Bracing for change

Oh Lord.
I seem to be reliving my high school years.
And not on purpose.
I had braces put on my teeth for the SECOND time in my life this week.
See, I had them as a teen-ager in high school, when you are supposed to have braces.
It was awful then, but at least there were several of my peers who were wearing them too, so misery loves company.
Fast forward 30 years later, and here I am again. And there are no peers. Misery has no company.
I had honestly forgotten how awful braces are.
First, I'm on a forced liquid/soft diet. At least this go 'round, wine is a liquid I can have. I really might have tolerated braces in high school if I could have had wine. :)
On the plus side, I've lost two pounds this week.
On the down side, I'm really beginning to hate soup, and I love soup.
Second, I forgot that the braces will make the inside of my mouth feel like raw meat.
This is particularly uncomfortable and hateful.
Third, I really, really forgot about the drool.
Drool, you ask?
Yes. Because there are brackets on my teeth, my body thinks "there is something in the mouth, so start the saliva!" It's pretty much non-stop salivating. And not in a good way.
The first night with braces I laid down to sleep and could feel the drool pooling in my mouth. Then I remembered. That pool will leak out. So, now I sleep on a hand towel.
Finally, I'm realizing this is going to be a long18 to 24 months. I'm trying to keep the long-term benefits in mind.
I wish I could go back to my 20-year-old self and say "wear your retainer!" and when that retainer broke, I wish I had gone to a new orthodontist and had it replaced. Maybe then I would not have a horrible overbite and bottom teeth that are crookedly chatting with their neighbors one over.
And so, I am bracing for change. It's not easy.