And the journey begins...

Let me start by saying I am TERRIFIED of the dentist. So much so I think the last time I saw one was in about 2003 or 2004 to remove a cracked tooth and then to get the wisdom teeth on the right removed. They outlined a treatment plan to remove the other two on the left and to get some other things taken care of and it was just so overwhelming I panicked and just didn't go back. Mainly because my insurance allowance for the year was going to get eaten up really fast and then would have to pay the rest out of pocket. That alone was enough to scare me off in itself! We just didn't have the extra money and coupled with my fear of the dentist, I just didn't go. I have, however, taken the kids in for their cleanings every 6 months like they are supposed to. I really don't want them to have the issues I am having.

Which brings me to what has started now. Friday I had my other two wisdom teeth and an adjacent molar yanked from my head removed. (OUCH!) I opted for the goody juice and wasn't terribly lucid through the whole thing. I barely remember the drive home or even really the rest of the day. I remember thinking "Wow! When they told DH that I'd be done in about 15 to 20 minutes they weren't kidding!" and sort of giggling in my head. Seriously, the clock showed something 15 and was done at that same something 35. My appointment was at 0800 so not totally sure if my recollections are accurate, I was "on the only legal high" so for some reason I keep thinking it said 1115, but I know that can't be right because we were home by the time I needed to take my noon dose of antibiotics and the oral surgeon I went to was at least a half hour drive away. Anyway, I'm rambling *giggle*

I guess you never really and truly know how much someone loves you until they care for you while recovering from surgery of any sort. DH was just so wonderful and I know he was just as nervous for me as I was. I remember snippets of the conversation happening around me as they wheeled me out of the office and put me into DH's truck and I distinctly remember the worry in his voice. I remember when we first got home I mimed asked where my headband was (I didn't remember taking it off in the truck) and he got a confused look on his face because he didn't understand right away what I was asking. I still don't really remember how he got me upstairs to my bed, but he made sure that I wasn't laying down flat, but sort of reclined. He then left to go fill my prescription for pain meds and get some soups and things that I could eat if I were to get hungry.

I don't really remember much from that first day, just every so often he would come up to see if I needed anything and to see if I wanted something to eat. I vaguely remember hearing him tell the kids to leave me alone because I had a rough morning.

The rest of the weekend was more of the same. :) Though I did come out of my stupor and only took one of the heavy duty pain meds Saturday. Sunday I didn't take any of them and now its Monday and though my jaw still hurts, its more of a nuisance than anything else. I am able to eat solid foods now, though yesterday crunchy things really hurt. I do have another cavity on the right that needs to be filled soon. Truth be told, I have several cavities that need to be taken care of but this one particular one I want done so that I can eat pain free.

Its a really daunting road ahead because I know things are worse now than they were before, but I have found an amazing dentist who doesn't do the finger wagging, shame on you type lectures that the last dentist did. I guess that's one good thing about being in the south, people are just more gentle and friendly down here in general.

I know that we are probably going to burn through the insurance allowance *very* fast, but they are willing to work with me and figure it out.

SO the moral of the story is, take care of your teeth no matter how scared you are of the dentist! If I had just taken care of a lot of this stuff and remembered to brush my teeth on a regular basis this probably wouldn't have happened. Yes, the wisdom teeth would have had to come out, but I wouldn't have had two other molars lost to decay.

Really deep, in depth cleanings start in a couple weeks and then we go from there. I am going to push for that one cavity in the molar on my right to get filled first. Though I don't think its the worst one of the bunch so my dentist may not want to start with that one. *sigh* I guess things will work out how they work out.