerate something you don’t like and keeping going. 

When Zeke (who also has autism) is forced to wear his clothing right side out, he itches and fidgets and can't concentrate to get anything done.  The tags and seams and textures bother him that badly.  It puts him in a very bad mood he can't shake.  That is why in most of our casual pictures that I post, if you look closely, you will see Zeke's shirt inside out and often backwards and he is in pajama bottoms inside out.  As pants are to binding.  If we are going to town he knows he has to get dressed into town clothes.  But at home.  We are still working on it. If I make him wear his shirt the right way, this is what he looks like.

Of course this is before he has gotten very far on his cup of coffee.  :)  That's my little man, crabby but cute!

The orthodontist that we use,  we just love him and all his staff.  They are very good with the kids.  We first used them for my oldest son, Stephen and were so impressed, we used them for William as well.  Elizabeth needs braces and her insurance won’t pay.  The insurance says it is cosmetic.  (when she was a baby her whole skull was collapsing for goodness sake, she had to wear a helmet to reshape her head and a collar to keep her neck straight. Don’t tell me the mess in there is cosmetic!)   Anyways we love them, at Dr. E’s office so much that we are going to pay cash on a plan to make sure Elizabeth gets what she needs to have done and by this very tender loving group of people.

When William first started having orthodontia troubles it was several years before he got braces.  He had to be fitted to wear a retainer but back then was still having oral/food aversion issues.  Certain textures and kinds of foods made him….well…there is no way to nicely say it….but get sick.  Throw up.  A lot of things made him go into gagging fits and he had only a few foods he would eat without a huge gagging ordeal.  If he had to hold something in his mouth he would also gag. (like a toothbrush for to long or a Popsicle stick or tongue compressor)  So having to hold an oral tray in his mouth full of goo for even a minute, to get impressions to make his retainer was a nightmare.  I remember borrowing the oral trays from the orthodontist office and taking them to his occupational therapist.  Every week we would work on putting oatmeal and different textures of gooey foods in those trays and having him hold them in his month for a few seconds.  And then trying to lengthen the timing to what would be required at the orthodontist office without him going into gagging fits.  He finally was able to do it and has been able to let them take x-rays and impressions and make molds without any trouble.  He says he still has to fight the feeling but does well and the place we go to is very patient with him. 

So imagine how sitting there with his mouth held open for so long as they put the braces on, instruments and tools and fingers in his mouth and for every adjustment.  Well, I am just so pleased with him.  He truly has been such a trooper thru the whole two years of it all. 

He was so happy today.  It was a very joyous day for him.  I took him to get a milkshake on the way home in celebration. He is picking our foods for movie night this Friday.  Planning the menu you might say.  He said every crunchy kind of food that he was not allowed to eat these two years, for fear of breaking his braces, is what they are having!

You did great William!  We are so pleased with you!  Congratulations!

Now we get a break for a month before Elizabeth gets hers put on in JUNE!

Colossians 1:11-12  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Blessings, 

susan