Big Girls Don't Cry!

I made a complete fool of myself today at the dentist office. I've had quite a bit of dental work done lately. First - a huge filling for a tooth that broke while we were in Disney. (That was a nice surprise as we were waiting in line to meet Ariel.) And then a crown prep a few weeks ago for a tooth that has needed one for awhile...but I kept putting it off. Getting a crown is definitely not my idea of a good time, unless I've just won the Miss America pageant.

Regardless, today was the day to have the crown "delivered" as they call it. I drive over to the office, cringing the entire way there. For some reason, my mouth is very stubborn when it comes to getting numbed up. My last two visits I had to have at least 3 or 4 shots before the anesthetic would take affect. AAAHHH! Needles don't really bother me that much, but since these shots go right into the lower jaw area, those muscles are sore for days. Fortunately, I love the people at this practice. Like I said (in a prior post)they are more like distant relatives that I get to visit with every 6 months.

When I walk in this morning at 8am, I offer to treat them to breakfast instead of going through with the "delivery" (would have been a heck of a lot cheaper than the crown), but they just laugh. I reluctantly sit down in the chair and spot that sci-fi lookin' syringe right away. My dentist assures me that he should only have to give me one big shot in the way back and just a couple little ones around the tooth. He knows how much I love these shots. So I brace myself and try to think about something else...All of a sudden, I feel a wave of emotion come over me and I am trying everything in my power not to burst out in tears! I'm thinking, What is wrong with me? I've never cried in the dentist office before. I know I'm tired (kids & hubby have been sick, going to bed too late, kids waking up in the night and EARLY in the morning), but crying? in the dentist office? Really?

So I'm still fighting back tears as he removes the needle and he starts to explain the rest of the procedure. My heart starts racing, my hands are shaking a bit, and then the levy breaks. Tears start streaming down my face....this is crazy!!! My poor dentist...he looks a little surprised as I'm apologizing for acting like a baby. Then he asks, "Do your hands feel shaky?"

"Yes. This is so weird" I reply, laughing and crying at the same time.

Then he proceeds to explain that the shot he gave me had epinephrine in it which can get your adrenanline going and sometimes trigger reactions like this. (He wanted to give me the "good stuff" for this procedure because it lasts longer.) Here I am thinking that the sleep deprivation, work stress, constant cleaning, endless laundry, playing referee for the kids, and keeping Noah off the kitchen counters all day is catching up with me...but nope! It was the epinephrine.

Still, after all this (I won't even go into the rest of the appointment except to say I ended up getting 6 or 7 shots!), I am in definite need of a girls' night out or better yet, a spa weekend! Ah, just the thought of it...

*Check out this post from Diary of a New Mom. It's great reminder that moms need to get away once in awhile...trips to the dentist don't count!