I arrived promptly for yesterday’s
appointment with the endodontist. Since my last experience ended so happily, I practically
pranced into the room in anticipation of another smooth (and final) visit. I
reclined into the same orange chair, bopped my head in time to the same oldies
station, and smirked confidently that this second half of my procedure wouldn’t
hurt a bit.
I’d forgotten a couple
of things, of course. First, I’d popped a few Advil earlier in the day on my
previous appointment. Yesterday, though, Mom had a rough morning, and so I
totally forgot this simple added precaution. Then I’d also neglected to factor
in the fact that the tooth had already survived trauma at the beginning of last
week. My 800 mg of Tylenol usage had tapered back to one pill every evening to
make certain no throbbing interfered with my sleep. However, the moment the
dentist poked me with a probe, I realized pain would factor into this rendezvous
with drill and fill.
The procedure didn’t
take very long, but the discomfort level meant I didn’t find myself mentally
singing with the radio. I did snicker once or twice at a comment made by the
dentist as he gave his opinion of his best friend’s new girlfriend, but
otherwise I focused on breathing deeply and schooling myself against the
occasional twinges that struck my tooth with wickedness. When I checked out at
the receptionist’s desk, the dentist’s assistant went over the same Post-Operative
Procedures as before, mentioning that I would need to make an appointment with
my regular dentist to have the permanent fill done. Somehow, I figured the
endodontist would have done that! Silly me.
I knew on the drive back
home that I’d need Paul’s help for the remainder of the day. His Grammy Sitting
coupled with Mommy Care as he took care of my needs along with my mother’s. I
quickly called my dentist’s office to schedule the final appointment. The
receptionist at their scheduling center typed in my name and birthdate, and
said, “Are you prepared to pay $800.00 today for your crown?” Once my tizzy fit
settled down, (I kept saying, “What? No! I don’t need a crown! The endodontist
saved my crown! I need a permanent filling!”) she decided to schedule me for
another consultation with the dentist. I kept repeating that I absolutely didn’t
need a crown, and I didn’t need a consultation. I needed to schedule for a
permanent filling! Finally, I badgered the poor girl into scheduling a
consultation with possible filling. Once I got off the phone, I decided I
needed some pain killers, changed into pjs, and tried to sleep.
Shortly before dinner time, I woke up from my
restless snooze and decided to blow off cooking dinner. We decided on the Taco
Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken option. Paul wanted to try their new Dorito
Taco, and I knew both Mom and I could handle green beans and mashed potatoes soaked
in brown gravy—comfort food. I don’t know what it is about potatoes (in any
form), but they always alleviate my stress levels. Now that I’ve had my carb
fix, I’ll take another round of pain medications and lounge on the couch for an
episode of Modern Family.
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