Mrrffll Wrrffll Wrrffll

I've been the the dentist, can you tell?

My first appointment (of four!) was scheduled for tomorrow, but his office called yesterday to say that they'd had a cancellation. Since I was already taking off for a while today (more on that later), I decided to just take a half-day today, so I can work a full day tomorrow.

But, let's back up a bit . . . .

Originally, Shrike was scheduled to take the MMPI last Tuesday, followed by a consultation with the social worker at the fertility clinic. Then we were to both meet with her today.

Things got all screwy last week, and the consultation didn't happen, so she told us that we could both talk with her today. Shrike was to be there at 12:30, and she'd talk to her for about forty minutes, then call me in for the remainder of the time.

I left work a bit after noon, arrived around 12:45, and called Shrike's cellphone to let her know I was there. I also asked the receptionist to let the social worker know.

At 1:30, I began to wonder if they knew, so I called her again. This time she answered (the first call, no answer required, was prearranged), and said they'd be ready for me in about ten minutes.

They came out around 1:45, and Shrike had to complete a few more papers (which they were supposed to have given her last week) before we could go back in.

Meanwhile, I called the dentist's office (45 minutes away) to say that I was not going to make it by 2:45; it would probably be more like 3.

We finally went in and chatted with her for a while about the whole IVF thing, and I was able to leave around 2:15.

Shrike still had to talk to her some more, and ended up barely getting to work on time, herself.

Oh, and the "person who enters the MMPI" is on vacation or sick or something, so that hasn't been scored yet.

I had to run down to my old work location to drop off some things (why didn't I do that while I was waiting for an hour?) and before I got there, I realized that I didn't have my wallet with me.

I thought that I'd taken it out while we were there, because I was going to pay with a credit card, but then Shrike handed me her checkbook instead.

Had I handed it to Shrike, when I returned the checkbook?

I called her (she was still talking with this damn woman) and asked if she had it. Nope.

So, I stopped back at the clinic and the receptionist had it. It seems it must have falled out of my jacket pocket as I was putting it on.

Ok, finally on the way to the dentist.

But wait, I'm starving, and how long will it be til I can eat afterward?

So, I hit the drive-thru and then hit the road. I got to the dentist's office about thirty minutes late, so he didn't have time to do everything that he'd planned.

He did two fillings (one new, one replacement) in the top left quadrant of my mouth, but the cleaning for that section will have to wait.

He used a topical anesthetic before giving me the local, so I really didn't even feel the shots going in.

I'd brought along my CD player and a new audiobook, and that really helped to distract me and drown out the sound of the drill.

I made a conscious effort to concentrate on the book, rather than my mouth, to breathe and to not tense up, physically.

I'd made such a big deal about it all at my first appointment, that I think the dentist and his assistant were expecting me to be freaking out, so they "checked in" with me pretty often, and he told me about what he was going to be doing, throughout the procedure.

All in all, the whole thing was actually quite bearable.

If the rest of the visits - when there's scraping and other such cleaning activities going on - aren't any worse than that, I should be okay.

I'm kind of proud of myself for surviving it.

My next visit is scheduled for the 7th, but I'm hoping they have a cancellation and can get me in sooner, so I can get it all over with sooner.

In the meantime, it's been about three and a half hours since the novocaine and it's finally starting to wear off. I can feel most of my mouth now, but it still feels a bit funny, and doesn't seem to be working quite right yet.