This morning Isaac and I went out to run errands.
First we went through the drive-through window at the bank, where Isaac got one doggie treat.
Then we went to the dollar store, where I bought Isaac a braided pork skin chew.
Then we went through the drive-through window at the pharmacy, where Isaac got three doggie treats. This pharmacist is a sucker for Isaac. Isaac always gets at least three treats out of him - once he got six treats! Isaac starts drooling the minute we pull up to the window. By the time the pharmacist produces the treats, he has slobbered all over my headrest and my shoulder. He really has the "I am a poor starving puppy, please give me treats" look down.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Dealing with Dental Pain
I know I've said this before but I'm gonna say it again. I used to have a really high pain tolerance. I don't anymore.
There could be several reasons for that. I think a lot of it is psychological. I think it's because of my experience in the emergency room almost a year ago, when I was denied any pain medication during a very painful procedure. That might explain it, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with pain.
It could also be because I've had chronic pain for so long now, with my back problems. There has been some research that suggests that when one has chronic pain, it's almost like wearing a grove in the floor from walking back and forth in the same line over and over again. Those neural pathways in the brain are like groves in the floor. So that could be part of it, too.
Whatever it is, it's a lot harder to cope with pain than it used to be.
The pain in my mouth reminds me of the pain in my arms when my cuts were stapled with no pain medication and no local anesthetic. The pain feels similar, like a sharp, stinging kind of pain. Monday night, after having my tooth pulled, my arms started hurting. I knew there was nothing wrong with my arms, I knew that was completely psychosomatic, but nonetheless, my arms hurt. And I couldn't make my arms stop hurting and I couldn't make my mouth stop hurting, and I was here alone in my pain, and that felt a lot like being in the hospital in my room alone with my stapled arms hurting and not being able to get any pain relief.
It's not just the physical pain that is hard to deal with. It's the emotions that come along with it.
The pain is less today. Actually, I think I would describe it more as discomfort than actual pain. My mouth just feels a little sore and irritated. It gets worse when I eat. Eating cold things seems to be worse than warm things. Even really soft things that require almost no chewing, like yogurt, make my mouth hurt. Some of the places in my mouth that hurt aren't even places I had any work done, so I don't know what's up with that. Maybe it's referred pain, maybe it's just psychosomatic. I don't know. I just know it hurts.
I also know I'm hungry and then I eat and then it hurts a lot more and I regret eating. I've been drinking a lot of protein shakes, which don't bother my teeth as much, although warm drinks feel a little better in my mouth. If I drink with a straw, though, the liquid doesn't really touch my front teeth where I had the work done.
I'm worn out from dealing with this pain.
There could be several reasons for that. I think a lot of it is psychological. I think it's because of my experience in the emergency room almost a year ago, when I was denied any pain medication during a very painful procedure. That might explain it, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with pain.
It could also be because I've had chronic pain for so long now, with my back problems. There has been some research that suggests that when one has chronic pain, it's almost like wearing a grove in the floor from walking back and forth in the same line over and over again. Those neural pathways in the brain are like groves in the floor. So that could be part of it, too.
Whatever it is, it's a lot harder to cope with pain than it used to be.
The pain in my mouth reminds me of the pain in my arms when my cuts were stapled with no pain medication and no local anesthetic. The pain feels similar, like a sharp, stinging kind of pain. Monday night, after having my tooth pulled, my arms started hurting. I knew there was nothing wrong with my arms, I knew that was completely psychosomatic, but nonetheless, my arms hurt. And I couldn't make my arms stop hurting and I couldn't make my mouth stop hurting, and I was here alone in my pain, and that felt a lot like being in the hospital in my room alone with my stapled arms hurting and not being able to get any pain relief.
It's not just the physical pain that is hard to deal with. It's the emotions that come along with it.
The pain is less today. Actually, I think I would describe it more as discomfort than actual pain. My mouth just feels a little sore and irritated. It gets worse when I eat. Eating cold things seems to be worse than warm things. Even really soft things that require almost no chewing, like yogurt, make my mouth hurt. Some of the places in my mouth that hurt aren't even places I had any work done, so I don't know what's up with that. Maybe it's referred pain, maybe it's just psychosomatic. I don't know. I just know it hurts.
I also know I'm hungry and then I eat and then it hurts a lot more and I regret eating. I've been drinking a lot of protein shakes, which don't bother my teeth as much, although warm drinks feel a little better in my mouth. If I drink with a straw, though, the liquid doesn't really touch my front teeth where I had the work done.
I'm worn out from dealing with this pain.
No, I Was Not in the Military
Yesterday I saw my dentist to get a temporary bridge put in. This involved grinding down the teeth or either side of my now-missing tooth so that crowns could go over them, which is what anchors the bridge in place. The whole thing took about 90 minutes, which is a really long to be in a dentist chair, especially for me. We did take a short break in the middle somewhere.
A friend went with me to the appointment and I called the office ahead of time to ask if she could be with me during the procedure. Dentists usually like people to wait in the waiting room but I wanted to ask if they would make an exception due to my PTSD. I explained to the receptionist that I have PTSD and was very anxious about the procedure and she checked with the dentist and then told me it would be OK to have my friend with me.
When I arrived, the dental assistant led me and my friend to the back and got a chair for my friend. Then she said to me, "So I hear you were in the military?"
I said, "No, I wasn't."
She looked confused and said, "Bridget said you were in the military." Bridget is the receptionist.
I realized then what happened. I said, "That's probably because I told her I have PTSD and some people think only people in the military get PTSD. That's not true, though. Other people can get it, too."
I've been asked a lot if I was in the military. Actually, my last dentist asked me that, when I told him I have PTSD. The pastor of the church that held the fundraiser for Isaac asked me that. Other people have asked me that, too.
I've never seen any statistics indicating how many people with PTSD are military veterans and how many aren't. I do know, though, that many, many people with the condition were never in the military. It's true that being in combat can cause PTSD but many other things can cause it, including childhood abuse and sexual assault.
A friend went with me to the appointment and I called the office ahead of time to ask if she could be with me during the procedure. Dentists usually like people to wait in the waiting room but I wanted to ask if they would make an exception due to my PTSD. I explained to the receptionist that I have PTSD and was very anxious about the procedure and she checked with the dentist and then told me it would be OK to have my friend with me.
When I arrived, the dental assistant led me and my friend to the back and got a chair for my friend. Then she said to me, "So I hear you were in the military?"
I said, "No, I wasn't."
She looked confused and said, "Bridget said you were in the military." Bridget is the receptionist.
I realized then what happened. I said, "That's probably because I told her I have PTSD and some people think only people in the military get PTSD. That's not true, though. Other people can get it, too."
I've been asked a lot if I was in the military. Actually, my last dentist asked me that, when I told him I have PTSD. The pastor of the church that held the fundraiser for Isaac asked me that. Other people have asked me that, too.
I've never seen any statistics indicating how many people with PTSD are military veterans and how many aren't. I do know, though, that many, many people with the condition were never in the military. It's true that being in combat can cause PTSD but many other things can cause it, including childhood abuse and sexual assault.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Had My Tooth Pulled
I had my tooth pulled yesterday and I spent most of the day today recovering. The actually procedure wasn't bad at all. The only pain was the two Novocaine injections, which just stung for a minute. The tooth came out super fast and I felt pressure but no pain whatsoever. I was surprised it was so fast and painless.
The Novocaine wore off about the time I arrived home, though. I was in pain and all the PTSD stuff kicked in big time. It was a really rough night last night. A lot of crying, some flashbacks, nightmares when I finally drifted off to sleep.
Today I tried to do a little writing but didn't have much success. I just couldn't concentrate. I was anxious and depressed. I am so not looking forward to seeing the dentist tomorrow to get started on the bridge. I've thought a lot about not going. About just living with a gap in my front teeth.
The Novocaine wore off about the time I arrived home, though. I was in pain and all the PTSD stuff kicked in big time. It was a really rough night last night. A lot of crying, some flashbacks, nightmares when I finally drifted off to sleep.
Today I tried to do a little writing but didn't have much success. I just couldn't concentrate. I was anxious and depressed. I am so not looking forward to seeing the dentist tomorrow to get started on the bridge. I've thought a lot about not going. About just living with a gap in my front teeth.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Sometimes I Think Isaac Is Just Brilliant
I know I complain sometimes about being frustrated when he doesn't do what I want him to do and I know sometimes I am embarrassed by his behavior (not often, but it's happened), but other times he is just so good and I am so impressed with him. And then sometimes he is just so smart.
This evening I was sitting on the couch and he was standing beside me, wagging his big strong tail and getting petted, and his tail knocked my hairbrush off the coffee table. I told him to get it for me, but it landed right next to one of his toys, so he started to pick up the brush, then started to pick up the toy instead, then thought about it for a second and decided the brush must be what I wanted and picked that up and gave it to me. How smart is that?
Earlier this evening I ran to the grocery store for some yogurt because that's practically all I've been eating the last few days because of my tooth. I got Isaac out of the car and was getting my groceries out when I saw the cat that has been hanging around here for the last few weeks. Isaac is determined to catch that cat. I spotted the cat an instant before Isaac did and I told him to sit and to stay - and he did! He looked longingly at the cat and I could see he really, really wanted to run after it, but he didn't. I was so happy and so proud of him.
A few days ago I met a friend for lunch at Chipotle and took Isaac. It was the first time I'd had Isaac in a restaurant in a while, probably over a month, which is really not a good thing. I don't go to restaurants very often anymore and I don't always take Isaac when I do because I usually go with someone else and don't always need to have Isaac with me. However, I think it would be better to take him more often just so he could keep in practice.
Well, it was a Saturday at lunch time and Chipotle was really crowded and there was a very long line. I wasn't sure how Isaac was going to do but he did brilliantly. Waited very nicely in line and did not once try to sniff the butt of the guy in line in front of us. At one point he got tired of standing in line (I don't blame him) and decided to lie down, and he has not yet learned that it's not wise to sprawl out in places like that, so I had to ask him to get up and move over. He does that in line at the grocery store sometimes, too. But he was very good.
He was interested in sniffing the garbage can when we walked past but ignored it when I told him "leave it." He did not try to sniff any of the other customers while I was filling my drink, and it was pretty crowded in that area, too. He went right under the table when I told him to, lay down when I told him to, and stayed lying down quietly throughout the meal. He was pretty near perfect. I couldn't have asked for more.
This evening I was sitting on the couch and he was standing beside me, wagging his big strong tail and getting petted, and his tail knocked my hairbrush off the coffee table. I told him to get it for me, but it landed right next to one of his toys, so he started to pick up the brush, then started to pick up the toy instead, then thought about it for a second and decided the brush must be what I wanted and picked that up and gave it to me. How smart is that?
Earlier this evening I ran to the grocery store for some yogurt because that's practically all I've been eating the last few days because of my tooth. I got Isaac out of the car and was getting my groceries out when I saw the cat that has been hanging around here for the last few weeks. Isaac is determined to catch that cat. I spotted the cat an instant before Isaac did and I told him to sit and to stay - and he did! He looked longingly at the cat and I could see he really, really wanted to run after it, but he didn't. I was so happy and so proud of him.
A few days ago I met a friend for lunch at Chipotle and took Isaac. It was the first time I'd had Isaac in a restaurant in a while, probably over a month, which is really not a good thing. I don't go to restaurants very often anymore and I don't always take Isaac when I do because I usually go with someone else and don't always need to have Isaac with me. However, I think it would be better to take him more often just so he could keep in practice.
Well, it was a Saturday at lunch time and Chipotle was really crowded and there was a very long line. I wasn't sure how Isaac was going to do but he did brilliantly. Waited very nicely in line and did not once try to sniff the butt of the guy in line in front of us. At one point he got tired of standing in line (I don't blame him) and decided to lie down, and he has not yet learned that it's not wise to sprawl out in places like that, so I had to ask him to get up and move over. He does that in line at the grocery store sometimes, too. But he was very good.
He was interested in sniffing the garbage can when we walked past but ignored it when I told him "leave it." He did not try to sniff any of the other customers while I was filling my drink, and it was pretty crowded in that area, too. He went right under the table when I told him to, lay down when I told him to, and stayed lying down quietly throughout the meal. He was pretty near perfect. I couldn't have asked for more.
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