What's up everyone, I have finally gotten paperwork back from HR saying my FMLA is approved through February 9, against my will. However, the HR representative in her email is now demanding I provide a return-to-work notice from my surgeon. She did not bother asking me to get one the last time she told me to get a bunch of shit signed by my surgeon (when I had to go down to his office and harass him.) Because why do something in one trip when I can do it in five increasingly annoying ones.
Except! (And it is relevant that I said she is demanding this in her email) she also attached the formal documentation approving my FMLA, and a box is checked saying I am not required to provide a return-to-work notice from my surgeon. So which is it? I don't know! I am now having to email her to ask, and god knows if she'll tell me before my single day of the week I can reach my surgeon passes me by or not.
Also she was supposed to call me about this because I'm technically not supposed to be checking my email. But she emailed me instead just because
Today I Bit into an Apple (for the first time in 25 years)
Back Story: Rachel was born genetically missing a tooth. Just... nada. Nothing. Not even bone to support the damn thing. No tooth!
My first orthodontist wanted to avoid jaw surgery, so he did a bunch of stuff that royally fucked me up and led to me eventually having three surgeries in the span of six months at the age of 40 when I could've had one at the age of 16.
Now, I've been cleared from the surgeries since December 31 (I literally hopped from recovery from one, to subsequent five-month infection into the next surgery, to the last surgery... June 20-December 31 I was "in recovery" or under the knife), but I had not yet tried biting into an apple.
My first orthodontist dislodged all my teeth from the bone and opened a hole where the tooth was missing. It's all about aesthetics for these assholes, I've learned.
Even the first orthodontist I consulted when I started this adult jaw surgery journey said, "Why would you do that? You're aesthetically pleasing!"
Yeah, but I can't eat on one side of my mouth, I'm literally losing teeth because they're in the wrong position, and my gums are worn to nothing.
*ahem*
I had a flipper (removable fake tooth) until I finished University, at which point my Graduation Gift (thanks?) was a Maryland Bridge (fake tooth linked to two surrounding teeth). You can't bite into an apple with any of those.
Then, the Maryland Bridge was removed by my (amazing) orthodontist when we started braces two years ago, and so on, and so on.
Now, let me tell you the true miracleâone of my teeth was at a 90% chance of loss when the Bridge was removed... and it stayed. It was super wiggly. It was still high-risk. But after only six months of braces, all my teeth dislodged by my first orthodontist moved back into their original bones.
I still couldn't bite into an apple. But after waiting five months since being cleared from recovery... I decided it was time.
It was a timid bite. A slow bite. And I tried not to cry because I did it. For the first time in 25 years, I bit into an apple.
There are some things in this life I fear we take for granted.
So let my story be a reminder to you that the little joys in life matter. Take pleasure in them. Let yourself savor them!
Life is too short to ignore every tiny joy. Collect them. Hold them close. And treasure them so long as they're yours.
