The Mashed Potato Debacle

Okay so I was feeling really hopeful and adventurous after my experiment with M&Ms today, so when my glorious mother took me out tonight to get school supplies I suggested we go out for dinner and I would just order mashed potatoes and see how it went. The worst that could happen is that I couldn't eat it right? I was hoping that wouldn't be the case but alas no such luck. I figured out that I can't fit the spoon with the food on it in my mouth without getting it all up in my braces and to avoid that I have to use the opposite end of the spoon and kinda scrape it off with my teeth but even that proved to be difficult. I am pretty confident that I will be able to experiment with it and hopefully nail down eating with a spoon before I go back to school.

Its weird not knowing where your teeth are, like they aren't where I expect them to be, its almost like my top bite is wider than my bottom and so I'm not used to my teeth fitting together like that and I can't quite get the spoon to work.

I also tried a couple french fries, which were easier to get in my mouth but chewing is definitely difficult. I tried just mushing them against the roof of my mouth but they were too well done and I couldn't get it.

I should just put it out there that the doctor hasn't told me explicitly that I can have soft foods yet, but she did tell me that the soft diet was "as tolerated" so I took that to mean that if I feel ready to try it I will and if it doesn't work at least I can still blend stuff. Ugh. I am still waiting to hear if I can take the bands off or at least partly off, to eat which should make eating off a spoon a lot easier.

The most awkward part of the eating out experience was ordering though, people tend to look at you funny when you order just mashed potatoes for dinner, so it required a full explanation and luckily my mom was there to give that explanation because I am still really self conscious of talking. I am told that I am fairly intelligible just a bit muffled. Which makes sense since my voice has to make it past the swollen mountains that are my cheeks and the limited space between my teeth.

One small victory I had was with the drink I ordered. I forgot to bring a hard plastic straw with me so I had to use the one provided at the restaurant and I was able to use it with little to no problems so thats good, I might have to bring my own baby silverware everywhere for the next few weeks but at least I don't have to bring my own straws!