Monday, June 10, 2019

I Heart Anesthesia

So, when last we talked, our deck was finally respectable-looking, Susie's birthday was duly celebrated, and my impacted wisdom tooth was hurting. Cliffhanger!

I went to the oral surgeon (whimper) that week and he said, "I can pull that out Thursday." I started to ask a bunch of questions and he said, "You'll be out. Totally out. Don't worry."

I like that guy.

But, me being me, I still started to panic when they put me in the chair on that Thursday morning and wrapped a blood pressure cuff on my arm and a thingamajig in my mouth to prop it open and the doctor stuck an IV tube thingy in my other arm - like, tears starting to roll down the sides of my face panicked. And I was thinking, Why isn't anyone trying to reassure me?

Because I was out cold the next second, that's why. Next thing I knew I was awake, with no tooth, and positively giddy with happiness that I had not needed to be conscious for ANY of that. And I am NEVER, EVER, EVER having any extensive dental work done while I am awake, ever again.

Of course, then I spent the next week absolutely convinced I was developing dry socket, and called the doctor's office twice, but they told me to wait until my one-week appointment, where the doctor told me everything was fine, and good-bye, no need to come in again.

BUT, I'm squeamish. And no one told me there would literally be a hole in my bottom gum for, well, going on 10 days now. (Yes, maybe I should have been able to figure that out, but I didn't, okay?) And I've spent the last 10 days feeling utterly grossed out and pretty much screaming inside at the thought of the HOLE IN MY GUM.

I don't deal well with medical things, is what I'm saying.

In other news, Susie was utterly inspired by our newly respectable-looking deck - so inspired, in fact, that she went out there and planted all the little tomato plants that I had bought at the Farmer's Market and then just dumped on top of the planters, because I had that tooth thing going on; and she planted one of the planters with parsley and cilantro and green onions, so now we have a cute little herb garden happening; and she planted the marigolds (that - like the tomato plants - had been abandoned by moi) in the boxes that hang on the deck railing.

She also made us go to Home Depot (me clutching the side of my newly operated-on mouth) for more window boxes for the front railings and for the flowers to plant in them. While we were there, Susie insisted on buying nice-looking tomato cages (to replace our old ones) and plant props (don't know what to call them), in bright colors, and I did as she wanted, because heck, she's in charge of all things gardening now, I guess.




Brian came home from school and saw our pretty blue tomato cages and said, "Oh, I see you got rid of the tetanus specials?" So, yeah, I guess it was time.

We also went strawberry picking, 5 days into my recovery, so even though I may be a hypochondriac, I am not of the languishing variety. I am a very active sufferer, thank you very much.

Thanks to my blog post from last year, I knew that we only needed one flat of strawberries to make 2 batches of jam (with berries left over). After exercising an enormous amount of restraint and not picking 2 flats worth, we came home, and I worked at my editing job for 3 hours, and then I made gazillion jars of jam, all while still doped up on massive amounts of ibuprofen, and do I have any pictures of that Herculean effort? No, I do not.

My only evidence that I went strawberry picking

But at least I didn't have an entire extra flat of strawberries to deal with. See, this is what blogs are good for, Larry.  You don't have to deal with a strung-out, weeping wife at 10 PM, crying over rapidly rotting fruit. At least, not more than once...








7 comments:

  1. You and I have the same feelings about anesthesia. I'm also inordinately fond of whatever medication they give you right before the anesthesia that keeps you from remembering anything right before and right after the big event. I only vaguely recall being wheeled down a hallway and into the operating room.
    Yes, the hole in the gums is weird. (Don't play with it, they say. Yeah, right!) Glad you are on the mend AND that you have a gardener in the family.

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  2. I cannot tolerate anything dental either and insist on being put under. It's wonderful! The hole will fill I promise. Though like you I was a bit freaked especially when I got a bit of food stuck in it.

    Your daughter did a lovely job of planting. Seems to me it makes sense she's does the gardening for now on.

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  3. I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who just can NOT with the dentist. Last time I went, I was a wreck, and then my tooth ached for the next three months. And THAT was just a re-filling. They want to remove my wisdom teeth and I've decided, no, I'm going to see if I can take them with me to the grave. That's what people used to do, right? If everything falls to pieces, well, then I'll reconsider. But they WILL be knocking me out completely, guaranteed.

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  4. I was in college when they pulled my wisdom teeth. I was knocked out, but I woke up in the middle. Very very briefly but I still had a glimpse of what was going on while I was out. Holy crap- being out is best!

    I love the planting. I bought flowers to plant in boxes to decorate our deck for Eddie's grad party. I invited my girls to plant with me, and they were not overly excited. I would love for one of them to take on thst task. I mean unless they want to take over some duty inside thechouse - like cooking. Probably not gonna happen.

    Hope your gaping hole closes soon. Now there's a sentence I don't type often.

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  5. It appears that Susie has a green thumb and a good eye! The flowers look great.

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  6. AnonymousJune 12, 2019

    That line--tetanus specials--too funny!
    Very cool that Susie has taken a shine to the planting end of business around your place.
    I hope your mouth feels better. My son had his pulled over Christmas break and complained constantly of (normal) pain.

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  7. Or instead of getting rid of the "tetanus specials", get boosters.

    Have a happy birthday.

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