The war on drugs better not be aimed at me. I'm on drugs. I like being on drugs right now.
I'm on drugs because I had gum surgery today. It was both better and worse than I anticipated. I sat quietly with my eyes closed for 1 1/2 hours while the dentist painlessly (at the time) added gum tissue from the roof of my mouth to the lower right side of my gums. It wasn't really as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. I still didn't want to see what was happening and so just concentrated on trying to listen to the TV shows playing (my dental office amuses patients with flat screens in each room) while they suctioned. I was happy when I could close my mouth.
My dentist pointed out that I missed the blood splatter on my neck during the clean-up. Then he showed me his handiwork. That's when my normally unflappable tolerance for pain and blood got the best of me.
I'm not supposed to talk for a few days, to give my gums time to heal a bit from the stationary position that not talking allows. My mouth is also full of, essentially, silly putty that covers the two cut-up areas. When I went to the pharmacy to fill my prescription I couldn't talk if I wanted to because the freezing started to wear off. When the pharmacist asked me which prescription was mine I couldn't even answer, tears forming in my eyes as I tried to open my mouth, leading him to check the prescriptions and guess which was me. By the time I got home I felt like my face was being ripped off.
When I had my wisdom teeth out, it was no small surgery. Things were cut up, I couldn't eat for almost a week, and the stitches didn't stop the bleeding for days. I took one Tylenol 3 the first day and that was it. This time I've beat that in the first 10 hours. I'm anticipating I'll have to take it according to the prescription.
Needless to say, I'll be at home on the couch tomorrow instead of working my last reference shift.
On the upside, Boost offers a variety pack of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and mocha meal replacements. Gosh, I'd kill for the ability to eat noodles or beef jerky right now. (Don't ask about the beef jerky. I can't explain it.)
I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. Since I'll be in NYC a week today.
3 comments:
your last refernce shift ever? Or just until you go? I'm sorry about your mouth .... I had a simillar experience in a pharmacy after my wisdom teeth were brutally yanked out! They didn't have meal replacements then. I am intrigued about the putty. Perhaps you won't feel like drinks tommorow?
I checked and the only meds that could interfere with booze is the T3, but I might not need it by tomorrow. The putty covers the cuts completely and sort of stabilises the sutures. I saw a picture of what the gum underneath looks like and I'd rather not see it until it's healed up a bit. Stomach-churning gross. If you want details of the process and/or what it looks like post-op, I can give them.
I have heard enough about this proceedure enough before...I know others who have been through this. When my dentist started threatening me by saying I needed this done...I switched dentists! So far that need has not yet come up again! I hope you will be able to have some drinks tommorow... here's to a speedy recovery!
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