>filling in

>I made it thirty years.

Thirty years of relatively good health and non-momentous doctor incidents (well, except for labor). No broken bones, cavities, fillings, surgeries, braces, retainers, splints, stitches (well, there were those two…). And then, in no time flat, here I go breaking my toe and now, today, getting THREE fillings.

How is it that for thirty years I never knew I had 1) a small mouth 2) a crazy strong gag reflex and 3) very pointy teeth with deep grooves?

And how is it, exactly, that my dentist failed to mention that I was going to be in pain all day? She made it sound like I’d head off to work and have a perfectly normal day – NOT that I would be aching and completely unable to eat anything – most particularly the delectable cookies I baked for tonight’s snack at class. Trust me, had I known I would have signed up to bring snack NEXT week. I’m getting high off cookie fumes.

This morning was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. The oddness of feeling nothing yet tasting the disgusting banana flavored numbing gel, smelling hot tooth dust and seeing up two people’s nostrils as they poked around inside my mouth… being helpless to close my jaw, move my tongue, drink a glass of water (and the last for hours!). It wasn’t awful, by any stretch, though it certainly wasn’t pleasant. Then again, I feel the same way about pap smears, so maybe I’m a little odd. Well.

And soon I shall have to have those pesky two wisdom teeth (that are practically on my tonsils due to that tiny mouth I mentioned) yanked. Expect more whining then.

I certainly hope I won’t be making up for those first thirty years in the second thirty.

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