I’m so drained, and I’m not referring to lack of sleep or anything like that today (I also went to bed a lot earlier last night!) but, no, make that however, I’m emotionally and mentally tired. I just came from the dentist with my 3 year old.
This was her second follow up visit since her surgery. She’s been doing well since it happened except one of her crowns fell out but it was ok, her dentist replace it at the first visit. He said she was healing nicely but we’ve got to make sure she brushes properly and brush the gums. So I’ve been doing that. I told him I can’t do it three times a day but we do it twice a day. In the morning and at bed time.
Well, last weekend while we were at the library the darn crown fell out again! She just calmly handed it to me while I was sitting at the table with her. I told her not to worry we’re going to the dentist next week.
So we got to the dentist this morning (and I was running late because we had unexpected overnight guests and I had to play hostess at breakfast for them) that wasn’t a problem really, it just took a bit longer than I expected.
Anyway, we get to the dentist and finally we get in to see him and he looks at her gum and says “great job she’s healing nicely”. “Good job mom, continue the good work.” You bet I was so pleased to hear this because I am still so touchy about the subject of her mouth and am very anxious about it. And not so much the kudos to me but the fact that her mouth was finally healing!
Now when it came to the replacement of the crown he said he’d better have a picture taken (that’s x-ray) of her mouth just to check that tooth. So finally the results came back and he pulled me aside to say the tooth (what remained of it) has to come out because there’s not much holding the cap. I’m like, “OK sure do what has to be done.” Then I worried how we are going to go about this she’s such a fighter and the pain involved. I was getting mentally prepared to get physical and hold her down if I had to. What was I thinking!
His assistant came in and asks her to put a mask on. This thing looked like something from Star Trek or one of those movies. To get her to wear it I had to get my compact mirror out and made lots of excitement about how she looked like an alien and she can go home and tell her brother about it!
All of a sudden she stops wiggling and got really quite. I asked if she was ok they said she’s fine mom. Well, lo and behold, she’s as compliant as can be. You could have done anything to her and she wouldn’t have resisted. Not a peep out of her. Anything they told her to do, she did. Just like that.
So they injected her, no response; took the tooth out, no response; made a mold of her mouth to do something else, no response! I’m amaze at what the laughing gas did to her!
I commented that this thing can be really dangerous stuff! Of course in the dentist’s hand it’s very useful to get a boisterous child quiet so that necessary work can be done.
She’s OK now. I just didn’t realize how anxious I was about it all and what pressure I was putting on myself. That's why I'm suddenly feeling so drained.
Whew! Thank heavens for that laughing gas however, that thing is dangerous!