The Dentist

Bee Gees Song of the Day: I Could Not Love You More

Here you are, owner of my heart
Just the way that love should be
And there is something I must say to you
If you promise to believe
That it's you I'm living for
And I could not love you more

Went to the dentist today. nnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Six x-rays, 5 other patients, 4 shots of Novocaine, 3 hours in the chair, 2 root canals, 1 temporary crown, and $0 in copays for ibuprofen and vicodin. I don't feel witty enough to make any sort of partridge in a pear tree reference.

My cheek is swollen, my lips are puffy, my gums certainly feel strange, and I'm waiting to see if there is any pain once the meds wear off. I'm hoping its manageable.

It will be interesting to see how I do on my all day Marian retreat tomorrow.

Today's visit was {relatively} painless. A few uncomfortable moments - like the first 3 shots of Novocaine, lots of numbification juice drizzled into my mouth. "Cah I wihs gis aw?" "Of course, you may rinse that out, go right ahead." I hadn't had breakfast and the sour taste of the Novocaine overwhelmed. I started to gag. Dontthrowupdonthrowupdonthrowup. I didn't. Phew.

Don't get me wrong; the doctor and his staff were really top notch. 11 years ago when I had to get another double root canal - same teeth, different side of my mouth - it took 4 visits, and hours sitting in a chair listening to the little fella talk about NPR and the X-Files. I'm not a fan of NPR, and he clearly was not the XFiles aficionado that I was, so our talks were not that robust.

The hygienist today was great fun to talk with; we waxed on about the relative merits of Phil Collins on his own versus his work with Genesis, Sting and the evolution of his craft over time, Owen Wilson, Halle Barry, Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Walters, Ellen Degeneres, Bruce Willis, Britney Spears, XM Satellite radio, and scented face wipes. They have little towelettes brimming with lemony goodness now, were you aware? Makes wiping all the blood spatter off your face remarkably pleasant.

I go back in 2 weeks and have my permanent crown installed. Visit three will afford me the untold delights of experiencing wisdom tooth extraction for the first time. My hygienist had given me homework ~ I'm to watch the movie "Perfect Strangers" with Halle Barry and Bruce Willis. I will be tested. I may require her to watch "My Name Is Kim Sam Soon" - my favorite k-drama series of all time. It's not an even trade, but I think I deserve some recompense.