This conversation with WG2 pretty much sums up how bad at am at being a responsible grown-up:
Thursday, December 18th
Approximately 3:30PM
WG1: i decided that i need a life makeover
slash real one
WG2: ok
what does this involve?
WG1: i'll make a list:
1. i need to go to the doctor (i haven't been since college)
2. i need to go to the gyno (same)
3. i need to go to the dermatologist (my skin is a nightmare lately)
4. i need to go to the dentist (haven't been since college)
WG2: WORKING GIRL ONE!
what the FUCK
WG1: 5. once i do all these things, i need to keep up with them and go when i'm supposed to
(I KNOW!)
WG2: you haven't been to any doctors in 2 years?!?!
WG1: right
WG2: you are usually really responsible
WG1: my insurance is switching on jan 1, so once that happens i'll find a doc and go from there
i know, i think i have a thing about drs
WG2: um yea that is not good
now i'm all worried about you
get the fuck checked out
I know! I know! Believe me, I know! For the past few weeks have had a minor toothache on my lower molars. I told myself that after the holidays I would go to the dentist for a check up. I just thought the pain was my wisdom teeth coming in. Yes, I have no gotten my wisdom teeth out yet. But you're not surprised by that, right?
The pain would come and go and it was never really that painful. Until last night. The pain started and just would not stop. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't read. I couldn't watch TV. I couldn't focus at all. It was beyond painful. I'm visiting my mom, so at 4AM, when I could no longer take the pain, I woke her up. She gave me some pain medication, told me to put a heating pad on my cheek and said she'd call her dentist in the morning.
At 11AM this morning, I walked into the dentist's office and said "Hi, I'm Working Girl One, my mom called this morning...". I felt like a kid. I didn't have the correct insurance card or information, which made me feel stupid, and I was told that they'd have to bill me. I sat down in the funny looking chair and got an x-ray of the area with pain.
It was not my wisdom teeth. It was a cavity. A monstrous cavity. Practically the size of my entire tooth. The dentist was a older man and the look he gave me made me want to run out of that room and go hug my mommy. But he wasn't done. He then informed my that the cavity was so large that I'm going to need a root canal! I pretty much started crying right then and there, which I will blame on the lack of sleep. Thankfully, he was nice enough to prescribe me some Vicodin for the pain.
The tears weren't just due to lack of sleep, I am truly disappointed with myself. I have health and dental insurance so I have no excuse for slacking when it comes to my health. I'm also scared shitless of my upcoming root canal. I have an extremely low tolerance for pain, so it should be interesting. I guess this is what I get for not being a responsible adult and taking care of myself. There is nothing like a good kick in the ass to get it into gear.
Oh, and Working Girls, I beg you not to tell me any horror stories of any root canals you've had. They will scare me and probably drive me to just pull the tooth out myself with pliers. But if there is any info you think I need to know, please share. I'm terrified.
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34 comments:
Don't worry about it! It's not that bad, I have had two. The first one was awful, I won't tell you about it, but it ended up being a bad oral surgeon and not the procedure itself. I HATE the dentist, I get sick to my stomach even having them CLEANED twice a year. I can't stand the sounds, that's my problem. I suggest taking the vicadin and take your iPod so you don't have to hear the sounds! YUCK! I get chicken skin just THINKING about it! Good luck! It's not bad!
I've never heard a bad root canal story. Everyone I've talked to says the tooth pain is the worst and the root canal ends that, so it's all good. It'll be fine!
Oh my god...crap! I've had the same recurring pain for the past year and a half. You mean it's not my wisdom tooth coming in??
I'm more or less on the same "Bad at Being a Grown Up" boat. I just recently visited the dermatologist and gyno after waaay too long. Eyes and teeth are next on my list.
Dentists are like a bazillion times scarier than the boogey man.
(and I have had as many Boogey Man encounters as Dentist horror stories. Zero.)
I dunno those dudes have tools.
Tools!
*shudder*
if it makes you feel better, I am the same way.
and am the only one in the office too. yipee.
The dentist makes me want to curl into a ball and cry out for mom.
I hadn't been to the dentist in about 2 years since my last visit. That was really dumb of me. I only went because one of my fillings FELL OUT!!! After going in, I found out I had 2 cavities, had to get one crown, and needed my last 2 wisdom teeth out. After that I found out that one wisdom tooth was too impacted to be removed, if I ddn't want to lose my back molar! I was so freaked out! He said that if it wasn't causing pain I shouldn't worry. Phew. And I thought I kept good care of my teeth!
Anyways, after all that was done in about a months time, I hardly remember it. I remember being SUPER nervous beforehand, but I think we always tend to think the worst. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Of course there was some pain, but I thought I was going to die after all that. Good luck! I'm sure it'll go better than you think!
The last time I went to the doctor he said "If your knee still hurts in a month, we'll have to operate"
That was 5 years ago, and my knee still hurts.
Don't beat yourself up.
If it makes you feel better I just a root canal and I'm perfectly fine.
Eeeeep. I know. I haven't been to the dentist in at least three years... probably longer. I'm way over due for a physical. I have the coverage for these things and still don't go. I don't know why. But don't worry - it has nothing to do with your being a grown up or not. I think grown ups do these things on a regular basis because they need fixing on a regular basis.
I'm the same way, while I was home last week I scheduled a dentist and eye doctor appointment because I'm getting kicked off my parents insurance at the end of the month, despite not wanting to go to either.
I thought I was going to have a cavity, since I hadn't been to the dentist in 2 years, but to my shock I didn't. I agree with whoever above, bring your ipod! Ever since I was a child I brought walkmans, then discmans and now ipods and I keep my eyes closed the entire time! I had way too many teeth pulled and I have weak enamel, so I get cavities really easily, so the dentist is the most feared person, despite him being a family friend.
Good luck!
just so you guys know, WG1 is usually super, super responsible. and that conversation she just related to you is usually me saying 'i know, i know, i will, i will.'
i'd also like to let you know that we don't pretentiously call ourselves WG1 and WG2 in real life. althought, i will admit that on our 23rd birthday bash last year, i was very drunk and started turning my blogger name (aka WG2) into gang symbols with my hands when i was introduced to WG1's co-workers who know me as WG2. embarassing. and WG1 will not let me forget. ever.
I have THAT EXACT SAME TO DO LIST in my google docs right now. Too funny. Well... not funny. Quite pathetic.. but yeah. After the 1st I am going to visit the regular dr, the gyno, AND the dentist.
But I have some good news.. I had a root canal a while back. Usually I demand laughing gas when I get dental work done because I freak out, but this place didn't have it. But I totally didn't need it. It was so smooth. I even went to a concert that night. So I hope yours goes smoothly
WG1
i ammmm with ya
i hate making appts and i hate teeth stuff :(
i have cavities i just know i do but i am too chicken to go in
Take a deep breath, ask for laughing gas, lots of novocaine, and you'll be fine! I've never had one, but my BFF has and she said it wasn't that bad. Her only advice to me was to make sure an oral surgeon does it, not just the regular dentist. That's the type of thing they specialize in. Good luck!
Girl, I've had two root canalas, and I go to the dentist regularly. Seriously, just make sure they numb it enough and then stock up on some pain meds for afterwards! And I haven't been to the dermatologist...ever! So don't feel bad ;)
Hey,
dont worry I have had two root canals and one was on my FRONT tooth. Neither of them hurt at all. basically just a needle and you sit back and relax.
I am a little angry at you. I too have the same basic to do list. Except I don't have insurance. And haven't since I was 18 so that is going on 6... yup i said it SIX years without a doctor visit of ANY kind (except when I had mono and strep throat at the same time (ICK!) and there was no way I could not go to the urgent care and get charged out of the butt for them to give me a few pills and tell me to rest!) Also no dentist except when my wisdom teeth came in( no cavity for me thankfully) so the fact that you have insurance and aren't going... that's just wrong. I will gladly borrow yours and get some check ups.
Yeah, how bad do you feel now? You will be fine. Now go to the damn doctors!!
True story - I called my mom in the middle of the night when I had the worst strep throat of my whole life while I was in spain. Even though she was thousands of miles away, there's something about a mother's healing powers when you're sick and can't sleep.
Other than that, I've never had a root canal so I can't judge the pain levels. However, I do request you spare me any details about it in case I need one down the line! I have no pain tolerance either!!
Good luck :)
I am bad at being an adult too. I haven't been to the dentist in over 5 years and I have cavities that hurt, I just hate the dentist. Its actually one of my new years resolutions to be more responsible about these things. Good Luck with the root canal!
You can just have the bad one taken out and not replaced. I recently had a tooth on the upper right removed and decided to forgo a replacement at the same time as I too have low pain tolerance. The dentist advised I can have it fitted later should I choose too. Its been about 6 weeks and no one has noticed. You can't see it when I smile or laugh and doesn't bother me when eating. So maybe I'll put the money I save to replace it to better use!
I've done the same thing with my wisdom teeth. My dentist has been telling me for years that I need to get all four of them pulled, but I am terrified and keep using pregnancy and nursing (no, I am not a working girl, I am a stay-at-home mom...which is why I enjoy your blog; it's different from my daily life) as an excuse to put it off. Turns out I can put if off no longer unless I want to have a rendez-vous with gingivitis. So I am going to have them yanked in Feb. I'm hoping they can just put me under for like 5 days. I think that seems fairly reasonable, don't you?
I was born with bad teeth, so I've had zillions of those dentist encounters. Dont worry, it's not all that bad (and if you are good and don't shout out or anything, he'll probably give you candies- at least mine did)
That's my list and I've postponed it untill new year. Though I haven't decided w h i c h new year :)
Merry Christmas to you, Working Girls! YOu're great!
WOW i just found your blog from the "20 something blogger" group, and i'm soooo glad i did! you sound just like me.. when i got my first cavity at 20 i cried so hard because i was so disapointed in myself- lol i thought i was the only one!!! Good luck with the upcoming dentist visit- i'm sure everything will turn out just fine!!!
p.s. i still have my wisdom teeth too! no worries ;)
OK I'm in the same boat as you in that is has been way to long since I have been to a doctor or a dentist! I suck at being a grown-up as well.... Maybe that should be the new years resolution ~ To become a better grown-up :) lol
Even if you go to the dentist regularly you can get a cavaty or rootcanal (talking about experience).
Eventhough I was scared as h*ll and almost sh*t my panties :-P, the whole experience was nothing special. Really, I'm not kidding.
When you get the sedative just count to 10, it's finished before you reach 10. Then there's no pain at all :-D. Oh, I didn't get any painrelief medicine afterwards as that wasn't needed.
Feel better already? Chin up from Holland
hehe,look like you learn the lesson!
Everything that I was going to say has already been said, so I'll just wish you good luck! You'll feel better in no time. :)
Dude you rock!!!
If you ever feel the need, leave an anecdote and I'll make sure to post it: http://mylifeiscrap.com
I had a root canal and it was easy peasy! Really don't sweat it. And not only that, but people who go to the dentist regularly end up getting root canals too. Plus, I didn't get my wisdom teeth out until I was 32.
Crappers! I just went after not going for 5 years! Luckily I only had 2 itty bitty cavaties. Thank the Lord b/c I'm petrified of root canals too.
P.S. My husband didn't go for 5 years either and he has cavaties and needs a root canal too. So, like you, he feels your pain. Guess I just got lucky.
Ha! That's exactly how my life is right now! I can't explain to anyone why the doctor/dentist gets no love, but I can seem to do any and everything else on my list! I guess it's just one of those weird, 20-something quirks! You'll be fine!
DON'T FEEL BADLY! It happens! I mean, it probably shouldn't, but I just had my first gyno appt in three years and I just went to the dentist for the FIRST time in SIX years!!! Luckily, it was all good. :) And I had a root canal before, and the worst thing I can remember was how many trips I had to make to the dentist. But not the pain. SO don't be afraid. Just be glad you have health insurance and can take care of it now!
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