a crown to bear, casting my care

approximately a year ago, my dentist warned me of a damaged filling in an upper rear tooth. he recommended it's replacement. I put it off... and off... and off, until early this month when I fractured off two pieces of that same tooth. small pieces to be sure, but more damage to be sure as well. for many months I haven't been eating on that side do to what I called a "zing" feeling I would receive every once in awhile. his new recommendation was a crown for that tooth. a crown?$$? this time I did as I was told and made the appointment.

for those of you just getting to know me, the dentist is my absolute LEAST favorite place to be (thus the procrastination for over a year). for a woman who delivered two 8 lb. babies without epidurals, you'd think I could handle some novocaine and some drilling. oh, the drilling. for all the medical advances, don't you think someone could invent a silent drill?? 

my appointment day had come. ipod in hand. I had to go. I had to go alone. I thought of not going, putting off the inevitable again. could I really overcome such fear? such fear as I've never experienced before. such fear that I couldn't control my trembling in the chair? by the grace of God and the patience of Job my dentist exercised, I did. I made it through the first stage of the crown process, only to come out the other side with the most intense tooth ache of my life. again, another warning from the dentist. "there was such decay under your filling; I think I may have come close to the pulp of the tooth. you may need a root canal." a root canal?$$? I was doing this crown thing to AVOID a root canal!!

an emergency root canal one week later was my fate. unfortunately a referral to an endodontist was my fate as well, for my dentist doesn't specialize in root canals. a new dentist?? this added an entirely new complication to the root canal. for you see, my dentist is the most sensitive, caring, almost too much nice kind of man, that I couldn't even think about another doing this procedure. but it was my path. armed with my ipod and verses, I walked into the office. on the other side of the waiting room door was my endodontist- the complete opposite of what I prayed for and thought I needed. all business. no chit chat. sweet and simple. just another patient needing a root canal was I. continual novocaine. fear beyond belief bringing tears and more trembling. I was blessed with friends and family praying me through the day and with two great verses on a post it on my ipod screen (now on my sidebar). 

so today (after returning from florida yesterday) was my second and hopefully final appointment with my dentist to complete the filling and set the crown. I was much calmer today. I requested novocaine just to be sure. I trembled ever so slightly {the assistant commented on how much I trembled last time}. I made it through.

so what have I learned?

:: I don't face life's challenges and fears alone, God is with me.

:: I can pray as a warrior, but it's better when I assemble an army.

:: Walking into fear allows you to walk through fear. 

:: I love the caring spirit of my dentist.

:: I still hate the sound of the drill.

:: I will not procrastinate dental issues again.