r/OzMedia

OG post: https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/s/phPp6SmiAE

1st update: https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/s/YiiunxdUE4

We had our conversation.

J's dad (who I'll call Russell) and I showed up at C's parents' house after work under the guise of trying to mend whatever problems haven't been settled over this whole pool thing yet. We've all known each other for about as long as the boys have (so about 8 years for J and 7 for C). It's not like we're strangers, so it wasn't uncomfortable. We got offered some drinks and we sat down, and the first thing I asked was what this all was about. They wanted to focus on the fact that we dumpster dived to get our pool back, but we were firm that we knew this wasn't about the pool.

C's dad, who I'll call Greg, was mostly quiet the whole time. He just sat back and nodded while his wife, who I'll call Lorraine, spoke for the both of them.

I asked if they really were okay with the boys setting up the pool in their yard to begin with, and they both looked at each other before saying no, they weren't. They both thought it was a waste of money, and pools are a seasonal item so they should've bought something that they could use year round. Russell said they should've said that when we all agreed, including them, to set it up. They said it made C happy and they thought he deserved something he wanted for all his hard work. Lorraine mentioned that, at the end of the day, they felt 'pressured' to do it.

Then we got into the whole liability thing, and if that was really why they wouldn't allow anyone but C in the pool. Lorraine kept claiming yes, that was the reason, despite our attempts to tell her we could've worked something out if she wanted them supervised. It didn't matter, we both just wanted to give the boys what they worked for, and they're the ones who were preventing that, and we wanted to know the truth about why.

She went on to say that she wasn't happy with the idea of a pool in their backyard because a) she was actually planning on building a greenhouse in the same space, and b) they were both concerned that having the pool would be a distraction. Like, C would want to spend more time outside, in the pool, getting sunburnt and all that, than staying inside and studying when school started. It was all another excuse to stay away from the books. And this would give C's friends, including Pete and J, reasons to 'trespass' on their property. Lorraine brought up when Pete snuck in the pool without permission and apparently it was such a big deal that it warranted second thoughts on keeping the pool at all.

We were dumbfounded. They've NEVER acted like this before in all the years we've known them. And honestly, I didn't buy that explanation, and neither did Russell. Greg supported her comments, but they could see that we were unsatisfied with that answer. We wanted to know if they had something against either of our boys.

Lorraine then asked if she could be honest with both of us. I had a feeling we were gonna get answers so I said yes, hit us with your best shot.

She said that they both believe that Pete and J are bad influences on their son. That as they've gotten older, C's become louder, more vulgar, and less willing to join them on their own family activities. That our boys, primarily J, are loud, violent and smart mouthed and they've always felt that C should look for new friends. That they're concerned that the things and words that C has learned from our boys are gonna impact him in the long run and ruin his chances of the life they, I guess, have always dreamed for him. Then she went on this tirade about how they have 'planned' C's future already. He's gonna get into a top university that they're already prepared to pay for, he's gonna get a good job after he graduates, meet a woman and get married, have kids, and essentially live a 'normal' adult life. All this apparently is never gonna happen because of Pete and J.

We were silent. Lorraine kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' over and over again, and that we wanted to know the truth, and it's just a concern they have.

Russell spoke first. He asked if they've always felt this way, and Greg said in a way, yes. It wasn't that bad when they were little and just hanging out at school, but as the boys have gotten closer, it's become a 'problem'. When asked what exactly is so bad about these teenage boys, Lorraine again mentioned their mouths, their violent tendencies, their habits (like video games), and all the usual stuff you hear that's bad for growing kids. They also said that, in their opinion, both of them are missing things in their lives that they believe will keep C out of trouble when he gets older. They were, of course, referring to mother figures. Pete's never had a relationship with our mom, and J's dad is divorced and J's mom lives in another country with his sister. So because neither of them has had a wise, loving mother to powder their little asses and warm their bottles like C does, they're bad kids. Oh, and because they're devout Christians and neither of us go to church, that was brought up too. They've just kept their mouths shut about these problems the whole time for the sake of their friendship.

Then, Lorraine dropped this little bomb. She basically implied that they have the means to give C a 'proper' future, meaning money, and just because we don't for our boys, that doesn't give us the right to try and bring C down to our level. Our level, according to her, is not having the means to care for children properly, denying them opportunities, and all these different little nitpicks about our lives that, in their opinion, reflect on Pete and J and their attitudes that C has learned from them.

Now we were PISSED. Russell actually got up and raised his voice, and I had to restrain him and calm him down a little bit. Greg threatened the police if there was any trouble, and that's not how we wanted this night to end. Lorraine was crying and kept saying 'I'm sorry' again and again.

When he calmed down, Russell spoke in a pretty low voice and told them both that we all have different situations, and we're raising these boys in our own ways. If there's something they don't like about either of our boys, you don't hold it against them, you mention it to us. That's how I'm gonna grow as a parent, at least. And nothing about either of our situations gives them the right to say these boys are bad influences. None of them have been to prison or had the cops called on them or anything.

We had to remind them of our histories. I asked them to consider that I'm Pete's brother, not his parent, and I wasn't prepared to raise him when I took him in. I had no choice other than putting him into the foster system. Russell brought up personal problems he had with his ex-wife and her distant relationship with J. We both said we're doing our best raising these boys, just like they are, but if they're so concerned about how they're being raised, what makes them think they're any better just because they have more money?

And if they wanna compare our kids so badly, then let's do it. C is constantly on his phone, because Lorraine always wants to know where he is and what he's doing. C doesn't like to stay home all the time. C always takes junk food from either of our houses. C would rather hang out with his friends in a hot tub than swim in a pool that was four times bigger. The only extracurriculars C does for school are the ones his friends do. C was introduced to and now loves all these geeky things that Pete and J love, and he taught them things he likes. And why were the boys working together to buy a pool to begin with? Because they wanted another reason to hang out with each other despite the heat.

And now, they were both silent. They had these ashamed looks on their faces, especially Lorraine, who just kept crying.

Now, onto the main point, how gatekeeping the pool and then throwing it away when it wasn't being used for the one person they let inside it wasn't how they were gonna treat these boys anymore. Not ours, and not theirs. That's when Greg asked if we were gonna tell them how to parent their kid now. Russell and I both emphasized that the way they're treating C is actually setting him up for failure in his life. He already has self-esteem issues being a teenager, he needs to be able to make his own choices. When asked what choices, I asked if they were sure he even wanted to go to college when he got older. Greg said he 'won't have a choice.' That they've worked too hard to let him pass any opportunity just because he was 'influenced' to do something different, and that's what they're trying to avoid with Pete and J. They were on board with him working, but helping to buy a pool wasn't what they had in mind. I asked what exactly they expected him to buy with the money, and they didn't really have an answer, just something different.

Suffice to say, this wasn't a nice conversation, and we excused ourselves out before either of us said anything that we'll regret, or do something that warrants the police being called, because believe me, we BOTH felt like punching Greg. We never demanded anything from them or threatened legal action like I mentioned in my last post. I kinda said that out of anger, so I apologize for that.

Me and Russell spent a while in his truck just talking about what we can do. What they've done and said wasn't cool, but we had to be careful. We can't control how they raise C, but they can try to control who C can hang out with. They have every right to ban Pete and J from their house if they want to. They don't have to pay for his extracurriculars if they don't want to. They could even move houses if they want to. At the end of the day, it was all about keeping the peace between the boys, which hasn't been a problem because they're all on the same page. In fact, Russell and I both agreed that the boys were behaving more maturely than any of us were, and we laughed at that.

So for right now, we're gonna spend some time thinking of what else we could do. If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it. But the one thing I know we have to do is talk to Pete and J, and if possible, talk to C. His parents can try all they want to, but C's a smart kid, grounding him isn't gonna keep him from staying in contact with his bros. And I have a strong feeling he's got some interesting things to say about his parents. But again, we're not doing anything until we have solid proof and a solid plan.

DO NOT COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS. I am NOT OP. Original post by u/Creepy_Quarter_9532 i****n r/TrueOffMyChest

Trigger warnings: >!Medical trauma, dental procedures, body image issues, assault!<

Mood spoilers: >!Emotional, bittersweet, hopeful!<

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Original Post: July 30, 2026

Tomorrow I'm having all of my teeth removed. I'm only 22, and I honestly don't know how to deal with this.

I am sitting here. I never thought I would be writing something like this at twenty two years old. I keep reading that sentence over and over again. It still does not feel like it is about me the person who is writing this.

A weeks ago I moved to Vadodara thinking that things were finally going to get better for me. I was thinking that a new city, a new routine, new people and a fresh start would be good for me. I unpacked my stuff slowly one box at a time. I remember standing in my room that first night just looking at the empty walls and actually feeling hopeful for once. I had not felt that way in a long time and it was a nice feeling.

Instead the last few weeks have been some of the hardest of my whole life. I still cannot believe how fast everything happened. I am a quiet person, the type who listens way more than I talk and I notice everything. I say almost none of it. Making friends has never come easy to me because I am actually really shy underneath whatever people think they see when they look at me.

A lot of people think I am confident because they have told me I am good looking. That is honestly one of the biggest misconceptions about me. Looking put together on the outside does not mean that there is not a storm going on inside of me. Days I am replaying conversations that never even happened and I am overthinking stuff that nobody else is even thinking about.

So when my body started falling apart I did not say anything to anyone. That is how I am I do not like to talk about my problems. On top of everything that is going on with my teeth my living situation has not been easy either. My roommates are seniors. They have not exactly been kind to me since I moved in. A days ago I woke up and realized they had bleached my armpits while I was asleep without asking me without even telling me until I noticed it myself. I still do not fully know how to process that. I did not say much about it at the time. I just of froze and let it go the same way I let a lot of things go.

For months I had been having problems with my teeth the person who is writing this me. It started small a little sensitivity here and there. Then my gums started bleeding when I brushed, not a lot, enough that I would notice it in the sink and tell myself it was nothing. A couple of teeth started feeling loose of like when you are a kid and a tooth is about to fall out except I was not a kid and there was no tooth fairy waiting for me on the other side of this. Eating foods got uncomfortable and then it got genuinely painful. I started eating stuff without really admitting to myself why like most people I just told myself it probably was not a big deal. Maybe it was stress maybe I needed vitamins I figured worst case I would need a deep cleaning, maybe a root canal, maybe a couple of extractions.

I could not have been more wrong I was so wrong about my teeth. After a bunch of appointments x-rays and exams after sitting in waiting rooms scrolling my phone pretending I was not scared after watching my dentists face go from normal to concerned I was told I have advanced periodontal disease, the disease that is affecting my teeth. The bone holding my teeth in place had broken down way more than it should have for someone my age twenty two years

The dentist sat me down. Explained, pretty gently but very directly that there was not really a way to save my teeth anymore my teeth that I have had my whole life. That the infection had gone deep and taken too much too much of my teeth. The only real option was a mouth extraction, every single tooth, all of my teeth.

I am twenty two years old and I remember sitting in that chair with the paper bib still on nodding like I understood like this was just normal information being told to me information about my teeth. I do not think I actually processed any of it until I was outside in the parking lot thinking about my teeth. The drive home is of a blur I remember gripping the steering wheel too tight the radio playing some upbeat song that felt so wrong in that moment catching my own face in the rearview mirror and it looking like a stranger, a person I did not know.

I kept hoping someone would call and say it was a mix-up that the x-rays got switched that this was happening to someone not me, not my teeth. Nobody called there was no mix-up. Tomorrow is my surgery, the surgery to remove my teeth.

Just typing that makes my stomach twist up I am so nervous about my teeth. I have barely slept the three nights I lie there and my brain just will not stop running through everything that is about to change like it is trying to memorize my own face before it is gone my face with my teeth.

I also have not told my parents I do not know how to start that conversation the conversation about my teeth. Every time I open our chat to type something I just delete it and put my phone down I do not know what to say about my teeth. I do not know if I am protecting them or protecting myself at this point protecting myself from what they will say about my teeth.

Part of me thinks I will tell them after it is done, when there is nothing left for them to worry about or try to stop stop the surgery from happening to my teeth. Part of me feels guilty for not saying anything all like I am going through the scariest thing of my life completely alone and pretending everything is fine every time we talk on the phone fine about my teeth.

Everyone around me keeps saying the surgery itself will be over before I know it that I will be put under and I will not feel a thing. I will just wake up. It will already be done, done with my teeth. Maybe that part is true. Honestly that is not even what scares me the most, the most about my teeth.

What scares me is waking up and knowing that when I look in the mirror I am never going to see my smile again my smile with my teeth the smile I have had my whole life the smile in every photo I have ever taken the photos of me with my teeth. That smile is gone after tomorrow. It is not coming back the way I have always known it the way I have always seen my teeth.

What scares me more is that I am not getting dentures right away the dentures that will replace my teeth. My gums need to heal so for the next one to one and a half months I am going to have absolutely no teeth, no temporary ones, nothing, no teeth at all.

I keep sitting trying to picture how I am actually going to live the next month or so the next month without my teeth. Like what does that look like day to day day to day without my teeth. How am I supposed to go to the store talk to a delivery guy answer a call from work sit across from someone at a table all without my teeth.

I know it sounds small compared to the surgery itself. That is what is actually keeping me up the picture of an entire month and a half of my life where I just have to get through each day looking and sounding completely different different without my teeth.

I have read too much online at this point late at night when I should be sleeping and I know that without teeth your lips and cheeks lose a lot of the support they are used to having, the support of my teeth. I know that until the dentures are ready my face can look sunken in, older like time just skipped ahead on me without asking, without asking about my teeth.

That is the thought I cannot shake not the pain or the recovery itself it is the mirror it is the idea of a face that has always been mine looking back like it belongs to somebody else for over a month straight somebody else without my teeth.

I keep catching myself standing in the bathroom at hours just staring at my own face trying to memorize it wondering if this is the last time I am going to see myself looking like this looking like me with my teeth. I have actually been taking photos of myself smiling the couple of days real smiles, teeth and all because some part of me is scared I will forget what it looked like what my teeth looked like.

I know this is not permanent I know the dentures will bring a lot of that support back eventually the support of my teeth.. It is still heartbreaking thinking that for over a month I am going to look different enough that I might not even recognize myself myself without my teeth.

I know it sounds vain maybe it is,. I am twenty two years old and most people my age are worried about their hair, their skin, dates, weekend plans what filter to use on a photo, not about their teeth not about losing all of their teeth.

I am lying awake at 2 am thinking about what it's going to feel like to have literally no teeth in my mouth no teeth at all. I am thinking about how I'm going to eat, whether soup and yogurt and mashed everything is going to start feeling like a punishment instead of just food, food that I can eat with my teeth.

I am thinking about how I'm going to talk whether my words are going to come out different, softer, harder to understand whether people are going to keep asking me to repeat myself myself without my teeth.

I am thinking about whether I will start covering my mouth with my hand out of habit whether that is going to become something I do without noticing, noticing that I do not have my teeth.

I am thinking about whether people're going to notice right away whether strangers are going to look a second too long whether I am going to start reading pity into every glance, real or not glance at me without my teeth.

I am thinking about whether I'm going to end up avoiding people completely canceling plans making excuses just staying inside my apartment until this is over over. I have my dentures, the dentures that will replace my teeth.

The hardest part is none of this feels real yet my brain keeps acting like tomorrow is a normal dentist appointment like I am going to come home in the evening with all my teeth still there like this whole thing is some misunderstanding I will be laughing about later laughing about my teeth.

Then I. It hits all over again the thought of my teeth the thought of losing all of my teeth.

By this time tomorrow my whole life is going to feel different, not in some dramatic way just every single time I open my mouth or catch my reflection or try to eat something, something without my teeth.

I know dentures exist I know plenty of people wear them and live normal full lives lives with dentures. I know people who have gone through this and came out more confident than before confident with their dentures. Rationally I know this is not the end of the world I know that a year, from now I probably will not even think about this much think about my teeth.

I am feeling really sad now because I am going to lose something that I did not think I would lose at my age. I always thought I had a lot of time left with my teeth. Now I am sitting here. I am sad about losing my smile at 22 years old. I just moved to a city and I am mostly alone. I do not even want to tell my parents about it. It is happening tomorrow night.

If anyone here has had all their teeth removed, especially when they were young like me I would really like to hear about your experience.

* Were the few weeks as scary as you thought they would be

*. Did it get easier faster than you thought it would

* Did you feel confident again when you got your dentures

* Did you feel like yourself again. Did you have to get used to a new version of yourself

I want to know if you eventually stopped thinking about your teeth every day.. If it is something that you always think about.

I would also like to know how to get through each day for the month or so. Now I just need to hear from someone who has already gone through what I am about to go through tomorrow. I am sitting here alone in the dark. My alarm is already set. It feels like everything is going wrong at the time. I need to know that it will not always feel like this. I need to know that full mouth extractions will not always make me feel sad. I need to hear about your experience, with mouth extractions.

TL;DR: I’m 22, and tomorrow I’m having all of my teeth removed because of advanced periodontal disease. I recently moved to a new city where I don’t really know anyone, and I’m going through this mostly alone. What scares me the most isn’t even the surgery, it’s the month or so I’ll have no teeth before I can get dentures. I’m really just hoping to hear from people who’ve been through it and can tell me it gets better.

TOP COMMENTS

Sincamour:

>As someone who works in the dental field/a dental school, I have seen numerous cases of young people like you who need full mouth extractions (usually it's decay). It's always a difficult conversation to have because no one wants to lose all their teeth, but when I see them again after they have their dentures, they have all been more confident, smiling, and happy with their new smile!

>Once the bad teeth are out your systemic health will be better, you'll be out of pain, your breath won't smell bad from periodontitis, and you will have completed the first step to a new chapter. Dentures nowadays look great.

>Can you ask the dentist if you could get an immediate denture? It's a temporary one you can sometimes wear right after extractions. It depends on your case but you can ask to see if it an option. Otherwise, maybe you could also wear a mask during the healing process if you are feeling self conscious. . In the future, you can even ask about an implant supported denture that stays inside your mouth (this depends on how much bone you have).

>Best of luck during the recovery! Make sure to stay hydrated, don't use any straws, and get some protein shakes or Soylent.

MadamAsh_:

>Hey I just want to say please remind yourself that it is only temporary. The 6 weeks while your mouth heals is temporary. Not forever and you'll be healthier.

>Use a face mask in public if you're nervous about going out until you get your dentures. It's going to be okay friend, you're prioritizing your health. It WILL be okay.

>But the roommate situation. They assaulted you. Lock your door and tell SOMEONE! Asap.

OnePlantHugger:

>I never comment on here but wanted to tell you my story. I had all my teeth pulled at 24 due to constant abscesses and infections no matter how hard I tried to take care of them. It was THE BEST decision I ever made for me and my health. The first 5 or 6 months were absolutely the hardest learning how to eat but I woke up one day and realized how lucky I was to not hurt anymore and how beautiful of a smile I had with dentures.

>The soreness was that- soreness, not pain. I haven't had the slightest bit of a toothache in over 15 years and still think it's one of the smartest decisions I ever made in my life. I can't express how happy you will be when you realize that the pain and discomfort and awful dentist visits stop. Permanently. If you ever need to talk or have questions I'm here. It's terrifying and nerve wracking and I understand you're hesitation but I know for me and my future self- having them pulled young was absolutely the best decision I could have made and I have never regretted it a bit.

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Update: August 3, 2026 (4 DAYS LATER)

Update: The teeth are gone now. I’m not okay, but thank you all for getting me here.

I honestly didn’t expect my last post to blow up the way it did. I posted it at like 1am not even sure anyone would read it, and I woke up to hundreds of comments and messages from people who’d been through the same thing or something close to it. At one point the post actually got locked because the comments were coming in too fast, which is such a weird thing to feel proud of but I kind of was. Thank you to everyone who commented, everyone who shared their own story, everyone who just said something kind. I read every single one even if I didn’t reply. It genuinely helped more than you know, going into today knowing that many strangers cared enough to type something out for me.

Okay. Update time.

I got all my teeth extracted today (1Aug). It’s done. It actually happened.

I have to admit, I screamed so hard when the doctor was giving me the anesthesia that even he got a little scared for a second. I don’t even remember deciding to scream, it just happened. There were 3 doctors and 2 nurses in the room and honestly all of them were so helpful and kind through the whole thing. Since I couldn’t speak properly afterward, they even booked me a cab back to my hostel themselves and didn’t charge me a single rupee for it. Little things like that meant a lot in a day that was already so heavy. I’m really grateful to them.

After I got home and the numbness started wearing off I cried for something like 3 to 5 hours straight. Not dramatic sobbing the whole time, just this slow leaking kind of crying that would calm down and then start right back up again every time I caught my reflection in something. My phone screen, the microwave, the bathroom mirror. My face genuinely looks different now. Without the teeth there for support everything just looks sucked in, my cheeks, my lips, all of it. I knew this was going to happen because I read about it a hundred times before today but reading about it and actually seeing it happen to your own face are two very different things.

I’m only allowed liquids and soft food for now, and I can’t really talk properly either. My words come out kind of mushy and I have to repeat myself a lot. I can’t even touch my gums right now, it hurts way more than I expected, so brushing or rinsing feels like a whole task on its own. Honestly, not going to sugarcoat it, I look like an old woman right now. Like I aged 40 years in one afternoon. Every time I look at myself in the mirror I end up crying all over again, it’s like my brain refuses to accept that the face looking back is actually mine. It’s rough. But I’m trying to hold onto the fact that this part is temporary even if it doesn’t feel temporary at 11pm crying into a bowl of soup.

The doctors also gave me a lot of medicines, like a lot. My table is just covered in strips and bottles right now, painkillers, antibiotics, mouth rinses, I’ve honestly lost count at this point.

One actual good thing though. My roommates are heading back to their hometown for about a week and a half, it’s their holiday break. After everything I mentioned in my last post, that timing could not have worked out better. I get this place to myself while I look and sound like this, no side eyes, no comments, no dealing with anyone else’s energy while I’m already barely holding it together. I’ll take that small mercy and run with it.

Also, quick thank you to the person from my last post who told me to drink pineapple juice for the swelling. I was skeptical honestly, but I tried it and it actually helped a lot. Small thing but it made a real difference these past couple days, so thank you, whoever you are.

I was pretty deep in it emotionally the last few days, ngl. But it’s already done now, there’s no undoing it, so I’m trying to just accept it and move forward instead of replaying it on a loop. Might as well laugh a little where I can. So here’s the one genuinely funny part of all this. I am saving so much money on toothpaste right now. Zero rupees spent on oral care this week. Financial glow up. 🤣

Also yes, still haven’t told my parents, and I’ve kind of decided I’m not going to. They’re older and I know exactly how they’d react, they’d worry themselves sick over something that’s already happened and that they can’t do anything about from where they are. I’m okay. I’m handling it. I don’t need them carrying this weight too, so for now I’m keeping it to myself.

For anyone wondering how I’m even paying for all this, I had some savings from my last job, the one I had before starting my masters. That’s what’s covering the treatment, and it’s already added up to a good chunk of rupees gone. Not going to lie, watching that fund shrink has been its own kind of stressful, but I’d rather spend it on this than anything else right now.

Next big milestone is just healing. The gums need about 1.5 months before I can even think about dentures, so that’s the timeline I’m staring down. One day at a time I guess.

Today, August 3, I went in for a checkup. They told me my recovery is a bit slower than expected, so I might need to stay without dentures for about 2 to 2.5 months now instead of the 1.5 I was originally told. Wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but I guess my body just needs the extra time, so that’s the new timeline I’m working with now.

Also guys, thank you so much for caring this much, it genuinely means a lot to me. And I also wanted to clarify something since a couple people asked, I got my teeth removed from the best dental hospital here, so it’s not like this was done somewhere random or by anyone unqualified. Just wanted to put that out there.

Thank you again to everyone who checked in after the last post. I’ll probably post another update once the dentures situation starts moving. Until then, send soup recipes, I have a feeling I’m going to need a lot of them.

Also, please forgive me if I wrote something wrong anywhere. My English is weak and I used Grammarly to help correct it, just being honest about that.

And thank you all again, honestly. I have 0 friends here, no one really talks to me, and even if they did I’m so introverted I probably wouldn’t know how to talk to them anyway. You guys showed me so much love through all of this and I really didn’t expect that from strangers on the internet. It meant more than you know.

TOP COMMENTS

MH8657:

>I saw in your first post that you took lots of pictures of your smile before your teeth were extracted… your dentist may be able to send those pictures to their lab when your dentures are being made to help design the denture teeth to resemble your natural teeth!! Ask your dentist if that’s a possibility for you.

>Wishing you a smooth healing journey!

Beautiful_Pizza9882:

>Oh, sweet girl! My heart literally aches for you. Both my mom and my younger sister had to get dentures in their 20’s, I was lucky enough to keep mine into my 40’s. I cried. People had commented on my teeth and smile my entire life. It was completely vain, but also gut wrenching to lose that. It was also completely human. Our faces are the first thing that most (looking at you, pervs 😉) people see. It’s natural for a change of that significance to be difficult. Don’t try to get past it. Work through it. Sit with it. Look at yourself in the mirror as often as you can handle it. PROCESS IT! And take as long as you need to do so. There’s no rush. But make sure you learn to love your face again!♥️

>OOP: Thank you 🎀🥹

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOP – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

I work at a head start. This morning during drop off, a man in his 60s had two off leash dogs in the school parking lot, about three feet from where parents drop kids off in their classrooms. These dogs were lunging at and barking in the toddler’s faces. The kids were screaming and crying. The mom outside was yelling at him to get his dogs away, he was refusing, saying she was out of line and overreacting. The dad of the children comes over and again asks him to get his dogs and leave. The man, again, refuses. The dad of the children then kicks one of the dogs to keep it away from his children (as a dog lover, I would have done the same). The man then said he was going to shoot the parents, all while they have their children with them. The man starts reaching in his pocket, and the father of the children shoves him back, also punches him in the nose. I calmly continued to ask him to leash his dogs and get off school property. He continued to refuse. He said he was calling the police, I encouraged him to. He then called me a “deadbeat teacher with a sad salary” and that I should find a “real job.” He then said a bunch of things about “the types of people that send their kids to head start.” Because he threatened to shoot someone, school goes into lock down. While inside with the windows covered and the lights off, the window covering fell down. I went to put it back up, and there he was, sitting in his car, staring directly at me through the window. We had to move every classroom on that side of the building to another room because of this. Police came about 10 minutes later…and were no help. They ended up leaving before him, which gave him the opportunity to come back, go to the front doors, and take multiple pictures of the school. He eventually left. We took his license plate, but are unable to figure out who he was. Honestly, wish I wasn’t at work so I could have told him how I really felt. The entire time he felt like he was in the right…with two aggressive off leash dogs in the faces of toddlers, screaming he would shoot parents while on school property. Good for him.

UPDATE-

I’d first like to address those that think this is a made up story. I really could not care less if you believe me or not. I have no desire to defend myself or my story to random strangers on Reddit.

What I will say about the lack of detail, there are reasons I am not being extremely specific. I work with a vulnerable population whose privacy is protected by federal law. I’m not willing to say which city, police department, school, or even my role at the school. I would rather not come anywhere close to providing identifying information on a public forum. There’s also a limit to what I can do about this situation, without getting into hot water with my employer. I’d rather not toe the line of possibly being fired from a job I absolutely love.

To be honest, after thinking long and hard about this situation, I am not going to provide any more information about what is currently happening and how this has evolved. The situation has escalated quite a lot, and I no longer feel comfortable updating strangers on this deeply troubling matter.

Administration is involved. Complaints have been made to high ups at the police department. Hopefully, this guy won’t just get away with threatening to shoot a family at a school.

I am certainly not sitting by and not letting this go.

A while back, I posted about how a Halloween prank got me a promotion (https://www.reddit.com/user/Jolly\_Ad\_5221/comments/1tcfrgg/how\_a\_prank\_got\_me\_a\_promotion/). Later at the same job, an acting general manager (AGM) tried to change my hours, fired me when I said I couldn't, then lied saying I walked out. (Sorry, it's a long one)

Background: I was working 2 full-time jobs then. I worked in a grocery store deli during the day, then I'd walk across the street to work at the fast food place. To save time walking all the way home and walking back in between, I just showed up an hour early. The GM (general manager) and the AMs (assistant managers) loved it, because I was always willing to jump in and start if it was busy (it was always busy). I even stopped by on my days off before going home to see if they needed help, usually they did. When the GM would leave for the day, the lazy AMs would just hide in the office and let me run the shifts as well as my regular duties. (I didn't mind, because I wanted to prove myself and continue getting promoted.)

GM was full aware of my day job but was cool with it, because I was willing to work 6-7 nights a week.

Now on to the story: Our GM was planning on taking a vacation, so an acting general manager (AGM) was brought in. She started working a few day and evening shifts before GM left to get a feel of our staff and store. During this time, she observed how the day shift was always extremely busy and why managers were always happy when I came in early.

When I got to work the first day of GM's vacation, I grabbed a sandwich to have before clocking in. I stopped to take a quick glance at the schedule to see where I was going to be stationed. That's when I noticed I was penciled in for the following day's first shift and it had GM's "initials" next to it.

When I went to the AGM and said I couldn't come in because of my day job, she said I had to because the "GM" signed off on it. I replied, "That's not her handwriting." We went back and forth a bit before she said, "Then turn in your shirt and leave." I said ok and left.

I went straight to another one of our stores where one of our former AMs was currently the new GM, I asked him for a job. He said he would love to have a worker like me on his crew, but he won't without our former GM's approval (we knew she wouldn't be happy)". So I waited for her return.

On GM's first day back, I stopped by after my day job and asked her to talk. When we sat down, I asked if she would please give me the approval.

She stopped me right there and said, "AGM said you walked in, got your free shift meal, and left." In shock, I started to open my mouth when one of the AMs overheard and rushed over. He said, "That's not what happened. I was here and heard AGM tell (me) to turn in your shirt and leave." GM asked why. I replied, "Because I was written in for the following day's first shift with your initials. When I tried telling her about my day job, she insisted that you scheduled me for it." She asked AM and I to wait a moment, and she went and got schedule for that week saying, "That's not my handwriting." I replied, "That's what I said." AM shook his head in agreement.

GM asked about me walking out after getting my free shift meal. I asked, "You mean this meal?" pulling out a receipt. She asked, "You paid it." I said, "Of course. I was starving after working all day and needed a quick bite before working all night. Was saving my free meal for break."

She apologized and gave me my job back with a raise. I haven't seen the AGM at any of our stores anywhere again.

I used to work customer service for a few decades, but I had moved to a new area and had to get a new job. When I found out I was pregnant and told the manager, I was told I wasn't there long enough for maternity leave. I tried to take unpaid vacation time, but no. By then I was showing way too much to get another job.

When I reached the 8 month mark, I started having complications. Not to mention, I was running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. At this job, you had to "clock out" every time you left your phone. The manager said I was spending too much time "off the clock". Since I needed to keep that job for as long as possible, I gave up my breaks to balance my time out. The manager was satisfied with that.

Went into work one weekend. My regular manager was off, and I was working with someone I wasn't familiar with. At one point they asked, "Why are you clocking out so much?" I stood up, turned to the side so they could see my belly, and replied, "Because a tiny person is beating the crap out of my bladder." They just said ok and left me alone.

A few hours later, I was hurting. Went to the bathroom and realized I was having contractions. The weekend manager walked in and saw me crying and rubbing my belly. They just said, "You've been off the clock too long and need to get back to work."

Since I only had a couple hours left of the day, I tried to work it. Right then, a customer called and was just screaming (She forgot to cancel a free magazine trial and got charged for the subscription.) I tried to explain, but she kept screaming and not letting me talk. Then she screamed that I personally stole her credit card information.

Right at this point, a powerful contraction hit. I started screaming back, "LOOK, LADY! RIGHT NOW I AM IN LABOR! I WISH I DID STEAL YOUR CREDIT CARD, THEN MY CHILD WOULD BE GOING HOME TO ONE HELL OF A NURSERY!" I was crying.

Other managers saw and heard the whole thing. They ran over. One took over the call while the other guided me away and called an ambulance.

While we were waiting, that manager that helped me asked when was my maternity leave supposed to start. I said I couldn't get one since I wasn't there long enough. Turns out the nice manager was one of the top managers/bosses. She immediately granted my leave.