Wrench! Twist! Tear! Bleed!

[elfs]

Oddly enough, it is my body that understood first that something very weird was going on. Despite all of the novocaine, I still had the elevated heart rate and subtle panic reactions of someone undergoing major physical trauma.

I had my lower left molar out, to complement the removal of the lower right several years ago. I have no opposing upper molars for those, so they weren't doing a whole lot, and they were just rotting away under the influence of caries. The doc was tempted to just fill it since it's so tight up against another molar, but he went in with a drill and broke it away from the bone instead of using the other teeth as leverage.

It's weird that my brain insists that I have a tongue where there are no functioning nerves and it continues to insist via properesis that it's moving and responding. I know that no feedback is coming through that nerve channel. I guess this is a subtle experience of phantom limb phenomenon.

When the novocaine wears off, I'm sure that I'll be able to tell everything's there. I have to rememeber to take the gauze out of the wound in a little bit and replace it with a fresh batch. And I'm not to take anything stronger than ibuprofen. Isn't that fun? And no solid foods for 24 hours, no hot food, and use the other side of the mouth for up to two weeks.

At least it doesn't hurt, yet. The new topical they're using did a great job of dealing even with the needle pain, about which I am the world's worst wimp.

Even in my current condition, I managed to write a 300 word LJ and another 700 words in Wishing Well.

And I am so hungry.

Comments

Needle wimps...

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Do you get lightheaded and woozy when someone even talks about coming at you with a needle? Or is it just when they actually stick you with it?

Re: Needle wimps...

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Actually, needles in play don't bother at me all-- they're kinda fun. It's only in the context of dental surgery that I cringe and close my eyes and hope it's all over soon. It's the idea of someone shoving a needle into my mouth that's too much for me to handle.

Re: Needle wimps...

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Needles and I Do Not Get Along, unless they're sewing needles in which case I stick myself all the time with no mental trauma at all (except when I thought I'd bled on the horribly expensive silk, that one time...). Needles in medical contexts give me the heebie-jeebies. *shudder*

Incidentally, hello again. I was on the old alternates list before it died the horrible painful death.