Dream

The fact that I checked my voicemail before hopping in the shower allows me to make this post, since I no longer have to be anywhere until 3:15pm.

( Weird Dream )

At 3:15pm today, I'll be visiting SimplySakka at her place of work. For business, not pleasure. Last Thursday, after having eaten twice and brushing my teeth without any hint of a problem, I popped a stick of gum in my mouth (clients, doncha know) and bit down. *OMGEXCRUCIATINGPAIN* So, a few masochistic experiments later, I determined this wasn't an isolated thing, and gave her a call at the office to describe my symptoms. She says I either have a filling out or coming out, or my tooth is cracked. She said it wasn't unusual for me not to have noticed either happening. So, joy.

On the bright side, it means I'm going to a dentist.

I don't have the horrible fear of dentists that most have. In fact, back when I had insurance, I was an every-six-month-without-fail kinda patient. However, I haven't had dental insurance since I moved here, except for one brief time when I worked for the Red Cross. I made appointments for the beast and me, only to find out that the initial appointment was simply an evaluation, not a cleaning, or all the other things I was used to having done all in one visit. Well, before the second visit could take place, I was out of that job, and haven't had dental insurance since. BlckwngdOrcl will someday have dental insurance through his work, but that hasn't happened yet. Anyway, the result of this is that, in essence, I haven't been to a dentist since I moved here 6 years ago. I personally find this rather appalling. I mean, flossing aside, 'cause I'm a bad flosser, I take good care of my teeth, and the lady at the dental appointment I did go to a couple of years ago said my teeth looked like they were in pretty good shape, other than desparately in need of a cleaning. Not sure how much I believe this, since my gums have clearly receded over the years. But, she said her initial look at the x-rays they took showed no cavities. And I haven't had any since I was like 15. (Somehow, moving to South Carolina gave me 3 cavities within a year...) So, this visit isn't for anything other than fixing the immediate problem, but hopefully, we'll have insurance soon. Right now, BlckwngdOrcl is listed as part time, but, as far as I can tell, he's been consistently working full time hours. I'm wondering if Petsmart is one of those places that keeps you part time until you've passed that 90-day mark, then viola! Full time status and benefits. *crosses fingers* Although I really don't know how long he's worked there, so not sure how long it'll be. I'm probably the only weirdo excited at the thought of going to the dentist. (Well, not today's visit. I specifically chose Szikman 'cause they have those painless novacaine injections, and I'm quite sure I'll need a few.) BlckwngdOrcl, on the other hand, needs lots of work done on his teeth. Ah, the joys.

Another appointment of sorts I had today has been postponed. I'm being cryptic about it for now. There are some downsides to having a public LJ. However, I'll tell all when the time is right. In the meantime, generic good energy sent in my direction would be helpful. I'll just say to gear it towards prosperity.

Anyway, that's it so far. I may or may not be posty today, since I can. I'll even give the blonde beastie a ride to work, especially if he buys me lunch. ;)

Tooth

Or, should I say, lack of tooth?

Of SimplySakka's two predictions, the tooth cracking one was correct. Apparently, I didn't even have a filling in that tooth. *shrug* I couldn't tell. I have some of the old silver-looking fillings from Indiana, and some of the porcelain-looking ones from South Carolina, so I figured it could have been one of the porcelain kind. Anyway, the dentist said that, as much pain as I was in, it seemed pretty clear the crack went all the way down, which meant there was really nothing they could do to save it - at least nothing that wouldn't leave me in pain.

So, they pulled it.

Now, never having had this procedure done, I was a bit nervous, of course. I mean, I've seen it done, live and in person, a few years back, when BlckwngdOrcl cracked a tooth and we spend several hours trying to find a late-night dentist, who finally pulled the tooth. He wanted me there while they did it, so I obliged. His came out much easier than mine. They barely had to touch it. Mine fought for it's enamel-coated little life. He had to rock it back and forth a LOT before it came out. The only pain I felt, though, other than his gentle prodding to determine the problem to begin with, was the injection, and even that wasn't bad at all. That vibration thing kicks ass. The extraction itself was painless, really. The only time it hurt was my gum feeling like it was being pinched, and they gave me another shot of novacaine for that, and went back to working the tooth out. I didn't even feel the pressure they thought I might feel. Actually getting the tooth out was kinda anti-climactic, actually.

I asked if I could keep it, of course. Apparently, though, when he was checking it out afterwards, it broke in half. The root of it was black, apparently indicating that it was hemorrhaging. So, yeah, another point for getting it out.

I did reasonably well, I think, during the procedure itself. Had him stop once so I could collect myself, since I was starting to not quite feel nauseous, but thought I might be if I didn't get a hold of myself. Afterwards, though, I had to sit there for quite a while. I got cold, clammy, lightheaded, all that good oh-shit-I'm-about-to-pass-out stuff about 3 times. I sat up, asked to lay back again (they gave me oxygen), decided I was OK to sit up... got even worse after a minute or two... stayed sitting up that time, mostly 'cause I couldn't see where anyone was, and didn't feel like yelling. When she came back in, she laid me back again, without the oxygen this time. There was a time she came in, and I said I thought I could try sitting up again, and she said that if I only thought I could *try* it, she was leaving me there. That was probably a wise choice. :)

I got to see SimplySakka, of course, although I certainly wasn't at my best. We made vague plans for coffee and/or dinner, since my schedule and the beast's schedule suck for planning things.

Anyway, it's over. Did the bloody guaze thing for a while, did the smoothie thing, and stole some of LuneNoire's Tylenol 3. They prescribed me Vicodin, but I can't afford that until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm taking it easy.

Soooo True!

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