For those of you who read Pattie’s Page here at 50+Fabulous, you will know that I’ve spent the last 6 months serving as my mother’s advocate within the medical system. Let me tell you, that means stress, stress and more stress.
As most of us know, at times of stress we let all the things go that nurture ourselves and I am no different. At first I lost 10 pounds and then gained back 6. I got little sleep and less exercise.
One thing I know (and sure, it doesn’t seem right but that’s how it is)…the better you look and carry yourself, the better you are treated. And, this is no different within the medical community. I had to make it a priority to look my best whether visiting Mom at the hospitals, rehab facilities, or speaking on her behalf to doctors, administrators, financial institutions, etc. And, I was extremely thankful that Michele Benza had stressed posture during our makeover sessions. I found that when I was feeling down, if I stood up straight I felt much stronger and self confident.
Now that Mom is doing so well, I am reclaiming my life and nurturing myself.
One thing I haven’t shared with you is my ongoing teeth whitening saga. I wonder if any of you have had great success you’d like to share.
I took on this challenge myself. I first tried the home Rembrant system (about $45). I then tried Crest white strips ($35), but found that the tapes you put on your teeth were just not big enough. They did a credible job, but I felt I wanted to go to the next step. I visited a dentist and they made custom “trays” which, along with a bleaching agent, is used every day for two weeks and then maintained at a frequency of once/month (about $200.)
But, I have to admit that my teeth, although better, do not seem so very white when compared with some celebrities I’ve seen lately. Hmmm, there are some other choices…BriteSmile, and Zoom are two that I have heard of. I have a new dentist so I’m going to talk to him about it at my next visit.
Maybe I should just give up coffee and tea???
Posted by susan swartz on 12/18 at 02:54 PM
Hi Pattie: I wouldn’t aspire to celebrity teeth. Some of theirs are so white they look false. I do the dental tray thing two or three times a year. The first time I whitened my teeth someone asked if I’d gotten a new hair cut. So, whiter teeth do make a positive. But don’t give up coffee or tea, if you love either. And never, never give up red wine for the sake of whiter teeth.
susan