Friday, March 27, 2015

My Academic Year (Photos)

Well. It's been a busy school year! I'm almost done....5 weeks left. Whew! I just wanted to share some photos I've took throughout the year. It's been extremely challenging yet rewarding; 3 deaths in my life, lost my job, lost my car for a while, and way too much drama, on top of full-time work and full-time school, but on the positive side a scholarship, plenty of opportunities to teach, make friends, and let go of my past. This summer I'll be focusing a lot on work, getting in shape, and preparing for presentations over musician injuries. Cheers to my first year at CU, and looking forward to summer soon!
Learning/Practicing Timpani
Outside Macky Auditorium
Teaching a trombone sectional on Holst Suite


Macky Auditorium


Hiking in the Flatirons
More hiking....

My nametag from the school of education.

Macky Auditorium

Downtown Boulder

Pearl Street

Snowfall on CU campus

My bus pass and ID...I was so excited to receive these!

More snowfall on campus

More snowfall on campus...

Saying goodbye to some kids moving away from graduate family housing! My roommate and I always played basketball and football with them during the summer.
More campus photos...

We were learning how to do basic colorgaurd during Marching Band Techniques class.

Saying goodbye to the children moving away from graduate family housing. My roommate and I played basketball and football with them all summer. We miss them very much!!! :'(

The hour before my very first conducting experience. Dvorak Wind Serenade.


My first Music Educators Journal! I open it up and there's my high school band director Dr. Burrack.
Fireworks at Farrand Field

At an elementary school in Denver visiting my roommates mom's music class! I taught them about brass and introduced them to the horn and trombone.

Walking home....

More walks....

Conducting high school band on Halloween

More snowfall outside...

Teaching flute basics

Teaching solfege / hand signs.

Working on subdivision charts with a high school trombone section

More conducting....

More conducting photos

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Katie Berglof: My Neuromuscular Dentistry Results

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Since writing my last blog post, I recently underwent Neuromuscular Dentistry tests within the last two months on my jaw, muscles, and nerves. With as much pain as I'm in, I'm not surprised they found that my joint was messed up. Apparently my right side jaw joint is severely compressed, it should be positioned down and forward from where it currently rests, my spine is not curved in the back of my neck like it should be, my masseter muscle is not activating, and my bite is too deep and misaligned.  The right side of my face is in more excruciating pain than my left, and I have to massage and pop the joint back in place with my hand whenever I'm practicing instruments; horn, clarinet, flute, sax, etc.

My doctor has prescribed that I do not resort to undergoing surgery, and instead have a professional neuromuscular orthotic (dental splint) to realign my jaw first and position it back to where it should be. They would track my improvement using CMS (Jaw Tracking), and use Sonography, Electromyography, TENS, diagnostic casts, and diagnostic photographs; all as part of my treatment, testing, and tracking of progress.

They are confident this will help me tremendously because they had me undergo a TENS test and wear a splint  during one of my four hour visits and retested the readings on my bite, jaw movement, and strength, and it showed drastic improvement in my clench and motion. My face even felt relieved for almost a week after that.  I also believe this is the source of my problems, as most of my pain is coming from my joint area. I also wanted to share this research study over FTSED (Embouchure Dystonia) and dental splints: Three cases of Focal Embouchure Dystonia: Classifications and Successful Therapy using a Dental Splint.

I'm planning on using insurance from work to help with reducing the price of undergoing this. I'm not sure when I'll be able to afford it, but hoping someway, somehow, things will work out.