I Did It!!!

Oh you guys!!!! YOU GUYS!!! I made it through the Great Dental Event of 2014! I am pre-empting my vacation chatter to tell you how it went...since you were all so great to pray for me!!

Let's start with the night BEFORE, okay?

So the dentist told me that the night before the procedure, I'd need to take some anti-anxiety meds and some sleeping pills. They said they'd call that in to my pharmacy the day before.

Well among my FIVE separate nightmares surrounding this ordeal, was a dream about how the prescriptions didn't get called in and I went in to the whole mess wide awake and wide aware. So the day before, I called the dentist to let them know about my crazy fears and to make sure the whole thing was set for me. They assured me it was. They also said I'd only be getting happy sleepy pills. The anti-anxiety meds had been canceled because the dentist felt like I could handle the procedure without them. Remind me not to put my best foot forward next time I have a consult. I overplayed it, it seems.

Anyway. Around 3 pm, I called the pharmacy to make sure my prescription was ready for pickup. They had no record of it. ANYWHERE. I asked if it might have gotten called into another location. Nope. He'd checked the whole database of all stores. I didn't exist.

So I called BACK to the dentist's office, and the sweet front office girl assured me she had talked to the pharmacist HERSELF and she would call back to find out what was happening. She called me back a few moments later and said he had it ready to go for me. At the right location.

I made my way to the pharmacy counter after work and stood in a long line. It was so long, in fact, that I had to begin making a little curve around the chairs...and then people got in line behind me. I heard the pharmacist tell the lady in front of me there were ONE HUNDRED orders in front of hers, and perhaps she should come back.

Before I could even pause to be thankful that I knew mine was ready, the guy in line behind me walked ahead of me to the counter. Not wishing to be the second grade wannabe who threw a fit and yelled "HE CUTTED!!!!!!!!" I gave the guy behind me a look like Can you believe he just did that?!?!?! and resumed waiting. And then the guy behind me cut right in front of me as well.

Am I invisible? Is there some weird cutthroat free-for-all at the pharmacy that I don't know about that put me behind the game?

At last I got a turn at the counter, and was promptly told my prescription would be ready in about ten minutes.

Of course.

They finally got my prescription in my hands...and out the door I went with two tiny pills destined to make my life wonderful.

I kept myself very busy the night before, and I slept well, with no nightmares.

Woke up Tuesday morning thankful I was hyped up on Ibuprofen because the dull roar of the caffeine-less headache was unmistakable.

Here I am, ready to go:

I felt peaceful at this point - just a bit teary-eyed about the unknown. I took my pills when I got in the car and was pretty out of it most of the way to Fort Wayne.

I don't remember much about walking in; I just remember crying when they said Ryan couldn't let me have his phone and headphones for music. I was counting on that music. But they were afraid it would stimulate me too much and they said no. I sat in the chair, they put some medicine under my tongue and oxygen over my nose.

They also gave me nitrous, which turned out to be a grave error. I remember pulling the mask off my face and throwing up - and I'm so grateful I don't remember any more than that, because I don't do puke.

I was asleep while they did my fillings and who knows what else - and I remember waking up as they finished that. I was getting anxious, so they gave me more medicine. It was at that point that I got the hiccups. BADLY. I never get the hiccups. But it was so bad that the hygienist couldn't even work. So she left me alone for a bit, turned out the lights, and left the room to let me rest and fall back to sleep. I take that must have happened because I woke up later with her promising me we were ALMOST DONE.

{I told Ryan later that I didn't believe them for a minute. I've been to four childbirths. Everyone lies about time and positive progress just to simmer the patient down. I know the drill.}

When they were fully finished, it was 12:45 - almost five hours after they began. I stumbled out into the lobby and out to the car.

I looked a little something like this:

I'm smiling here. I just couldn't move my mouth. AND I had the hiccups again. Ryan took a video and I hiccupped all the way through it.

Ryan stopped to get me a frappe and some French fries. After that, I slept the rest of the way home. He bought me a coke, and I drank a little bit of that and fell asleep on the couch until dinner time.

People have been so sweet to me.

Ryan gave me a card:

And he took good care of me. He kept my coffee cup full and took care of everything at home so I could rest.

Lynne sent me flowers:

And my friend Amy made us chili so we didn't have to cook. And it was SO GOOD.

I rested all evening - with Miss Braeya Jo Jo by my side.

So thanks very much for all your prayers. I am sure the pain will hit at some point, but so far, I'm okay! And I'm so thankful there were no hidden surprises during the event!!!