I Survived!

Over the past three years, I have had an ambulance ride, a Lifeline helicopter ride, three angiograms, a CT scan, a craniotomy complete with aneurysm clip, and a heart stent insertion--but nothing compares to the fear that comes with a tooth extraction! I just dreaded the whole thing, for good reason.

I had two broken molars that needed to come out--upper right and lower left--which meant anesthesia shots on both sides--one in the roof of the mouth. (Those hurt!) The shots take forever! Before long, my lips were numb and my tongue was thick. I could barely swallow, but I was numb. Then came the extractions. Push, pull, crack, snap. Bleed. Stitches. Done. An hour later, I was on my way home with my mouth full of gauze. I was supposed to keep clamping down on the gauze until the bleeding stopped. Three hours later, my jaws were aching from clamping and the bleeding was far from over, but I decided that changing the gauze when it got sopped could be dislodging any clot that was trying to form. I stopped using the gauze. Didn't have any repercussions from that. I think the bleeding stopped, Plavix and all.

Dr. Cheesman found a root tip left in my jaw from a previous extraction just in front of the lower left tooth that came out yesterday. Thus, I was charged for THREE extractions instead of just two. I think he was concerned that it was left over from a permanent tooth, but that one had been a "baby tooth" that had long outlived its usefulness and had broken. Baby tooth roots are shallow and easily broken off, I guess...

When the anesthesia wore off, the pain started. I've had extractions before and never had that first twinge of pain once the numbness went away. This time was different. The upper right didn't hurt. The lower left did. I took some Tylenol and hoped for the best. I had a bit of a rough night, but it was manageable. I did get some sleep...mostly on my right side. I survived!

Today, the pain is just a dull ache...not that raw and injured feeling that comes right after a procedure is done. I can do this! The next chore, after healing, will be figuring out what needs to be done to repair my toothlessness.

Getting ready to have the children here for at least 24 hours of the weekend. Snow in the forecast. Hey...I'm ready for snow to be gone. GONE, do you hear me??!!!!