Sunday, May 13, 2007

FreakOut In Progress

I have started the pre-dental-work freakout.

Just about exactly one year ago, I bit down on a piece of crisp bacon on Memorial Day, and felt my partial dental bridge snap. It being a holiday weekend, no one was around to fix it -- not that it could fixed, since it had actually snapped in half. This is when I discovered that those things have a life expectancy. I thought they lasted forever.

By the time I saw the dentist, the still-attached part had pulled off, snapping half a tooth in the process. This was, somehow, my fault. The dental surgeon removed the two anchor teeth, and I got a temporary upper central plate. The plan was to start the implant process that August.

August was when I broke my arm.

Tomorrow at about 10:30, they do the extraction. And then there's no turning back. Bone graft. Hope to hell it takes. Then implants (if it did) or god-knows-what if it doesn't. I tell myself that it will all probably work. It probably will. I'd feel better if every time I talk to the surgeon, he doesn't spend about a third of the time looking very thoughtful as he gazes at Xrays. I know he's conservative, and I like that. But I could use a little unalloyed optimism right about now.

I do truly love being backed into a corner, particularly when the condition is partially my fault.

Arghh.....

5 comments:

Sweeti said...

Take some long deep breaths, I'll say a prayer for you.

Jihan said...

i still have a sore gum from an extraction. I feel your pain... You will be in my prayers

Cerulean Bill said...

Thank you both. I am sure that I will be fine. I just tend to be somewhat of a wimp with this stuff -- you know, the way water is somewhat wet....

Rach said...

You'll be okay, and the graft and implant will work out! You'll be in my thoughts today.

Cerulean Bill said...

Thanks, Rach. I wrote a funny response (well, it was intended to be funny) but I think I'll settle for that. By tomorrow, things should be back to what passes for normal, these days....

What I FEEL like doing is baking.