Extraction

Back on November 4th I was happily munching a piece of slightly overcooked flapjack.  It was almost crispy and very chewy, but the sound I heard from within my mouth was more of a 'crack!'.  A quick investigation with my tongue generated a searing pain. Dentophobics don't read the rest of the paragraph.  A visit to the dentist was scheduled for an emergency 'patch up'.  This was the tooth that had (no so long ago) root canal treatment, so I was expecting it not to be painful.  That's about as wrong as you can be.  In the chair, I was informed that the damage would be evaluated, and the tooth may be saved.  Then the inevitable injection and some tooth stabbings to see if the injections have worked.  They never do.  When the sharpness of the pain was suppressed, a little more investigation was carried out.  The tooth could not be saved.  Extraction was the only option.  More injections, more tooth stabbings.  Wait ..... More injections, more tooth stabbings.  Wait ..... More injections (into the tooth?), more tooth stabbings.  Wait ..... Still there is pain - lots of it.  Tingling around the lips starts about now.  With that, work begins on the extraction, but it is too painful. More injections, more tooth stabbings.  Wait .....  By now, I'm thinking, just get it over with. Get on with it.  I'm unable to say it as my mouth is open.  He seems to read my mind.  Then there begins a series of yanking, pushing, pulling, twisting.  There is another loud crack as a piece of the iceberg that is inhabiting my mouth breaks off.  A bloody shard rises from my mouth guided by long nose tweezers, and disappears into a stainless steel bowl.  Another series of yanking, pushing, pulling, twisting.  I am asked if I am alright.  Silly question.  Another series of yanking, pushing, pulling, twisting. Then just as I'm convinced that the next crack will remove part of my jaw, "It's all out".  Instructions follow about care and recovery, but I am in shock and not paying attention.  I have a strong desire to run - anywhere, so long as it's away.  I stay in the waiting room that felt hot when I came in but now feels cold.  Jo arrives in the car and we leave.  I am relieved to get home.  Now I have to wait until the anaesthetic wears off.  It is still getting stronger.  I cannot now sense my tongue except where it touches the other side of my mouth, or ventures into the newly created pit.  The tingling sensation moves from my jaw to my neck and ever so slowly drains away.  The next day, there is a missed call from the dentist. It's an effort to ring back, but I have to know.  They are just checking I am OK.  I must have looked half dead the night before. Salt hot water mouth washes occur twice a day, always followed by the taste of blood.  It should heal in two weeks, the leaflet I was handed jokes. After the two weeks is up, I stop the mouthwashes for a bit.  The gum surrounding the hole gets very sore, but the volume of foul tasting matter that I can suck from the ex-tooth reduces. At about 3 weeks, I begin to feel something sharp sticking out of the gum.  I work away at it, thinking it's something I've tried to eat.  When I finally get it free and out of my mouth, it is no bigger than a small piece of cut-off finger nail, but it is twice as hard and twice as sharp.  A remnant of the tooth, I think.  The healing process now speeds up noticeably.  Two days ago, another similar occurrence.  Another remnant is expelled from the gum.  The last one I hope.

So why have I scared you / depressed you with this sorry tale.  Well, there was a doctor on the Radio talking about pain.  I've long been convinced (from personal experience) that the medical profession in general have little or no idea about pain.  They cannot suppress it, predict it, or even measure it.  But they can and do pontificate about it.  Then a couple of days later there was someone (half heard, I admit) saying that we should accept the pain that God has allowed us to suffer, and that this can bring relief and even growth. I'm not sure it was referring to these little one-offs, but I'll have to give it more thought.  I didn't end up praying while in the chair, there wasn't a gap in the process that allowed me to focus.  Yes, I know, I shouldn't need to focus, but there it is.

I realise that the experience described above is but a 'nothing' in terms of chronic long term conditions. I am fortunate that I have not suffered in that way. 

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011

The Christmas break for me ran from 21 December to 3 January. It's been a good relaxing time for the most part, but there has been some work involved and an unpleasant visit to the dentist. The only downside has been a robbery that meant that some of the family did not receive the Christmas presents they would have. Well, that and the dentist.  The dentist is always an experience I hate.  I have been 3 times in the last few weeks and have to have an extraction on 3 Jan.  It could be worse of course, I could be in pain with no access to a dentist!

This year I was not involved in leading or preaching at Christmas, which meant that I could choose the services I attended.  My only duty was to lead intercessions at the mid-night service. So I was at the last Christingle service on Christmas eve, the midnight communion service and the Christmas Day service.  Christingle was still well supported even though Christmas eve fell on a Saturday.  I had expected the numbers to be down but that was not the case.  Indeed the attendances have been good through the whole period.

Karen and Robert were waiting for us in the church car park on Christmas Day and we spent the rest of the day with them.  Present opening was super fast this year as Andy took change and 'speed delivered' the presents from the tree to the recipient.  I'll let you imagine what speed delivered means.  The there was a family dog walk in the increasing gloom in the later afternoon.

On Boxing Day (St Stephens Day) we went to visit my nephew for the evening meal.  His wife had cooked for all of us and his family.  Once my children and my sisters children get together you can be sure of a loud evening with plenty of banter and probably quite a bit of "Sing Star" - competitive karaoke.  We were not disappointed.

The next three days operated on the more classic 'Pete Time', getting up late and going to bed late.  The routine became sleep, eat, walk the dog, repeat.  Except for building the new computers at church.  These must be usable by 3 Jan when the office opens for business.  For the first time ever we have purchased new equipment - two identical machines and a more sophisticated storage and backup system.  The basics are ready but there is much more to do before our vision is complete.

Today I led a spoken only service which I was expecting would not be well attended - I was wrong again.  While not at the levels of a normal Sunday there was a respectable number in the congregation.  There were also some old friends, who we increasingly only see once a year.  refreshments were no available but I invited the congregation to stay and chat.  The 45 minute service was followed by about 45 minutes of chat.  Really good to see that we don't need refreshments for this to happen.

P.S. How do I get my google+ photo's on my blog?  With picasa it's easy, a link is provided, but with google+ I haven't a clue!