Tuesday, December 28, 2010

PTSD: Post-tooth (extraction) stress disorder

A freak fracture of my #18 molar forced me into unplanned oral surgery yesterday, a hair-raising experience heretofore unequaled in my 55 years on this planet.  It started when the oral surgeon came in, introduced himself, looked at the X-ray and said, "Well, this won't be easy." (Nothing like instilling confidence in your dentophobic patient.) Then, after shooting me up three times with Novocaine ("What? I'm going to be awake?!? Is the colonoscopy cocktail available?") he proceeded to excise #18 from my jaw.  This took 15 minutes of drilling, cutting and yanking so hard, I thought my head would pop off like a champagne cork. After a fitful night's sleep with the weirdest dreams you can imagine, I am recovering today, fighting off flashbacks and looking for an appropriate support group.

4 comments:

Cathy Hamilton said...

Thanks, SJG. I won't be going back any time soon. Don't forget the kugel. It's a 'soft food', after all.

Marguerite said...

omg, BG, I'm sorry to hear this. What happened to cause the fracture? Take care. Happy New Year and let me know who your friend in Brownsville is! :) Marg

Cathy Hamilton said...

Marg, email me for that name - I think you've emailed me before. It was a wicked piece of peanut brittle that pulled a filling out and cracked the tooth in half almost simultaneously.

KJ said...

Hope you feel better SOON!

Inn of the Governors

The Inn of the Governors on West Alameda is where my maternal grandparents used to stay in the '60s and '70s when they'd visit ...