Graftin’

Last year, I finally, after many years, finished all my dental work. As everyone here knows, I have really bad teeth. I avoided the dentist for many a year, so finally, when I got the courage to get back there, I found that I had thousands of dollars of work to be done. So, I saved my monies, charged what I had to, and finally after a few years, finished the bulk of it. There was one more thing to be done, and that was some implants in my mouth. I was told originally that it was going to be two, so I was ok with this. Well, not ok, but you know what I mean. So finally, after everything was finished, my dentist sent me to an oral surgeon for a consultation. Finally, I worked my courage up to meet with him.

I found that not only did I need the implants, but I needed 3 of them, plus a bone graft to boot! So I found the cost (which, BTW, my insurance doesn’t cover. Because, you know, this is an elective surgery) and then made the appointment. After many a rescheduling, finally, yesterday was my appointment, at 1:00 PM. I, of course, was freaking right the heck out, because that’s what the dentist does to me, so I was trying so hard to keep my morning busy, so that I wouldn’t have to think about it. So I woke up at 10 to 7:00, because I wanted to get a piece of toast in my before my food cutoff. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink for 6 hours prior. After breakfast, I watched TV, then did 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, walked on the treadmill while watching a TV show, then showered and it was…10:12. WHAT?! My time wasn’t going fast enough! So I got ready…watched TV…put away some laundry…painted my fingernails…watched TV…and then it got to be 12:30, and Husband came home from work to take me in. I got there, and had to wait about 10 minutes before they took me back there. Finally I got taken back, where they attached me to a billion machines. One of them was my heartrate/pulse monitor, so I got to see that my resting heart rate is about 60 beats/minute. The girl also took some blood, about 4-syringes worth, to combine with the bone stuff they had to make my bone matter that they’d later put in my jaw. After many attempts, she finally got the needle in. She apologized, and told me that I would probably bruise. She was right:

Finally, after the blood was drawn, and the antibiotic was administered via IV, they then put in the stuff to make me sleep. It must have been just barely 2 minutes before I felt the effects of this, and went out. I sadly woke up before they were finished, so I got to watch that, which I really hate. But then I woke up, they unhooked me, and wheeled me out to Husband, and he and the nurse helped me into the car. On the way home, we got a Frosty for me, because they told me to hurry and get something in my belly and take a Loratab, so that when the numbness wears off, I’ll already have a pain medication happening. I got home, ate about 1/2 of the Frosty, took a pill, and started watching TV. Everyone told me that I’d probably just sleep for the rest of the day. Sadly, that didn’t happen. I was pretty wide awake, for about 20 minutes. Then I’d sleep for 10 minutes, then awake for like, 40, asleep for 10..this went on for like, 2 hours, and then I just woke up completely. So for the rest of yesterday afternoon, I just watched TV, and tried very hard to eat something, anything. The gauze in my mouth, soaking up the blood, was making it dang near impossible to eat anything. Finally, at like, 10:30, I was STARVING. So I took out the gauze, and ate some applesauce, which was delicious. Then I took more pain pills, and finally went to bed. I had to sleep upright, which was really weird. If anyone has had to do that, I’m sorry, because it’s the weirdest.

And there it is. I’m taking these next two days off, to recover. So far today, my face is swollen on the one side, which just makes me look like I have a fatty face. They did tell me that the swelling would be really bad days 2 and 3, and by day 4 (Saturday) I should be pretty near healed, and we’ll see how that happens. I’m glad that this all happened, that I finally got the nerve up to get the process started. And fingers crossed that I heal quickly, and without much pain.