Novacaine Is My Friend

Novacaine is my friend. After breaking my tooth on a recent trip to see my grandchildren I have come to look forward to having novacaine shot into my mouth. I realize that this sounds crazy, but I would rather give birth than have the pain I have had for the last few weeks. After finally obtaining an appointment with a dentist during this holiday season, I was told that a root canal and a crown was in my future. That was bad enough--the anticipation--but then they gave me "the estimate". Three grand for a tooth! Pull it, I don't need it. Apparently I do, because it will affect my bite and greatly annoy my TMJ. Fine, I schedule the dreaded procedure. I am sent home with enough pain pills to get me to the chosen day. The day comes and thinking I will no longer need the pills I take the last one before I go. It wears off before my appointment and I arrive in a considerable amount of pain. Thus begins my love-affair with novacaine. I did not realize just how much pain I was in until the wonderful numbness took it all away. After that came two more shots as he attempted my root canal. Yes, I said attempted. He tells me that my canals are tiny (the only thing that is tiny about me) and he needs to send me to an endodontist. As the receptionist calls the novacaine is wearing off and although he was unable to complete the procedure he apparently set those nerves on fire. I was in tears as he injected novacaine once again. I could have kissed the man for the novacaine! I took my vicodin all through the night, but it cannot compare to my pain-free state following the injection of novacaine. Today was much the same as I arrive for my prcedure in pain. I had to drive myself and decided to make it a drug-free drive. Novacaine to the rescue. Then a lot more as the drill went deeper and deeper. When she told me that I would be in pain for the next few days I raced home before the novacaine wore off and am now drifting happily under the influence of vicodin. Still in pain, but I don't really care.