Friday, May 12, 2006

Facing a big fear and almost dying - kind of

They other day I had to go to the dentist to have some work done. This is never fun since I have had a fear of the dentist for as long as I can remember. I have been going to the same dentist my entire life. He is a great guy and a great dentist. This time I decided that I was going to see a new dentist because he was closer and also because he is a newer dentist. I have been having some pain on one of my teeth for over three years that my other dentist couldn't explain. I figured it was time to maybe see if a dentist with new technology could find something wrong. Well he did, and I had to have a 3 hour appointment to fix it. All last week, I was really scared. I really hate the dentist, but I knew that I needed to get it done. My husband kept telling me that I should get the nitrous oxide gas to help me feel better about it. I hadn't had it since I was a kid so I thought that he had a good point. So I get there on Wednesday totally scared, but excited to know that the nitrous was going to make it all better.

The nurse gets me all hooked up with a movie (Harry Potter 4) with the ear phones and the goggles to protect my eyes, and the nitrous over my nose. She turns on the gas to get me a little less scared for the shots that are to come. She leaves me to sit and breath in this stuff and to give me a few minutes to settle down. When she came back in I was so high. I have never done drugs before, but I must say that I now understand why people do them. (That was a really bad comment, but very true.) I told the dentist, just joking around might I add, that he needs to alert my husband that there is a problem if I start asking to come in once a week. I was feeling great! My kids were at the sitter, I was laying there high as a kite, and I was watching Harry Potter without any interruptions. It was great. I even started to feel a little sleepy.

They put that crazy rubber thing in my mouth and were off to work. I even started off to sleep. I was in between sleep and drugged and I started to have a dream. I was floating through some clouds, kind of playing around and having a good time. I saw this great big white light that I thought would be fun to float over to. So off I went. Well, I really wasn't asleep yet so I totally thought that I was dying. So I force myself to open my eyes and come back to life. Then I realize that the big white light I was following was not the tunnel into heaven. It was the big bright light that they shine right onto your face. Being in a half normal, altered state of mind, I was a little realived that I was dead, but I was starting to have a panic attack anyway. I was a little TOO high at this point. The nurse noticed and then told me she was going to turn down the gas.

Still drugged I sat there totally afraid to go to sleep. So I did everything that I could to try to stay awake. I don't remember what the dentist and the nurse was talking about, but I remember trying to laugh. I heard what they said and I thought to myself "did they really just say that?" Then I started to think about my "near death experience" and all that crap that I had on my face and I started to get all claustrophobic. As a kid I used to have really bad problems with being claustrophobic. And here it was again. I stated to have another panic attack. I am sure that the dentist thought that I was nuts, but I was really feeling it. The room also started to spin and I was getting really sick. So they let me sit up and breath oxygen. Oh what a relief! I wasn't going to die!

So after all that and four hours later, I was able to leave. I still hate then dentist and my mouth is really sore still, but I learned something about myself that day. I would make a really bad drug addict.

4 comments:

MommyOutOfControl said...

Oh you poor thing...I hope you are starting to feel a little less sore now. I know what you mean about making a bad drug addict though. Going to the ER for my migraines I always get IV pain meds...STRONG ones. When they push the drug in it gives you this powerful surge of pressure (only way to describe it) in your head and chest and I HATE IT! The doctor said that is the RUSH that addicts look for...good golly forget that, I can't stand it. Not to mention the fact that for hours afterward I don't really know anything that is going on...can't function well at all. Forget it. Hang in there...it will get better. If you have to have another procedure done they will have a better idea how much Nitrous Oxide to give you (today was your first...kinda like a test drive). Hugs.
Jamie

Kat said...

I get shots for my migrines..i hate it i feel crazy but it gets rid of them. You poor thing going to the dentist is bad enough...i'm glad so your feeling better

Becca G said...

I got high on the gas at the dentists once, and it totally freaked me out too. I had to tell them to take it off. I don't know what I thought was going to happen, but I definitely freaked.

trisha said...

thats awful......it is very scary knowing you have sto go sit in the dental chair....i am recently having some work done as well and i have feared the dentist all my life too. i just get the shots and deal with the rest.......

i wasn't happy at all last week during or after my first appt of work being done. i have 1 more on wed and then i'll be good to go for 6 months.......

hope you had a great mother's day!!!