So Mr. Dragon, we meet again.....

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So if you remember earlier this year I faced one of my biggest fears, the dentist. Since then I've gone to that same dentist for another cleaning and while I still hated every second of it, I was able to make it through to the end. In the meantime we had made an appointment with a different dentist to see about getting some fillings done. Why? Because our usual dentist doesn't offer sedation, and if anyone was going to be doing more than a cleaning, I need to be OUT! We ended up having to push back this appointment when I ended up needing to have my gallbladder removed, and the new appointment was to take place last week. I say was because we did go to the appointment, I was there a whole hour before I was sent home. And here's why:

That dear readers, is ONE of FIVE bruises I incurred before we gave up. I have really tiny veins, like so small that "I can't give blood because the needles they use at the blood bank is too big for my veins" small. And the dentist, doing what any medical professional would do, told me to abstain for food and fluids before my appointment. So my tiny veins were dehydrated which made it even worse. They could find a vein to try and put the IV in, but as soon as they started the fluids from the IV, the vein would swell instead of sucking the fluids into my bloodstream. So after poking me in five different spots, they called it quits and sent me home and rescheduled for this week. I'll be honest, I was a bundle of nerves going into the first appointment, so to find out that I had to go back did not help. I cried all the way home and ended up sleeping the rest of the day. I don't handle stress well.

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So with the new appointment, they told me to load up on fluids all the way up to the minute I walked back into the office. I spent the next week drinking water like it was going out of style, along with a couple of glasses of coconut water (with two limes squeezed into it because straight up coconut water is gross!) So my new appointment arrived, again I was nervous and stressed as all get out. But I put on my big girl panties and went. This time, they gave me a round of nitrous to 1) calm me down and 2) it's supposed to help "fluff up" your veins (something they had tried at the previous appointment but it obviously didn't work then). The dentist came in, took a look at my arm, found a vein she liked and gave it a poke with the IV. They started the fluids, we waited a few minutes and she didn't go to remove it. So I looked at her and asked, "Did we get it?" and she said, "I believe so." Next thing I know, 2.5 hours have gone by and they're waking me up telling me it's all over!

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So the dragon as been ran back into his cave for now, but the battle is far from over. I still have my wisdom teeth that need to be removed, which more than likely won't happen till the later part of next year (going under twice in the past 3 months is enough for now). I still hate going to the dentist, and I probably never will enjoy it (but seriously who does?) Thankfully modern medicine has evolved enough that people like me can get the care they need without being completely traumatized.