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kittykitty
Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2015
- Messages
- 36
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
Okay... So here is how my appointment went from start to finish.
I think I've already stated here that I have panic disorder. My main anxieties with going to the dentist have always been 1. The shots making my heart race and 2. Panicking in the chair
I should start by saying that the teeth I had pulled have been killing me for a while now. I mean.. Literally keeping me up at night anytime they would "flare", which was getting more and more frequent. One of my back molars had completely broken in half, and another one on the same side had pretty much done the same thing.
I should also make it clear that when I say "panic disorder", my case is pretty severe, bordering on agoraphobia. I will get out every now and then, but it usually requires me to have a "safe" person with me. I'm just explaining this so that hopefully it helps someone in the same position.
With that being said, you can imagine my fear in knowing that I had to go to the dentist and get teeth pulled. I had originally went to another dental clinic (because they accepted walk ins) out of desperation and they refused to pull my teeth because my heart rate was 122 (again, anxiety). So, I was set up with an oral surgeon.
Fast forward to now. The past two weeks have been hell for me. I've worried myself sick. Had a hard time eating, sleeping, constant knot in my stomach and my heart was constantly racing. Each day closer to my appointment was worse than the day before.
Last night I had to take Xanax just to fall asleep and I ended up waking up at 3 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. My appointment was at 10 am. My mom called me at 8:00 to let me know she'd be picking me up at 9. Gulp. Total knot in stomach.
When she got here I literally kept saying "I don't know if I can do this". She finally convinced me to get in the car and I literally cried on the way there.
Once we were there the people in the office were so nice. I told them about my anxiety and apologized in advance if I was asking too many questions or anything. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. Once I was back in the room the nurse put a blood pressure cuff on me and a heart rate monitor on my finger. I told her I didn't even want to know what it said because it would make me even more nervous. She was really sweet and said everything was going to be just fine. The dentist came in and talked to me for a few minutes and inserted the IV. It was nothing but a scratch. Literally didn't hurt at all. I could feel my heart race a little (I'm not sure if this was because of the medication starting to go in or anxiety, or a combination of both, but it didn't last long (maybe 30 seconds) and wasn't anything unbearable). I could feel myself getting sleepy and relaxed and literally that was it. I was woken up very gently, absolutely zero anxiety. I didn't feel sick or gaggy or anything. I couldn't believe I was done. It was honestly amazing. I was able to talk normally and didn't feel anxious or weird or anything. The nurse wheeled me out to my mom's car and that was it. I was so worried this whole time I'd wake up in a complete panic and it was the exact opposite.
I got home, chatted with my mom for a while, and ate ice cream about an hour after being home. It was literally one of the easiest things I've ever done. The only thing that was hard was the anxiety I brought on myself.
I'm sorry this was so long, but I hope it helps anyone who has the same anxieties as I did. If you're anything like me, it may help a little but you still may worry. I know this because I would read the success stories on this site, and although they helped a little, I doubted my experience would be so easy. I was wrong! Seriously... Please try to relax. It was so easy!
I think I've already stated here that I have panic disorder. My main anxieties with going to the dentist have always been 1. The shots making my heart race and 2. Panicking in the chair
I should start by saying that the teeth I had pulled have been killing me for a while now. I mean.. Literally keeping me up at night anytime they would "flare", which was getting more and more frequent. One of my back molars had completely broken in half, and another one on the same side had pretty much done the same thing.
I should also make it clear that when I say "panic disorder", my case is pretty severe, bordering on agoraphobia. I will get out every now and then, but it usually requires me to have a "safe" person with me. I'm just explaining this so that hopefully it helps someone in the same position.
With that being said, you can imagine my fear in knowing that I had to go to the dentist and get teeth pulled. I had originally went to another dental clinic (because they accepted walk ins) out of desperation and they refused to pull my teeth because my heart rate was 122 (again, anxiety). So, I was set up with an oral surgeon.
Fast forward to now. The past two weeks have been hell for me. I've worried myself sick. Had a hard time eating, sleeping, constant knot in my stomach and my heart was constantly racing. Each day closer to my appointment was worse than the day before.
Last night I had to take Xanax just to fall asleep and I ended up waking up at 3 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. My appointment was at 10 am. My mom called me at 8:00 to let me know she'd be picking me up at 9. Gulp. Total knot in stomach.
When she got here I literally kept saying "I don't know if I can do this". She finally convinced me to get in the car and I literally cried on the way there. Once we were there the people in the office were so nice. I told them about my anxiety and apologized in advance if I was asking too many questions or anything. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. Once I was back in the room the nurse put a blood pressure cuff on me and a heart rate monitor on my finger. I told her I didn't even want to know what it said because it would make me even more nervous. She was really sweet and said everything was going to be just fine. The dentist came in and talked to me for a few minutes and inserted the IV. It was nothing but a scratch. Literally didn't hurt at all. I could feel my heart race a little (I'm not sure if this was because of the medication starting to go in or anxiety, or a combination of both, but it didn't last long (maybe 30 seconds) and wasn't anything unbearable). I could feel myself getting sleepy and relaxed and literally that was it. I was woken up very gently, absolutely zero anxiety. I didn't feel sick or gaggy or anything. I couldn't believe I was done. It was honestly amazing. I was able to talk normally and didn't feel anxious or weird or anything. The nurse wheeled me out to my mom's car and that was it. I was so worried this whole time I'd wake up in a complete panic and it was the exact opposite.
I got home, chatted with my mom for a while, and ate ice cream about an hour after being home. It was literally one of the easiest things I've ever done. The only thing that was hard was the anxiety I brought on myself.
I'm sorry this was so long, but I hope it helps anyone who has the same anxieties as I did. If you're anything like me, it may help a little but you still may worry. I know this because I would read the success stories on this site, and although they helped a little, I doubted my experience would be so easy. I was wrong! Seriously... Please try to relax. It was so easy!