aLL i WaNt FoR ChRisTmAs iS My...

Well for those of you who dont know, due to some hardcore clumsiness on my part, and some even hardercore stupidity on another cheerleader's part...I got pretty banged up this week.
I was in mid-tumble, approaching the backhandspring oart of a round-of backhandspring (which i do all the time so it wasnt really a big deal) when out of the corner of my eye I see a girl start walking towards me. So i try to pull back my backhandspring by attempting a safety roll, but apparently my knee didnt get the message and proceeded to jam itself into my face.

Inital thoughts: "Ow that really hurt. " "%#&!" "my life sucks" and "Well at least its not serious"
Then I notice that Im bleeding, so I try to get up but only make it to my hands and knees when I'm like 'what the heck is in my mouth.' So I decide to spit it, whatever it is, out of my mouth and when I do... I see my tooth, the whole thing, lying on the ground (as well as a ton of blood.)

And as if that wasnt unfortunant enough...I realize on my way to the front door that the rest of my front teeth are now pointing straight back, to the point that I can feel them on the roof of my mouth with my tounge.

So I then begin to freak out. The gym called 911, I'm still bleeding, ambulance pulls up and the whole fun ordeal begins. Stretcher, IV, lots of drugs, ambulance ride to the ER, people staring, more blood.

Definently a humbling experience.

So to shorten the rest of the story, the ER doctor gave me four different shots to numb my mouth and pulled my teeth back in to place. I still felt it. And then, when i thought it was over, He takes my tooth that fell out and my mom was holding in a cup of milk, and shoves it back into my head. I sure as heck felt that. Then he puts this wax stuff in place to mold around my teeth so that they wouldnt move, and then topped it off with a football mouth guard and some gauze. Which I left the hospital wearing and had to wear until the next day.

So I wake up and my mom forces carnation instant breakfast down the side of my mouth with a serenge until the doctor calls and says no more food. So I'm pretty hungry by the time we get to the office. I took some x-rays, and then the put me to sleep and about an hour later my surgery is done. I've got this brace looking thing on my teeth as well as a bunch of that wax stuff which is just not attractive but they're stable for now. I have a follow up on Tuesday, liquid diet for the next three weeks, and hopefully they'll be able to tell whether or not I get to keep my teeth. Best case scenario is I do, and I only have a few minor surgeries...worst case would be I loose my teeth and I have to get permanent replacements.

Needless to say I'm thankful for doctors, and heath insurance, and technology, and ambulances, and smoothie king. I'm also thankful for family who loves me, and friends who stop by to visit. So thanks Brent, Nathan, Chris, Addie, Nicole, Zack, Keila, Alex Ehrich, Lindz, Shane, and Jenny. You guys really rock.

So just to warn you - if you see me in the next few days and I look a little bit like Shrek...don't be alarmed. It will heal.