Tonsil Check

Our 16-year-old daughter, Shelby, had her tonsils out yesterday. She has had chronic tonsillitis for the past year. She has missed school on many occasions due to strep throat. Earlier this week, she woke us up crying and in severe pain. Her throat looked worse than it ever has. She had a fever and was vomiting. Her tonsils were extremely enlarged and actually bleeding. Even though a strep test came back negative, the ear, nose and throat specialist recommended a strong course of antibiotics and a tonsillectomy. Luckily, we were able to get the surgery scheduled quickly and on her road to recovery.

Many times I see patients with large, cryptic tonsils and ask them about their strep/tonsillitis history. Often, they have had problems similar to Shelby’s, and I recommend they consult with an ENT. I had my tonsils out at age 26. It was a miserable two weeks, but I have not had a sore throat since. Certainly, not every patient with large tonsils needs them removed, but when chronic infection recurs, there is a need to intervene. Patients can also have problems with snoring, sleep apnea and oral malodor due to enlarged, debris-filled tonsils.

I know we have a tough week ahead of us, but Shelby will be a much healthier and happier teenager.

Welcome to my life.
Lisa

Awards and friends of distinction

In a few weeks, Chad and I will be going to Chicago. I recently found out that I am one of the recipients of the Sunstar/Butler Awards of Distinction. Donna Grzegorek, one of last year’s recipients, has been a great mentor and role model for me. She was one of the five finalists in Beverly Hills at the very first BreathRx Hygienist of the Year event. We became fast friends and I am very proud of her accomplishments. Donna also was one of the recipients of the Hygiene Hero Award at the ADHA annual session in Albuquerque.

I look forward to seeing her again and am honored to be in the company of such a phenomenal person. I have never been to an UOR (Under One Roof) event and Chad has never been to any dental meeting. He is in for an eye opener. I have been told to prepare myself for a whirlwind week in the windy city. Chicago, here we come.

Welcome to my life.
Lisa

Happy 4th of July!

What a wonderful weekend. I love the 4th of July. We went to our best friend’s house for a barbeque and pool party. Tom and Cami really know how to entertain! They have a wonderfully groomed yard and a large deck for outdoor dining. Their pool is above ground and has a wooden deck surrounding it. I’ve never been very good at volleyball and usually shy away from playing. I really don’t want to take a chance of breaking a finger. However, pool volleyball is another story. I actually am able to jump, spike and score. We played until sun down. Next were the fireworks and our local radio station plays patriotic music that coincides with the air show. I always get goose bumps hearing songs like God Bless America and God Bless the USA. We are so lucky to live with the freedoms we have.

Welcome to my life.
Lisa

Birthday reflections on ADHA

It’s my birthday, and I can smile if I want to! I am so exhausted, I can hardly eat cake.

This past week was such a fantastic experience. I have never been surrounded by so many outstanding, accomplished hygienists in my life. ADHA has so much to be proud of. This was the single most-attended ADHA annual session and I am so lucky to have been a part of it.

The House of Delegates was exciting as usual. It is so invigorating to be there and take it all in. Idaho does not have a HOD, so it was a real treat for me. I am already looking forward to next year in Washington, DC.

Now I need to unpack and get focused on summer.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Live from ADHA...Part 4

District XII past trustee, Caryn Solie, was elected as the new ADHA Vice President. A group of us were having dinner in Old Town when she received the call confirming the election results. I am so proud of Caryn and know she will do an excellent job. We cheered, laughed and cried.

Outside of the restaurant was a beautiful fountain. We had our pictures taken literally in the water. Luckily, the Albuquerque police officer was really busy and let us off with a warning. He kindly let us finish our photo session and went on his way. That would have been a little difficult to explain to the judge.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Live from ADHA...Part 3

Modern Hygienist really knows how to throw great cocktail parties. It was wonderful to see the fabulous people of my favorite dental hygiene magazine.

I whole heartedly wish Maria Perno Goldie the best as she heads to new adventures. We haven’t seen the last of her, that’s for sure. Thais, you will do a great job and I look forward to your continued support of dental hygienists.

Professionally and personally, you both have allowed me to express myself in my own way and really have made me a better person. Thank you for believing in me. You are my Super Stars!

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Live from ADHA...Part 2

You are not going to believe what a crazy night we had last night. The tram ride to then top of the mountain was so cool. The view was literally like being on top of the world. I have never been at that altitude before. I could tell that I was a little woozy, but I didn’t get sick.

Five of us were in the restaurant buying souvenirs and didn’t hear that our group was leaving. When we got to the tram station, we realized that we’d been left. Luckily, there were five young and rather attractive Army men that recognized us as part of the hygienist group and offered to give us a ride to the casino where we were going to have dinner. We thought it was our duty as American citizens to let these men “rescue” us. These guys were so polite and really treated us with respect. Bill even said I was enchanting! They swept us off our feet and we all climbed into their rented mini van. There wasn’t really room for all 10 of us in one van, but we were willing to squish together. If I were 20 years younger…well, I won’t go there. We got lost three times before we found the casino.

When we did arrive, we were escorted by the arm as we got out of the van. This was probably the single most fun evening I have had at an ADHA event yet.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Live from ADHA...

Holy cow! It is HOT here in Albuquerque. I thought Idaho was a dry place but I hadn’t experienced zero humidity before now. Thank goodness for my Bath and Body Shea butter lotion.

Our District XII meeting last night went late, but it was well worth it. I was so excited to see everyone again. There are many issues to cover this week, so I plan on being busy.

Tonight, a large group of us are going on the Sandia Peak Tram Tour. We will be going up the mountain to over 11,000 feet. I hope I don’t get altitude sickness.

More tomorrow and welcome to my life.
Lisa

Packing up!

I am feverishly packing my bags for ADHA. I am a little bummed though. I have this fabulous cocktail dress from Beverly Hills that I so want to wear, but it will be too over the top for this year’s Gala or President’s reception. Actually, this is probably a good thing. Over the years, many attendees skip these fun events because they don’t have a formal or cocktail dress to wear. The theme for this year is “Dress in your favorite era.” This should be really fun and I am looking forward to seeing the costumes. I have many favorite eras so I am still undecided on what I will dress up in. You’ll just have to attend ADHA to see!

Welcome to my life.
Lisa

Baseball season

I love Fridays in the summer. Our office is closed and I am able to get a tremendous amount of things accomplished. This past week was absolutely crazy.

Our son, Taylor, finished his baseball for the summer—his team was ranked 7 out of 8 teams for the tournament. They had only won 2 games all season, so we didn’t get our hopes up for any trophy. As luck would have it, the team did great. Not only did they play well, they went all the way to the championship game.

The weather all week was cold and rainy. We even had snow! But, our Braves took second, only to an out of town team. It was a real Cinderella story. There were many pulled muscles and three fractured fingers in all. After having a not so good season, the boys were very happy in the end.

I just love to watch my kids play in any sport, but baseball or softball is certainly my favorite. I think I’ll open another bag of sunflower seeds.

Welcome to my life,
Lisa

Grab that hammer!

It is amazing how a small project can turn into a huge remodel. I have a habit of ‘re-doing’ something whenever my husband leaves town. Last month, when Chad was in Florida, I decided to demolish the worn out, leaky shower tile in the kids' bathroom. We had discussed doing it, but hadn’t really planned to do much until after the summer activities were done.

Home Depot loves me.

Not only do we have new tile, we have new paint, fixtures and mirrors. I must admit, not everything needed to be redone, but you simply cannot mix old stuff with the new. I have learned to sheet rock, lay tile and use a stud finder. There are so many things you can do without hiring a contractor! Don’t let construction things intimidate you. Home Depot has great how-to books and clinics. Plumbing and wiring on the other hand? Not so easy.

Chad was actually impressed with what I had accomplished, but grumbled at the thought of completing yet another one of Lisa’s projects. Hmmm, what should I ‘fix’ next?

Welcome to my life,
Lisa