Chipmunk Cheeks and Striped Feet

Today is being spent on the couch, icepacks in hand, as I recover from yesterday's dental surgery, when I had four teeth pulled and posts put in for future implants. It was quite an ordeal, and I'm wiped out and spacey today. Fortunately it doesn't hurt that much now. Last night I took some Tylenol with codeine, which I'd never done before, and that did the trick but so far I haven't needed any more today. So it's protein-rich liquids for me for a couple of days, and then a gradual return to more normal foods.

If you can have an Achilles heel (funny - I mistyped that "hell") in your mouth, I certainly do: my teeth, well, the upper ones at least, have been the bane of my adult existence, despite every effort I could put into taking care of them. I'm grateful I have the money to have good care and some more permanent solutions in sight.

I worked hard last week and over the weekend to clear some time so I could take it easy for a few days; today that means doing some knitting. These socks, made of alpaca and merino, are fairly heavy and I've been wearing them as boot socks or in the house instead of slippers; I really like the colors and they get smiles from people like yesterday's dental assistant. On my needles is the second of a pair of jaywalker socks, knit in the much-finer Regia self-striping yarn in one of the new Kaffe Fassett colorways, called "twilight" but I think of it as "coleus:"

Comments

[marja-leena]

Gorgeous knitting! Sounds like you are well prepared to enjoy the enforced rest. Wishing you a quick recovery.

[margaret]

Glad you're taking it easy after your ordeal. Happy knitting!

[Kaycie]

I had a friend have similar surgery; girl, you must be tough. That is painful stuff. Hope you are healing well and feeling better.

[Jean]

What fabulous socks. Glad you have something so lovely to play with while you are recuperating. Please rest and let yourself heal. xxx

[dale]

Thinking of you, dear Beth --

[Chris Clarke]

Ow! Rest well, and make J do the food chewing for you.

[Bitterroot]

Here's to a swift recovery for you, Beth.

[pohanginapete]

Ah, Beth, ouch. Glad you're over the worst of it. I like the socks; I have a pair of thick, hand-knitted, stripy socks I bought in Pokhara. Different colours, less vivid, but I too wear them as house (or Ruahine hut) slippers, and they get similar responses to yours.

[Szerelem]

Dental troubles are just *awful*. Hope you recover soon! I had trouble with two wisdom teeth almost all of last year and not enough money to get them fixed till I went home in December. Hopefully, I won't need to visit a doctor in a while now. *Fingers Crossed*

Also, the socks are beyond adorable!

[Lucy]

Lovely knitting, the cure for all ills! Feel better soon.

[rr]

Superb socks! I had to look up coleus but having done so can't think of a better description. You are, and shall be, flora footed. I need to make some boot socks - that looks like a fine pattern...

Who needs food when there's knitting! (Ok, ok)

[beth]

You are all so wonderful, and each so much yourself! Each comment has made me feel better. I'm a lot better today though my face is really swollen, in spite of the ice. And I'm up, dressed, and ready to do some actual work after a "real" breakfast: decaf coffee, a scrambled egg with chevre, and a nice bowl of cream of rice with milk and a little maple syrup. Life isn't that bad this morning - just don't make me laugh, please!

[language hat]

Good lord, an ordeal indeed. Glad you're feeling better. (Hmm, should really get around to getting my teeth checked...)

[Jean]

Look, don't work too hard, OK? Your body needs to pour its energy to healing, which it won't if you get too busy-busy :-)

[mb]

Speedy healing to you, Beth!

[elizabeth]

Oh Beth, how funny. Here I sit in Brooklyn with an aching mouth: yesterday marked the beginning of my second round of orthodontics & oral surgery to fix persistent jaw/teeth issues. We share not only a name but a dental achilles heel, it seems.

I am finding yogurt smoothies and vicodin helpful, at present. I also recommend rice-with-dal. Here's wishing us both a speedy recovery. And what lovely yarn!

[Theriomorph]

Oh, feel better, Beth. Huge empathy from one who had her wisdom teeth dug out of her jawbones and sinuses with only Novocaine, then found the Greek taxis on strike and had to hemorrhage into a towel all the way up the mountain on an extremely bouncy bus (and has remained a bit jumpy about these things ever since). Instant-breakfast/'meal replacement' shakes are good, too, or protein shakes with banana and yogurt if that's not too grainy. Ugh. Hope you're healed up soon! Fun socks have extraordinary comforting power, it's true.

[Natalie]

As long as it's not chipmunk feet and striped cheeks (:
Tea and lots of sympathy, Beth, the jolly socks are a great remedy too. Maybe they could be issued to all dental patients in a goody bag along with the codeine and Tylenol? I too have been in Achilles hell and anything to be free of it is good.