Wasn't That Fun?

Yeeeeaaahh … not so much.

Actually, I don’t remember a whole lot about Tuesday’s date with the gum surgeon. I went to work in the morning, then home at noon to take the oral sedative and get comfy for the ordeal while the pills took effect. That was interesting. One minute I felt completely normal, the next I could hardly wobble my way down the hall. The creepy thing was that I had no immediate drowsiness. My motor skills simply seeped away, followed by a fair chunk of memory. Maybe that’s what being drunk is like? Except that I knew I wasn’t right; I just couldn’t do anything about it.

I do recall mowing my way through a pile of leaves to get to the car. Ter went around, but either I didn’t see them or I didn’t care. I do not recall the drive to the dentist’s office. Suddenly I was being steered through the lobby and into the waiting room, where I sat propped against Ter until someone noticed we had arrived. Poor Ter; my ferocious shark Finn. She told me later that the enraging point for her was when I looked up at her with tears in my eyes and said, “I don’t like this.” After that, action happened, little of which I remember. Just as well. Once the freezing took hold (I do remember the needles!), I dozed and the doctor cut, drilled and sewed. A two-hour procedure was over in half the time, and the next thing I knew, Ter was back and I had a frozen mouthful of dressing.

The welcoming committee had been convened to herald my return: 

 

Truly, there is no one I would rather have tend me than Ter. She is wonderful. She drove me home, got me to bed, updated my folks, made me soup, arranged my pill bottles, read over the post-surgery instructions, checked on me a dozen times during my three-hour nap, and stayed half-awake through much of the night just to be sure I was okay. She even watched a rerun of Dracula’s latest episode with me, to give us both a break.

So, the worst is over … I think. I have a bottle of Tylenol 3s that I doubt I will use, otherwise everything in the top photo is in use. Juggling three kinds of pills is a challenge; I have no idea how people on regular meds keep it all straight. I’m regularly rinsing with salt water, and twice a day with the mouthwash the dentist gave me because I can’t brush near the site. Soft foods only. Tepid liquids only. And everything is tainted with a plastic chaser courtesy of the dressing spread over half of my palate. Yuk. Worse, I'm supposed to talk less to give the site a fighting chance to heal!

I know, I know. Shut up and stop whining, Ru. Will do; I just had to get it off my chest. Once I get the plaster out of my mouth, I’ll be dancing. In the meantime, and here’s a happy aside, though the swelling in my face is minimal, it’s filled in my wrinkles!