This is my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post hosted by all.things.fadra. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…
• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Five minutes. Got it. Ready, set, go.
So, as I sit here and toss back my pain meds and antibiotics with my ever so favorite morning drink of Coke, I'm going to share my Thursday with you.
Thursday morning I was in the dentist chair for 5 hours. Yes, you read that right. We finally switched to a new dentist, which I love. Well, as much as you can love a dentist. A person who is legally allowed to torture you. The dentist I had before I did like, but didn't like his office practices. Plus he moved to a different location, and hubby didn't like the replacement dentist.
I had a root canal when I was 13. Gross, right? We didn't do much dental care when I was growing up. Thank God it's important for hubby that our girls see the dentist every 6 months. I don't think about stuff like that. I went to the dentist when I was in the military, but didn't go after I got out. It's important for Jake that I'm taken care of, so he makes my appts every 6 months. So we started going a few years ago. Turns out my root canal was done wrong, and it had gotten an infection in my jaw. So I had to have a bone graft in my jaw and the root canal redone done by a specialist. Fun, right? So the dentist was supposed to replace my temporary crown in a few weeks, and his office "lost" my file. So my temporary crown that's only supposed to be worn for about a month? Yeah, I rocked that for 2 years. When they finally found my file, I was pregnant with Ava, and I refuse to get work done without the gas. And pregnancy = no gas. And being pregnant with Ava did a number on my teeth too. Dang, the things you go thru for these kids.
So we switched to a new dental office. Really dig the place. The wife is the receptionist. Husband is the dentist. Daughter is the hygenist. All family owned and operated. So I know I have to get a ton of work done on the lower jaw. Yes, my 5 hours in the chair was just for my lower teeth.
We did the conscious sedation. Basically you are knocked out with pills, but are still coherent enough that if they tell you to open your mouth, you can. Stuff like that. I don't remember any of it. Apparently I just babbled a lot. The dentist told hubby after the procedure was finished, I asked him "Did you plan on starting anytime soon?"
I have no idea what I got done, I panic too much. Nor do I know how much money it cost. For me, ignorance is bliss. I do know it didn't cost as much as Jake set aside. Apparently I had three teeth that might have been on the verge of root canals, but he was able to do fillings and crowns on those. I do know that I had 5 crowns. But they lovely and white, and not that silver crap. These are temporaries, but I love not having a mouthful of silver. I'm actually excited to get the final ones on.
You know what sucks total ass? I take really good care of my teeth. I admit, flossing gets neglected at times, but the hygenist says I hardly have any plaque on my teeth. But she said my saliva could be more on the acidic side, which eats away at my teeth. Or I could just genetically have weaker teeth. It sucks. It's gross. Makes me feel like I'm a dirty bum who brushes my teeth with sugar and gargles with soda. I mean, I constantly get compliments on how white and pretty my teeth are, and yet, yuck. Gross central.
So I do know it cost a lot. I get it. Jake won't tell me the total, cause he knows I'll panic and worry about the money and feel like shit for costing a lot. And he says my job in life is to just be happy.
Am I the only one who feels so damned guilty when it comes to spending that much money on myself? I know we just got a big tax return. Yay for 3 kids during tax season, right? But even though I don't know the cost, I feel like I'm spending all this money that could be spent on other stuff. Nothing big, we have all we need. But stuff like a new TV or something. Paying off my car. Something for the house. Family vacation. Jake just tells me to enjoy it, and that it's his job to keep my happy and healthy, but I still feel bad, sucking up such a huge (unknown) amount of money that he works so damn hard for.
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Sweetie...5 hours is a really long effin time and I'm beyond impressed that you lived to blog about it. My son had awake sedation after he broke his arm and they had to reset his bone. He screamed in agony and begged them to stop but doesn't remember a thing about it. But, I do. And I guarantee you that you screamed your pretty little head off and that the dentist's full grown daughter is going to have nightmares involving you, breaking out of your dentist chair shackles and coming at her with only the scariest dental tools.
Your teeth sound a bit like mine. Doesn't matter how well I take care of them, they still get worn down by acid.
Try not to feel bad about the cost. I know that's easier said than done, but you feel so much better without the constant backdrop of chronic mouth pain.
@Lesley
Apparently I just talked a lot about gummy bears while the meds were kicking in.
I was totally comfortable though, went there in my pj's. Jake took off of work, and my mom watched the girls. I don't remember much else, and my teeth aren't hurting. But I have TMJ in my jaw, and that's the only thing that's been hurting me. Thank God for vicodin! My jaw always hurts for a few days afterwards from having to be open for so long. Ugh, I'm getting old and all janky. Falling apart. I keep telling Jake that he's going to have to trade me in for a newer model. :P
Lucky you for having Jake who won't make you feel guilty about using that money on taking care of yourself. It's hard for moms to do, we always end up being neglected because we know where we'd rather see that money spent.
Holy crap! 5 hours? I would need to be put under for that! Serious dentist phobia here! You are a trooper!
Yikes, 5 hours! No thanks. I'm in the same boat, lamenting about not making money but being able to spend it, feeling guilty, etc. You're definitely not alone!
I have no dental fear... until now. That's a lot of work. But as far as spending the money? Think about it this way. If your teeth fell out, your husband probably wouldn't feel the same way about you. So you're really doing it for him ;)
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