A
APhobicQueen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2022
- Messages
- 161
- Location
- Canada
I was thinking today, and maybe this is an odd thing to think because truthfully once the extraction process and procedure starts, my life is changed irrevocably. There is no going back. It’s not just partials, it’s the cleanings every 3 to 6 months (they want me back every three, but I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I can afford that right now. We’ll see.), there’s the fillings I still have to do, the relines for the partials, etc, etc.
But I was thinking about the procedure coming up. And I was thinking about something my best friend had told me (in relation to something else) that, in the grand scheme, an event that I’m scared of, terrified of even, can last a few hours but in makeup that is my entire life (all three decades), it’s not as much time as I think it is. The procedure is scheduled for 1:30 pm, and the GA booked is for about two and a half hours. That’s it. That’s all. Two and a half hours. Then I’m done. Maybe even less actually. Arguably, 30 minutes or some such for recovery, then I go home.
And yes, there will be some bleeding (hopefully only some) and the recovery is going to take a little bit. On average, I see most people saying the worst of it is cleared out by day five to day seven. So that’s a little bit.
But on average, it’s a week. Let’s say a week. A week of my life. And then, it’ll be business as normal (and by that I mean the normal I’d established in March back when I discovered that crack in my tooth.)
And really, that’s not…it’s not that long. I’ve spent years and decades and months and weeks being scared and terrified of dentists (rightfully so with my PTSD from some awful dentists!) but when you compare, I’ll have spent so much more time worrying than I will having the actual procedure done.
Also, why not mention this too? I didn’t always worry about my teeth sure, but I sure as hell thought about them a lot as they continued to get worse over the years. I was aware of them even in the back of my mind, even when I avoided. So really, again, in that grand scheme of everything, it’s not going to be that long, it’s not going to be such a big event that it takes up all of my time and I never see the end of the tunnel. Because I know the plan, I know the end goal. I know the timeline roughly. It was laid out to me in that first appointment even, which was more than I ever had at any other dental places. So yeah. Time to focus on that instead.
One thing I did see that I totally agree with is someone on another forum who said one hundred percent you have to get yourself something afterwards. Some treat. It doesn‘t have to be big or expensive, but it can be if you want. But you have to reward yourself. I for one am all for that (hehe) and I’ve been trying to focus my attention on the idea of getting myself a treat. The best treat would be a multi million dollar lottery win but I dunno if that’s possible LOL Still. I’m trying to associate this time with a good thing. Good things and good times (well sort of, it won’t be a fun time but you know.)
I think this has become my motto now: hope not fear. Love not hate. Acceptance not cursing. I may sign off all my posts with it for a while, and I hope you don’t mind. It helps to write it down and continually remind myself. I will be okay. I will have the smile of my dreams. I will do this. And I’ll be able to tell all of you I did it too!
But I was thinking about the procedure coming up. And I was thinking about something my best friend had told me (in relation to something else) that, in the grand scheme, an event that I’m scared of, terrified of even, can last a few hours but in makeup that is my entire life (all three decades), it’s not as much time as I think it is. The procedure is scheduled for 1:30 pm, and the GA booked is for about two and a half hours. That’s it. That’s all. Two and a half hours. Then I’m done. Maybe even less actually. Arguably, 30 minutes or some such for recovery, then I go home.
And yes, there will be some bleeding (hopefully only some) and the recovery is going to take a little bit. On average, I see most people saying the worst of it is cleared out by day five to day seven. So that’s a little bit.
But on average, it’s a week. Let’s say a week. A week of my life. And then, it’ll be business as normal (and by that I mean the normal I’d established in March back when I discovered that crack in my tooth.)
And really, that’s not…it’s not that long. I’ve spent years and decades and months and weeks being scared and terrified of dentists (rightfully so with my PTSD from some awful dentists!) but when you compare, I’ll have spent so much more time worrying than I will having the actual procedure done.
Also, why not mention this too? I didn’t always worry about my teeth sure, but I sure as hell thought about them a lot as they continued to get worse over the years. I was aware of them even in the back of my mind, even when I avoided. So really, again, in that grand scheme of everything, it’s not going to be that long, it’s not going to be such a big event that it takes up all of my time and I never see the end of the tunnel. Because I know the plan, I know the end goal. I know the timeline roughly. It was laid out to me in that first appointment even, which was more than I ever had at any other dental places. So yeah. Time to focus on that instead.
One thing I did see that I totally agree with is someone on another forum who said one hundred percent you have to get yourself something afterwards. Some treat. It doesn‘t have to be big or expensive, but it can be if you want. But you have to reward yourself. I for one am all for that (hehe) and I’ve been trying to focus my attention on the idea of getting myself a treat. The best treat would be a multi million dollar lottery win but I dunno if that’s possible LOL Still. I’m trying to associate this time with a good thing. Good things and good times (well sort of, it won’t be a fun time but you know.)
I think this has become my motto now: hope not fear. Love not hate. Acceptance not cursing. I may sign off all my posts with it for a while, and I hope you don’t mind. It helps to write it down and continually remind myself. I will be okay. I will have the smile of my dreams. I will do this. And I’ll be able to tell all of you I did it too!