But what if my big girl panties are in the wash?

So, I had a root canal and a crown. Some time ago, the crown broke off at the gum line leaving no tooth exposed and virtually nothing substantial for the crown (or a new one) to stick to. My only reasonable choice was to have it removed.

Yesterday I went for a consult at a Dental Surgeons office and was signed up to have the thing pulled (or pushed as they like to call it) the next day. I got in so quickly thanks to a cancellation and the fact that I was willing to have just local freezing.

The choice to go local was pretty simple -- it is cheaper and involves less recovery time. Despite being an obvious choice, I was still a little anxious about being able to hear, and see if I wanted, all the drilling, pushing, and pulling that goes into pulling out a molar. I knew it would require some serious mind over matter to get through.

Well, today is the next day. I didn't think much about it all morning, and when it came time to leave I was in a bit of a rush. So much so there was no chance I could walk. Fortunately my car started so I drove down the hill. The free lot out front is 30-min only, but I decided it was worth the risk of getting a parking ticket if it meant I could recover some of my lost time. Besides, I used up my last twonie on a chocolate bar the day before (yes, the humour is not lost on me). I was so preoccupied by being in a rush, I hardly thought of the procedure at all.

Once I got into the room and lay down on the table, it started to sink in. I had my mp3 player with me to help me focus my thoughts on something other than all the sounds and activities going on in my mouth, but it was of little help really. I could hardly hear it over all the noise.

I settled on a song by Xavier Rudd (GBA? main chorus is "I'm Doing Fine") but I think I might have drifted off or something because I don't remember them finishing. Before I knew it, they told me it was out and they were stitching me up. I still had minor shakes and the idea of a needle and thread probably made me twitch more.

When it was all done and I was ready to go, I sat up and began reading the home care instructions. At that point, the mind over matter trick was no match and I got dizzy. I guess it was more stressful than I realized because tears started running down my face. I lay down, with a cold compress, and recovered pretty quickly. Once the colour was back in my face and I could sit up, I was able to go home.

Now, several hours later, it hurts like something I shouldn't say out loud. The fact that I also have a headache means I might actually take one of the T3's.

I'm trying really hard to be a big girl and suck it up because it was self inflicted.