Do you ever stop and think about who you are and how you got to be there? Do you ever wonder who you could have been instead? Or, do you ever wonder about who you will become and where you will end up?
I think that there comes certain times in everyone's life when they look back and realize either how far they have come or how far they didn't go. There seems to be moments when you truly think about who you are and how you came to be there. Looking back on ones life can bring both joy and pain. It can bring sorrow for things lost and regret for things never done. But it can also bring back laughter and love for those around you. One of the biggest things that I have learned about looking back on ones life is that it not only comes with joy or pain, but that it can also come with knowledge.
When one looks back on ones life they usually start too see how they have gotten to where they are today. They tend to start to realize how much they have gone through, whether it be good or bad. But they also tend to realize how much they have learned and how much they have grown in their life. And with that comes the knowledge. The knowledge of what you have learned and what you know to be true. The knowledge of how strong you actually are or what you are truly afraid of. The knowledge of knowing you did something right or knowing you never did what you wanted to do. No matter when you look back or what you look back upon, you seem to always gain a certain bit of knowledge about yourself and who you really are. And sometimes, if you are lucky, you can even gain a bit of knowledge about the person whom you should become.
A lot of these times where one gains knowledge are what some like to call defining moments. Moments in our lives where things irrevocably changed and would never change back. Moments where the choice that you made defined all of the ones that came after it. Moments that in essence define who you are and who you will yet become.
These defining moments that we have come in a variety of styles and forms. More often then not you don't even know that it will be a defining moment. Some of them tend to just come and go and when it is happening it is just part of your day and it is only when you look back that you realize that that moment changed you or your life forever more. However, on occasions there are defining moments that we know are happening right before our eyes. There are times when you realize that whatever choice you make in that moment will change your world forever. There are times when you recognize that you are at a crossroads and that you have to decide in that moment who it is that you want to become. You have to decide who it is that you are willing to be. And sometimes those are the hardest moments of all because when making that choice it means abandoning who you are at the moment and being ready to become someone else. It means being ready to become someone more. And that my friends, can be the scariest thing of all because it also means stepping into the great unknown and believing that you will have not only have the strength, but the courage, to survive and come out being better then who you are at that moment.
Defining moments come in a variety of styles and forms. They come in saying hello, submitting an application, saying yes or saying no, trying something new, taking a different route, and sometimes they come by just getting out of bed. No matter what style or form they come in though, they are always a moment that makes a change. A change in our world and a change in who we are. so as you look back on your life come to realize your defining moments. Come to realize what you have already gone through and how much you have changed over the years. Come to realize what you have learned and the strength that you have gained. For it is only by recognizing our past defining moments that we can come to prepare for the ones in the future. The ones yet to come that will again change a part of who we are and where we are headed. The ones that will define where we ultimately end up.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friends for Life
Today just happens to be the 29th of November. It also happens to be a Monday. What some of you might not know though is that it also happens to be one of my best friends birthday. And...it also happens to be that this best friend is my sister.
Now I have known my sister Wendi for my whole life (I know, shocking right?) But we have not always been the best of friends. In fact, growing up there was a point where I would have told you that I hated my sister. For you see, growing up together we fought pretty much every single day. And not just yelling or stealing toys, no, no. We would literally beat each other up. I am talking punching, kicking, pulling hair, and so forth. I am pretty sure that our mom thought we were going to kill each other one day. So it is a good thing that one day between my last year of junior high and first year of high school we decided that we were cool enough to hang out with each other. I am not sure when, but sometime during that fateful summer we decided that we didn't have to kill each other, but that we could be friends instead. And I have to say that I am glad we made that choice and we have been the best of friends ever since. Don't get me wrong,we still have had our arguments, but we have also learned to laugh and love along the way. Since that summer we have spent many days laughing and many nights talking through the hours. We have completed high school and even graduated from college together. But most of all we have spent our days being the best of friends.
So this is to you Wendi....Happy Birthday! Happy birthday to you as my sister and to you as one of my very best friends. You are amazing and wonderful and can accomplish anything that you set your mind too. It has been fun growing up with you, but even better learning to laugh with you. I hope that you have had a marvelous day my dear and thank you for being not only my sister, but for also being my friend.
Now I have known my sister Wendi for my whole life (I know, shocking right?) But we have not always been the best of friends. In fact, growing up there was a point where I would have told you that I hated my sister. For you see, growing up together we fought pretty much every single day. And not just yelling or stealing toys, no, no. We would literally beat each other up. I am talking punching, kicking, pulling hair, and so forth. I am pretty sure that our mom thought we were going to kill each other one day. So it is a good thing that one day between my last year of junior high and first year of high school we decided that we were cool enough to hang out with each other. I am not sure when, but sometime during that fateful summer we decided that we didn't have to kill each other, but that we could be friends instead. And I have to say that I am glad we made that choice and we have been the best of friends ever since. Don't get me wrong,we still have had our arguments, but we have also learned to laugh and love along the way. Since that summer we have spent many days laughing and many nights talking through the hours. We have completed high school and even graduated from college together. But most of all we have spent our days being the best of friends.
So this is to you Wendi....Happy Birthday! Happy birthday to you as my sister and to you as one of my very best friends. You are amazing and wonderful and can accomplish anything that you set your mind too. It has been fun growing up with you, but even better learning to laugh with you. I hope that you have had a marvelous day my dear and thank you for being not only my sister, but for also being my friend.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cars
The good, the bad, and the ugly. I truly believe that a car is everyone of those things. The good because it is an amazing form of transportation that has the potential to gt you and passengers to other destinations. The bad because they can have their moments where they are not dependable and you always have to keep something up, whether that is paying for gas, oil changes, tires rotated, etc. And the Ugly because when your car happens to decide that it no longer wants to run while you are driving it you end up with a big hunk of metal that you have to look at the ugly bill in order to get it fixed.
Don't get me wrong. I truly do like my car. It works for me most of time and usually gets me to where I need to be. It has air conditioning for the summer and heat for the winter. It has automatic locks and a radio. All in all, it is really all that I need. But, in all honesty....it can be the biggest pain in the butt and the wallet. I am sure that any of you who own a car know what I am talking about. Sometimes they just suck.
Now I have had my far share of car problems over the years. I have had ruined brakes and roder wheels (and yes, it was my fault for driving on them as long as I did), a shattered window, a thermostat break, an antifreeze hose burst, a dead battery, a burned out and broken transmission, worn out tires, and I am sure that there are many more to come. No matter what you do, you always seem to be fixing something. Take this last week for me as an example.
On Monday I decided that I should go and get my brakes fixed because on my way to work I heard that dreaded noise of the squeaking and then the grind. I know that noise and knew that it was not one I wanted to hear. Therefore, on Tuesday morning I found my way over to Les Schawb Tire center and got my front brakes replaced. On Thursday I realized that I would not make it very far if I did not go spend some money and fill it up with gas. And then it happened today. You know that thing that you dread will happen. The thing you don't even think about because you would never want it to happen. Yeah, well that happened to me....my car decided to no longer run while I was driving it on the freeway on my way to work this morning.
It was about 7:40 and there I was running out the door to the car so I could be on my way to work. I needed to be there by 8:15 so that I could ready before my students showed up at 8:30. I smiled because it was a beautiful morning that was just a bit windy. I jumped in my car, started it up, and backed out the driveway. Now I don't know about you, but I like to jam out to songs while I drive and think about life in the process. I found my favorite station and proceeded to head off to work. Car problems where the furthest thing from my mind. Then,just as I was jamming away and getting ready to sing the next song I heard a snap and smelt something burning.
You know that burning plastic smell, that is what it was. I wondered what it could be and whose tires were burning, then I happened to look down and realized that my car was overheating. And not just by a little, but an awful lot and the gauge was climbing higher into the awful zone of problem. I knew then that it was me who had a problem and I needed to get off of the freeway and quick. I worked my way over and headed for the next exit. As I was getting off I noticed that the gauge was as high as it could go on the overheating and that my steering was starting go out as well. Plus, the burning smell was still around, which I new was not good. I followed the curve of the exit and then turned left onto the side road. I promptly pulled off the road and turned of the car. Then I had to decide what to do.
The first thing I decided to do was make some phone calls. The first, to my mom who didn't answer her phone so I left her a message about being stranded on some random road in north salt lake. The second call I made was to my step dad Dennis who did answer and quickly started to call to get me a tow truck. The third call was to my boss, who I woke up, and told that I would not be making it into work today so he would have to cover instead. With all of that taken care of I decided to go look under the hood. That's what people do when you break down so I figured I should give it a shoot. I popped the hood and went to look under it. Upon opening it I didn't notice a whole lot. It all looked the same to me...and then I saw it. My major discovery about what was wrong with my car. The fan belt was broken. The next few hours went something like this.
More phone calls to mom, Dennis and the boss. Waiting on the random street for the tow truck driver to come. The tow truck driver arriving, loading up my car and then me riding with the driver to Big O' Tires. The guys at work asking if I was ok and what I needed done. Then the guys checking out my car to find the problem. them telling me that the water pump had stopped turning causing the belt to get stuck causing the rotater to freeze and then start to melt causing the belt to tighten and then snap, thus causing my car to overheat and essentially stop running. The guys telling me that it would take two hours to fix and wondering if I needed a ride. The tow truck driver charging me for the bill and then offering to take me home. Me accepting the offer and then riding home with the driver. Then me waiting until I get the phone call that it is finished where upon I get a ride from my mom back to the shop, pay $400 and then get to drive my car back home where it now rests in the driveway. All in all, it was a pretty enventful morning that I had never planned on.
It is after weeks like this where you wonder if you should have just bought a new car instead of trying to fix the old one. to bad you only ever realize this after you have spent the money fixing it. Like I said, cars are the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Don't get me wrong. I truly do like my car. It works for me most of time and usually gets me to where I need to be. It has air conditioning for the summer and heat for the winter. It has automatic locks and a radio. All in all, it is really all that I need. But, in all honesty....it can be the biggest pain in the butt and the wallet. I am sure that any of you who own a car know what I am talking about. Sometimes they just suck.
Now I have had my far share of car problems over the years. I have had ruined brakes and roder wheels (and yes, it was my fault for driving on them as long as I did), a shattered window, a thermostat break, an antifreeze hose burst, a dead battery, a burned out and broken transmission, worn out tires, and I am sure that there are many more to come. No matter what you do, you always seem to be fixing something. Take this last week for me as an example.
On Monday I decided that I should go and get my brakes fixed because on my way to work I heard that dreaded noise of the squeaking and then the grind. I know that noise and knew that it was not one I wanted to hear. Therefore, on Tuesday morning I found my way over to Les Schawb Tire center and got my front brakes replaced. On Thursday I realized that I would not make it very far if I did not go spend some money and fill it up with gas. And then it happened today. You know that thing that you dread will happen. The thing you don't even think about because you would never want it to happen. Yeah, well that happened to me....my car decided to no longer run while I was driving it on the freeway on my way to work this morning.
It was about 7:40 and there I was running out the door to the car so I could be on my way to work. I needed to be there by 8:15 so that I could ready before my students showed up at 8:30. I smiled because it was a beautiful morning that was just a bit windy. I jumped in my car, started it up, and backed out the driveway. Now I don't know about you, but I like to jam out to songs while I drive and think about life in the process. I found my favorite station and proceeded to head off to work. Car problems where the furthest thing from my mind. Then,just as I was jamming away and getting ready to sing the next song I heard a snap and smelt something burning.
You know that burning plastic smell, that is what it was. I wondered what it could be and whose tires were burning, then I happened to look down and realized that my car was overheating. And not just by a little, but an awful lot and the gauge was climbing higher into the awful zone of problem. I knew then that it was me who had a problem and I needed to get off of the freeway and quick. I worked my way over and headed for the next exit. As I was getting off I noticed that the gauge was as high as it could go on the overheating and that my steering was starting go out as well. Plus, the burning smell was still around, which I new was not good. I followed the curve of the exit and then turned left onto the side road. I promptly pulled off the road and turned of the car. Then I had to decide what to do.
The first thing I decided to do was make some phone calls. The first, to my mom who didn't answer her phone so I left her a message about being stranded on some random road in north salt lake. The second call I made was to my step dad Dennis who did answer and quickly started to call to get me a tow truck. The third call was to my boss, who I woke up, and told that I would not be making it into work today so he would have to cover instead. With all of that taken care of I decided to go look under the hood. That's what people do when you break down so I figured I should give it a shoot. I popped the hood and went to look under it. Upon opening it I didn't notice a whole lot. It all looked the same to me...and then I saw it. My major discovery about what was wrong with my car. The fan belt was broken. The next few hours went something like this.
More phone calls to mom, Dennis and the boss. Waiting on the random street for the tow truck driver to come. The tow truck driver arriving, loading up my car and then me riding with the driver to Big O' Tires. The guys at work asking if I was ok and what I needed done. Then the guys checking out my car to find the problem. them telling me that the water pump had stopped turning causing the belt to get stuck causing the rotater to freeze and then start to melt causing the belt to tighten and then snap, thus causing my car to overheat and essentially stop running. The guys telling me that it would take two hours to fix and wondering if I needed a ride. The tow truck driver charging me for the bill and then offering to take me home. Me accepting the offer and then riding home with the driver. Then me waiting until I get the phone call that it is finished where upon I get a ride from my mom back to the shop, pay $400 and then get to drive my car back home where it now rests in the driveway. All in all, it was a pretty enventful morning that I had never planned on.
It is after weeks like this where you wonder if you should have just bought a new car instead of trying to fix the old one. to bad you only ever realize this after you have spent the money fixing it. Like I said, cars are the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Magic of Disney
No matter how old I seem to get, I still get excited over things that are Disney. I love Disney movies, Disney parks, Disney songs, Disney TV, Disney merchandise, and Disney on Ice. What can I say, I am just a kid at heart. A kid who will always be a Disney fan.
Therefore, it should not surprise you that when Disney on Ice came to town again I signed up to go. I remember going when I was a little girl with my mom. It was Aladdin and something else I am sure. All I really remember form it was watching Jasmine skate and getting a snow cone in an Abu cup. Even though I don't remember a whole lot from the show, I remember having a blast. As a family, we never went again.
Then a couple of years ago one of my good friends invited me to go with her. She said she loved Disney and wanted to go see the show. I was totally game to go. So we went, and we had a blast. Everything was so much fun from the actual show to the songs, the cute little kids dressed up, and just the overall Disney atmosphere. Plus, being there with a friend who was just as excited as I was made the whole night magical. And ever since, we have gone to the Disney on Ice shows almost every time they have come. I will have you know that they come about every six months.
So when the announcement came that Disney on Ice was here again, we just had to go and on Friday night that is just what we did. We had called up some of are other friends and meet downtown at the gateway for dinner. We ended up going to Costa Vida. Mostly because it was fast...and that fact that we were freezing while standing outside trying to decided. Therefore it won as it was the closest. As friends we always have fun when we are together. And dinner was no different. We love hearing about each others adventures and stories in life, it is was makes it fun and what makes us friends.
After dinner, we decided that we should probably head over to the Energy Solutions Arena for the show. Upon entering the building you walk into a world of Disney. Disney music, Disney booths, and people dressed up like Disney characters. It is exciting and fun right off the bat. We decided to walk around a little bit and see all of the fun things you could get. They always have the same basic things, but they are still fun to look at. They have cotton candy with fun hats, snow cones in character mugs, t-shirts, stuffed animals, coloring books, wands, photos, etc. this year they even had Mickey Mouse blankets. I decided to get one because I realized that in all my Disney adventures, that I had no Disney purchases. i had no Disney merchandise. I figured it was time to change that, plus the blanket is pretty cute.
When the show was about to start we found are seats and got ready for the magical journey to wonderful lands. We were just like little kids when it started with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy coming out onto the ice followed by the goofy Goofy. From there went on a magical journey to a world where Pride Rock is centered around lions and monkeys, then one under the sea with singing fish, from there we traveled to the native islands with hula dancing, and after that we went to a land you can only get to by flying past the second star to the right and then go straight on til morning. Throughout the show we found ourselves singing along to the songs, dancing in our seats, and laughing along with the skaters. After the show we decided to finish the evening off by getting dessert. We headed over to the gateway and wondered into the cookie shop and the rocky mountain chocolate factory for the perfect apple pie caramel apple. All in all it was a magical evening filled with laughter, sweets, and the best of friends. A magical evening that just might have to get repeated again in six months.
Therefore, it should not surprise you that when Disney on Ice came to town again I signed up to go. I remember going when I was a little girl with my mom. It was Aladdin and something else I am sure. All I really remember form it was watching Jasmine skate and getting a snow cone in an Abu cup. Even though I don't remember a whole lot from the show, I remember having a blast. As a family, we never went again.
Then a couple of years ago one of my good friends invited me to go with her. She said she loved Disney and wanted to go see the show. I was totally game to go. So we went, and we had a blast. Everything was so much fun from the actual show to the songs, the cute little kids dressed up, and just the overall Disney atmosphere. Plus, being there with a friend who was just as excited as I was made the whole night magical. And ever since, we have gone to the Disney on Ice shows almost every time they have come. I will have you know that they come about every six months.
So when the announcement came that Disney on Ice was here again, we just had to go and on Friday night that is just what we did. We had called up some of are other friends and meet downtown at the gateway for dinner. We ended up going to Costa Vida. Mostly because it was fast...and that fact that we were freezing while standing outside trying to decided. Therefore it won as it was the closest. As friends we always have fun when we are together. And dinner was no different. We love hearing about each others adventures and stories in life, it is was makes it fun and what makes us friends.
After dinner, we decided that we should probably head over to the Energy Solutions Arena for the show. Upon entering the building you walk into a world of Disney. Disney music, Disney booths, and people dressed up like Disney characters. It is exciting and fun right off the bat. We decided to walk around a little bit and see all of the fun things you could get. They always have the same basic things, but they are still fun to look at. They have cotton candy with fun hats, snow cones in character mugs, t-shirts, stuffed animals, coloring books, wands, photos, etc. this year they even had Mickey Mouse blankets. I decided to get one because I realized that in all my Disney adventures, that I had no Disney purchases. i had no Disney merchandise. I figured it was time to change that, plus the blanket is pretty cute.
When the show was about to start we found are seats and got ready for the magical journey to wonderful lands. We were just like little kids when it started with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy coming out onto the ice followed by the goofy Goofy. From there went on a magical journey to a world where Pride Rock is centered around lions and monkeys, then one under the sea with singing fish, from there we traveled to the native islands with hula dancing, and after that we went to a land you can only get to by flying past the second star to the right and then go straight on til morning. Throughout the show we found ourselves singing along to the songs, dancing in our seats, and laughing along with the skaters. After the show we decided to finish the evening off by getting dessert. We headed over to the gateway and wondered into the cookie shop and the rocky mountain chocolate factory for the perfect apple pie caramel apple. All in all it was a magical evening filled with laughter, sweets, and the best of friends. A magical evening that just might have to get repeated again in six months.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Adventures at the Dentist
It all started on a Friday morning in October. October 15 at 9:40 am to be exact. This is the day and time that I pulled up into the dentist parking lot. At least I thought it was the dentist parking lot. But this is what I pulled up too.
You can imagine my surprise at seeing this where my dentist office was supposed to be. I parked my car anyway and took a look around. At first all I could see was boards, construction workers, and a fence. It took me a moment to see that there was a sign on the fence and that it wasn't just for the workers. This lovely sign said that my dentist office was still open during construction and all I had to do was walk in the opening in the fence to get into it. My first thought was why in the world would I want to walk into a building under construction, let alone when it is the dentist office that I am walking into.
I walked in anyway. And the inside of the place looked.....exactly the same. Apparently it was only the outside that was getting redone. The only difference on the inside was the noise. Since they are working on the building you could hear it all when inside. Lets just say that listening to saws, hammers, and drills is not the best soundtrack when you are getting your teeth cleaned. Now I don't like the dentist as it is. I had way to many cavities as a kid to make me ever want to spend time there. Upon hearing the noise I almost turned around and went right back out the door. But they were too quick. They saw me and had me back in the chair before I could think what to do.
Now even though I don't like going to the dentist, I really don't mind getting my teeth cleaned. I always love the way they feel after the fact. So when the dental assistant came in to clean them I didn't mind at all. In fact I willing sat in chair and opened my mouth so she could get to work. The one thing that I have never figured out though is why they always try to talk to you while they are cleaning your teeth. I swear, every time they ask a question their hands are in my mouth and they look all expectant like they are waiting for an answer. I don't know about you, but there is no way I am going to try and answer a question when there are someones hands in my mouth with sharp pointy tools. Anyway, the cleaning went well and the lady said that my teeth looked good to her. She even said that I was keeping up with things really well and that she would see me again in 6 months. She then said that the doctor was just going to come in and take a look and then I would be on my way. It turns out that the doctor didn't agree.
He took a look at my teeth and said that they looked pretty good. Then he looked at the x-rays....and looked at the x-rays some more and then made that thinking sound that only doctors can make. That one that lets you know that something is just not right. He then turns to me and says that he is concerned about one of my back teeth. He thinks it might be dying and wants to do a test on it. He then proceeds to get another x-ray, a can of air, and a cotton swab. From here he sprays the air on the swab to make it extremely cold. He then tells me that he is going to place it against my teeth and wants me to tell him how it feels. Sounds fun right. So he puts it against my tooth and looks at me expectantly and I know he wants me to tell him what I feel. Well, this is what I feel.....absolutely nothing. I mean I can feel that something is there, but it doesn't hurt in the slightest. He then moves the swab to the tooth next to it. Now I feel something, and it sure is not comfortable. To him, this proves that my tooth is dead and that I need a root canal. I told him to try again. He just laughed and told me to come back in two weeks to get it fixed.
Therefore, two weeks later on October 29 at 9:00 am, I once again found myself pulling into the construction zone known as my dentist office. When I walked in they got me right back into the room. I never even got the chance to sign in, let alone to sit down. I guess they knew that if I had to wait very long I probably would have bolted. Once I was in the chair the assistant put the numbing stuff on my teeth. You know, that stuff that no matter how much you try not taste you always manage to taste and get your tongue numb in the process. Then came the shots. The shots that I always hate that pinch and sting as they go in. While waiting for my mouth to go completely numb my dentist kept talking about how easy it would be and how I would walk out of here in two hours with a cleaned out tooth and a new crown. He kept saying that all would be perfectly fine and that it would be quick and easy. I should have never believed him.
For you see, no project with me is ever as easy as it should be. For some reason whenever I do projects or whenever people do projects with me, they always turn into some complicated mess that requires lots of patience. Therefore, I should have known that getting a root canal would be the same way. It all started out simple enough. Put the plastic lining in my mouth to catch the debris, put the green sunglasses on to protect the eyes, and start drilling out the filling to get to the roots. Well, upon drilling out the filling he noticed that I did not have any blood vessels within my tooth, hence the no feeling. Because of this he started to get concerned that my tooth was further decayed then he first thought. He decided to keep going anyway. After drilling out the filling comes drilling out the roots. So he starts drilling them out and he comes to realize that I do not have three roots like any normal person. It appears that I have four. And not only do I have four, but two of them cross over another and then connect. This means that he can not just drill them out, but that he now has to cut them apart as well. So then while he is cutting out my roots and into my gums he tells me that since he is cutting and since I had no blood vessels that he is worried about infection within my gums. Therefore he would like to fill the root canals that he just drilled and cut with antibodies. Because he wants to do this it also means that I can not walk out with a crown today. It means that I have to get a seal put on and wait 7-10 days before I can get it finished. Which means that I will be coming back....and not in 6 months, but in a week. At this point I just laughed.
The next week, especially the next few days, were filled with pain. Lots of pain. Like getting your wisdom teeth yanked out and punched in the jaw type of pain. But since that whole side of my mouth was now bruised and cut up, it was to be expected. Therefore, I was none to thrilled to go back the next Friday on November 5, when it was most likely to happen all again. . . . I went back anyway.
The third time pulling into the parking lot I walked into the office unfazed by the construction going on(when you are getting used to being in the building under construction, you know you have been there way to much). I walked up to the desk, said hi to the secretary by name, signed in, and began my wait in the lobby. About 15 minutes later I was called back to the same chair in the same room that I was in the week before. That alone should have tipped my off to how the day was going to go. For you see, once again I was given the numbing gel that made my mouth go numb. Once again I was given the shots. and once again my dentist was talking about how smooth the visit was going to to go. He stated that he was just going to clean out the antibiotics, finishing drilling the canals, take the images to make the crown, let me chill while the crown baked and then glue it on. He was pretty sure I would be out before the two hours were up. Once again, I should have not believed him, because this is how the day went.
It started with the plastic lining not fitting right. Therefore, whenever they would spray water to clean off the tooth I would get water going down to the back of my throat, as well as out he side of my mouth and down my neck. The assistant kept trying to fix it, but to no avail. Then when my dentist went to drill the rest of the root canals the drill bit was to long and he hit the bone. So he switched drill bits, and and hit the bone again. Turns out that the drill bits were out of order so that one was too long as well. Next, the rubber band on the plastic lining snapped, which caused the metal frame holding it tight to cut the inside of my check opposite the tooth. Apparently, that side didn't want to be left out of the pain. When he was finished drilling out the canals I had to get an x-ray to make sure that they got them all cleared. While doing the x-ray though they could not unhook the plastic lining. Therefore, the whole time they were trying to take it, I was being gagged by it. To make matters worse, it took them three times to get the picture right.
Once they got the pictures he noticed that he need to drill out one of the canals a little bit more and then file down the rest of the tooth around the canals so that the crown would fit. I laid back down on the chair, they fixed the plastic, and then proceed to get back to work. There was one slight problem though...I was no longer numb. We realized this fact rather quickly because of the pain and the jump I gave when he started drilling again. It was quickly decided that I should be given more shots to make me go numb again. For that, I was grateful. From there the drilling got completed and the filing began. The only mishap with the filing was when he dropped one of the sandpaper like pieces onto my neck and then when he ended up cutting my gum in the process of filing the tooth. At this point, I no longer thought that it was funny or amusing. As this point, it just plain hurt and sucked.
With the filing finished he stated that the worst was over and that now we just needed to make the crown and glue it on. He took the pictures that were needed and then I was left to chill while they went and made it. About 15 minutes later he came back in with the crown. By this point I had already been there for over two hours and I was just ready to go home. I thought I was going to be free and clear. But this is what happened. I went back to the chair, laid down, and opened my mouth. They proceed to dry the tooth and put the cement glue on it. Then he placed the crown and pushed upwards to make sure it was in place. From there they place a machine on it to make sure that the cement cures. So the assistant dose this and then my dentist goes in to clean off the extra cement. It turns out that the cement had not cured all of the way yet so when he pulled on the side the crown lifted up. In that action though, the cement hardened. So now I have a crown that has been cemented on crookedly. This means that my dentist now has to forcibly remove it. Now remember, I am no longer numb at this point, which means that I fill all of the tugging and pulling that he is doing to rip the crown back off. He finally gets it to come loose and cuts my lip open in the process. In order to get the crown back on, he now has to drill off all of the hardened cement from my tooth and from the crown. Once that is complete, they try again. They proceed to dry the tooth, put new cement on it and then place the crown. The assistant once again cures it, this time longer then the first. Then my dentist cleans off the excess cement, wipes up my bloody lip and proceeds to take another x-ray to make sure all is right. the x-ray is good and they tell me I am free to go. So I now get to leave the dentist after being there for 3 hours with not only a new crown, but also with a bloody lip, a cut check and gum, a bruised bone where the drill hit, and a sore jaw from my mouth being opened so long. On my way out the door the assistant asked if I had drugs that I could take for the next two weeks. That statement assured me that there would be pain, and lots of it.
By the end of this adventure this would be my advice to all: If you ever need a root canal, don't get it. Rather, just get the dang tooth pulled. It is seriously not worth the trouble.
You can imagine my surprise at seeing this where my dentist office was supposed to be. I parked my car anyway and took a look around. At first all I could see was boards, construction workers, and a fence. It took me a moment to see that there was a sign on the fence and that it wasn't just for the workers. This lovely sign said that my dentist office was still open during construction and all I had to do was walk in the opening in the fence to get into it. My first thought was why in the world would I want to walk into a building under construction, let alone when it is the dentist office that I am walking into.
I walked in anyway. And the inside of the place looked.....exactly the same. Apparently it was only the outside that was getting redone. The only difference on the inside was the noise. Since they are working on the building you could hear it all when inside. Lets just say that listening to saws, hammers, and drills is not the best soundtrack when you are getting your teeth cleaned. Now I don't like the dentist as it is. I had way to many cavities as a kid to make me ever want to spend time there. Upon hearing the noise I almost turned around and went right back out the door. But they were too quick. They saw me and had me back in the chair before I could think what to do.
Now even though I don't like going to the dentist, I really don't mind getting my teeth cleaned. I always love the way they feel after the fact. So when the dental assistant came in to clean them I didn't mind at all. In fact I willing sat in chair and opened my mouth so she could get to work. The one thing that I have never figured out though is why they always try to talk to you while they are cleaning your teeth. I swear, every time they ask a question their hands are in my mouth and they look all expectant like they are waiting for an answer. I don't know about you, but there is no way I am going to try and answer a question when there are someones hands in my mouth with sharp pointy tools. Anyway, the cleaning went well and the lady said that my teeth looked good to her. She even said that I was keeping up with things really well and that she would see me again in 6 months. She then said that the doctor was just going to come in and take a look and then I would be on my way. It turns out that the doctor didn't agree.
He took a look at my teeth and said that they looked pretty good. Then he looked at the x-rays....and looked at the x-rays some more and then made that thinking sound that only doctors can make. That one that lets you know that something is just not right. He then turns to me and says that he is concerned about one of my back teeth. He thinks it might be dying and wants to do a test on it. He then proceeds to get another x-ray, a can of air, and a cotton swab. From here he sprays the air on the swab to make it extremely cold. He then tells me that he is going to place it against my teeth and wants me to tell him how it feels. Sounds fun right. So he puts it against my tooth and looks at me expectantly and I know he wants me to tell him what I feel. Well, this is what I feel.....absolutely nothing. I mean I can feel that something is there, but it doesn't hurt in the slightest. He then moves the swab to the tooth next to it. Now I feel something, and it sure is not comfortable. To him, this proves that my tooth is dead and that I need a root canal. I told him to try again. He just laughed and told me to come back in two weeks to get it fixed.
Therefore, two weeks later on October 29 at 9:00 am, I once again found myself pulling into the construction zone known as my dentist office. When I walked in they got me right back into the room. I never even got the chance to sign in, let alone to sit down. I guess they knew that if I had to wait very long I probably would have bolted. Once I was in the chair the assistant put the numbing stuff on my teeth. You know, that stuff that no matter how much you try not taste you always manage to taste and get your tongue numb in the process. Then came the shots. The shots that I always hate that pinch and sting as they go in. While waiting for my mouth to go completely numb my dentist kept talking about how easy it would be and how I would walk out of here in two hours with a cleaned out tooth and a new crown. He kept saying that all would be perfectly fine and that it would be quick and easy. I should have never believed him.
For you see, no project with me is ever as easy as it should be. For some reason whenever I do projects or whenever people do projects with me, they always turn into some complicated mess that requires lots of patience. Therefore, I should have known that getting a root canal would be the same way. It all started out simple enough. Put the plastic lining in my mouth to catch the debris, put the green sunglasses on to protect the eyes, and start drilling out the filling to get to the roots. Well, upon drilling out the filling he noticed that I did not have any blood vessels within my tooth, hence the no feeling. Because of this he started to get concerned that my tooth was further decayed then he first thought. He decided to keep going anyway. After drilling out the filling comes drilling out the roots. So he starts drilling them out and he comes to realize that I do not have three roots like any normal person. It appears that I have four. And not only do I have four, but two of them cross over another and then connect. This means that he can not just drill them out, but that he now has to cut them apart as well. So then while he is cutting out my roots and into my gums he tells me that since he is cutting and since I had no blood vessels that he is worried about infection within my gums. Therefore he would like to fill the root canals that he just drilled and cut with antibodies. Because he wants to do this it also means that I can not walk out with a crown today. It means that I have to get a seal put on and wait 7-10 days before I can get it finished. Which means that I will be coming back....and not in 6 months, but in a week. At this point I just laughed.
The next week, especially the next few days, were filled with pain. Lots of pain. Like getting your wisdom teeth yanked out and punched in the jaw type of pain. But since that whole side of my mouth was now bruised and cut up, it was to be expected. Therefore, I was none to thrilled to go back the next Friday on November 5, when it was most likely to happen all again. . . . I went back anyway.
The third time pulling into the parking lot I walked into the office unfazed by the construction going on(when you are getting used to being in the building under construction, you know you have been there way to much). I walked up to the desk, said hi to the secretary by name, signed in, and began my wait in the lobby. About 15 minutes later I was called back to the same chair in the same room that I was in the week before. That alone should have tipped my off to how the day was going to go. For you see, once again I was given the numbing gel that made my mouth go numb. Once again I was given the shots. and once again my dentist was talking about how smooth the visit was going to to go. He stated that he was just going to clean out the antibiotics, finishing drilling the canals, take the images to make the crown, let me chill while the crown baked and then glue it on. He was pretty sure I would be out before the two hours were up. Once again, I should have not believed him, because this is how the day went.
It started with the plastic lining not fitting right. Therefore, whenever they would spray water to clean off the tooth I would get water going down to the back of my throat, as well as out he side of my mouth and down my neck. The assistant kept trying to fix it, but to no avail. Then when my dentist went to drill the rest of the root canals the drill bit was to long and he hit the bone. So he switched drill bits, and and hit the bone again. Turns out that the drill bits were out of order so that one was too long as well. Next, the rubber band on the plastic lining snapped, which caused the metal frame holding it tight to cut the inside of my check opposite the tooth. Apparently, that side didn't want to be left out of the pain. When he was finished drilling out the canals I had to get an x-ray to make sure that they got them all cleared. While doing the x-ray though they could not unhook the plastic lining. Therefore, the whole time they were trying to take it, I was being gagged by it. To make matters worse, it took them three times to get the picture right.
Once they got the pictures he noticed that he need to drill out one of the canals a little bit more and then file down the rest of the tooth around the canals so that the crown would fit. I laid back down on the chair, they fixed the plastic, and then proceed to get back to work. There was one slight problem though...I was no longer numb. We realized this fact rather quickly because of the pain and the jump I gave when he started drilling again. It was quickly decided that I should be given more shots to make me go numb again. For that, I was grateful. From there the drilling got completed and the filing began. The only mishap with the filing was when he dropped one of the sandpaper like pieces onto my neck and then when he ended up cutting my gum in the process of filing the tooth. At this point, I no longer thought that it was funny or amusing. As this point, it just plain hurt and sucked.
With the filing finished he stated that the worst was over and that now we just needed to make the crown and glue it on. He took the pictures that were needed and then I was left to chill while they went and made it. About 15 minutes later he came back in with the crown. By this point I had already been there for over two hours and I was just ready to go home. I thought I was going to be free and clear. But this is what happened. I went back to the chair, laid down, and opened my mouth. They proceed to dry the tooth and put the cement glue on it. Then he placed the crown and pushed upwards to make sure it was in place. From there they place a machine on it to make sure that the cement cures. So the assistant dose this and then my dentist goes in to clean off the extra cement. It turns out that the cement had not cured all of the way yet so when he pulled on the side the crown lifted up. In that action though, the cement hardened. So now I have a crown that has been cemented on crookedly. This means that my dentist now has to forcibly remove it. Now remember, I am no longer numb at this point, which means that I fill all of the tugging and pulling that he is doing to rip the crown back off. He finally gets it to come loose and cuts my lip open in the process. In order to get the crown back on, he now has to drill off all of the hardened cement from my tooth and from the crown. Once that is complete, they try again. They proceed to dry the tooth, put new cement on it and then place the crown. The assistant once again cures it, this time longer then the first. Then my dentist cleans off the excess cement, wipes up my bloody lip and proceeds to take another x-ray to make sure all is right. the x-ray is good and they tell me I am free to go. So I now get to leave the dentist after being there for 3 hours with not only a new crown, but also with a bloody lip, a cut check and gum, a bruised bone where the drill hit, and a sore jaw from my mouth being opened so long. On my way out the door the assistant asked if I had drugs that I could take for the next two weeks. That statement assured me that there would be pain, and lots of it.
By the end of this adventure this would be my advice to all: If you ever need a root canal, don't get it. Rather, just get the dang tooth pulled. It is seriously not worth the trouble.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)