Cavities! Tonsils! {Why Self Care Should Never Take a Backseat When You Become A Mama}

My hands used to be soft. Now, they’re scaly and dry. 

 

(This is what I used to use religiously.  It seems I have left the church.)

My hair used to be long. Now it’s short and manageable; good for on the days I have a little guy pulling on my legs. I can simply put the blow-dryer and flat iron away and bust out the mousse. 

Oh, mousse, you are my friend. 

 

My cuticles are cracked.

 

(Oh, Burt's, come save us!)

I am STILL waiting on my desperately needed pedicure.

My husband agreed my eyebrows were about to crawl off, so I managed to get those done last week. But seriously folks, self care has taken a back seat since Toph arrived. Scratch that, not back seat; self care has been put in the trunk of the car, tied up, bound and gagged.

Am I complaining? A little Not one bit. I love that instead of getting my hair done every 12 weeks (seriously, I was that girl) I now play with my guy and use that money on him. I don’t mind that my nails are unpainted and unbuffed; nor do I mind my toes looking like hooves (as my husband so lovingly puts it). I honestly cherish the time I spend with my baby; especially since I’m at work during the day. All this self care stuff; it doesn’t affect my health or my well being. It’s all surface, superficial. And we all know that stuff goes away (for the most part) when you have a baby.

That being said, I recently learned that there is another facet of self care that should never be put off, if you’re a mother of one or a mother of four. That, my friends, is your health. I learned this the hard way over Spring Break. I was catching up on all my put-off doctor’s appointments (so exciting, I know) and I learned that I’ve been letting some things about my health slip.

First of all, I mentioned in last week’s awkward column that I had two cavities; that’s right! Two. One of the reasons, I am sure, is because after the baby was born I didn’t go the dentist at all. But that’s not the biggest reason; the biggest reason is that when faced with the decision of floss or sleep, sleep won every time. When faced with the decision of brushing before work or simply going because I am so behind, simply going won every time.

You’re thinking I’m totally gross right now, aren’t you? That’s okay. I am. But I’m going to get better because no one likes a needle jammed in their cheek and drills in their teeth.

Secondly, you may or may not recall my complete lack of posting during Christmas. I should have been all over it right? It was Toph’s first Christmas! The reason for my lack of posting was because I fell very ill with a terrible case of tonsillitis that almost put me in the hospital. I was mad at the world at that time because nothing could make me feel better and I felt very disconnected from a very special time in my son's life. Anyway, since that bout of tonsillitis, the throat just hasn’t been the same. It has hurt and been swollen chronically since then. I just figured I would live with it because I had no time to visit the doctor, that is, until Spring Break. I had my doctor check it out and she immediately sent me to an ENT because apparently, my tonsils have abscesses.

Totally disgusting, I get it. You probably don’t want to shake my hand anymore, and that’s okay. It's dry and scaly anyway. 

The ENT’s verdict was that I get them removed. I don’t want to do that. The only time I’ve ever been admitted to a hospital was when Toph was born and I’d like for it to stay that way. The ENT did put me on allergy meds which have reduced the problem greatly. I’m looking for second opinions on the surgery because I do not want to spend the first three weeks of summer break laid out because of a tonsillectomy. (Therein lies the vicious cycle of this self-care issue, I’m sure.)

Moral:

 Mamas, you might let your pedicures slip.

You may let those eyebrows go.

Heck, maybe you don’t even put on lotion anymore.
But please, please, please. Keep up with your health. Drills and surgery are no fun.