The day of surgery is the worst. The anticipation of what is going to happen to you always ensures that you won't sleep the night before. I didn't. I arrived on time. They were quick to collect my full payment in cash upfront. Of course my nervous energy responded with, "yes, of course you need your money before I were to die in the chair..." Just a smile and an "you'll be fine" response from the woman behind the counter.
I was escorted to a room by a man coughing up a storm in his face mask. Great. My mouth is going to be wide open for that. I need to stop thinking like this...it will be fine. So, he pulls up my dental xrays and prepares the room for the doctor. Of course I have to observe every single detail like...um, those aren't the xrays of my teeth.... Good thing I know what my teeth look in an xray. I immediately said something, "um, those aren't my teeth and my name isn't alicia." Nice start to the day.
As he said something like, oh, um sorry...my tension level began to peak. The doctor came in...heard me and tried to break the ice by saying, "of course those weren't your teeth. If they were, you wouldn't need to be here!" Was that supposed to be
funny? Comforting? Um, I think neither.They didn't mess around. Right away it was time to lean back...time to get busy on this! Even though I had an ipod in my ears, he wanted to chit chat with me. First it was..."what do you do?" Well, he knows I don't have insurance so...duh... Next was, "what did you do?" So, I said, "advertising sales." Which really sounded like.. "mafetttipphin mmaelsss" with all of the crap inserted in my mouth. Really, I have no idea why he decided to chat with me..it was all so frustrating.
He admitted that he wanted to calm me down by talking to me so he thought it would be best to talk about the economy next. Really? Seriously? He asked me if I thought it was on purpose...the fall of the economy. First of all, I have no insurance and no income. Second of all..shut the hell up!
I turned the ipod up. My hands are white from gripping them.
Drills, pressure, coughing from assistant, pain, shots, more shots, taste of blood, seeing blood on his hands, more drilling, pain, assistant coughing, more shots...ah, strike gold..he found a cyst. Going to get it checked. He was pretty vague about it, but said the infection was larger than he thought.
So, I have been sleeping all day. My gums look like Frankenstein. I took pics but way too graphic to show...today. Of course I
looked in my mouth...pushing my cheek around looking at the damage and after picked up my one sheet to read the "what not to do" directions for me. (1. Don't look in your mouth and move things around.
Sigh.
Recovery time now with Maggie.
Happy Birthday Mom. I'm sorry we couldn't play today.
