In this case, the Kracken was the aftermath was having my last four,poor, lonely teeth extracted in preparation for a full set of dentures - an adequate amount of anaesthesia and a generous supply of nitrous made the process as easy as falling off a log - it was a classic case of "wake me when it's over" but regrettably, neither the anaesthesia or the nitrous lasted long enough and the Firorinal was only enough to dull the pain. I crawled into bed, numb and uncomfortable, hoping to sleep for three days or until I was pain-free, whichever came first.
Three days of narcotics, sleep, and mush have worked their expected magic and I am mostly pain free and a little hazy but there's no way around it, being toothless is an odd sensation. The upper plate, surely as perfect at the hands of man could make it, fits like a glove - the lower, however, needs additional adjustments and will not be ready for another day or two - shockingly, even my Hollywood handsome dentist is not infallible - so rather than venture out and risk a careless smile, my plan is to stay put and continue my hibernation until Monday. This is all the ineveitable result on neglect and I have no one to blame but myself. Still, after so many years of root canals and crowns and fillings and abscesses, it's a huge relief to know that I will soon have perfect albeit manufactured teeth. Any minor discomfort or accommodation it takes will be well worth it. After some sixty years of dental terrors and crippling, paralyzing fear, the Kraken has been tamed and returned to the deep.
My phobia about dental work has been with me for most of my life and I honestly never thought I'd see the day when I could walk into a dentist's office without unraveling and sit in a chair without the risk of a heart attack from fear or the sudden break of an artificial nail. It took every ounce of will I could summon, plus a healthy dose of valium not to scream, cry, and run from shame and terror. Finding someone who calms these fears - and I have no earthly idea how he does it, not even now after 5 extractions although I have a strong suspicion that the lack of drilling has more to do with it than with his good looks and ridiculously comforting sense of humor - is an absolute godsend. Oddly enough, we've never talked about my fear - he seems to have over come it without even trying, as if he took it from me and put it somewhere far away when I wasn't looking.
The Kraken is no more.
No comments:
Post a Comment