I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty

I went to the dentist today to get a cavity filled. I have a number of fillings already, so there's really nothing new with the idea of getting a filling. However, I still dread it and work myself into a tizzy (that's one of my mother's oft-used phrases), until it's over. Actually, I'm only in a tizzy until the dentist puts the needle away. I don't mind the drilling, pushing, packing, etc. of the rest of the process. Last night I even had a dream that I saw the needle! I've never seen a dentist's needle and I hope I never do. I don't know how I was able to conjure one up in my dream, but I did. It didn't look so bad, but I'll leave it at that and not bring that memory back into the front of my mind.

Anyhow... everyone who came into the room today to help asked me if I was ok. I guess my white-knuckled hands gripping my pants gave away my anxiety. I've never had a filling by this dentist, so I was very glad to find out that he took good care of me. He got the job done efficiently but he kept an eye out to my "quality of life."

When I knew the needle was put away, I let out a huge sigh of relief (not on purpose, it just naturally happened.) My body obviously relaxed and the dentist began asking me questions while he filled out some form. He asked me if I ate lunch ("He is afraid I'm going to vomit!" I thought) and then he asked me what I had. My response of "pizza" drew a more curious question... "Where did you get it from?" Huh?? Why did he care about that? Then I realized that he was afraid I was going to FAINT - he asked me questions just to keep me talking. Boy, did I feel silly.

When I got up to leave, he mentioned that I had some swelling in my cheek. He said to put an ice pack on it. Then he said it's possible I would have some bruising there also. I was pondering the idea of a swollen cheek and bruising on my face from nothing more than a filling. That's never happened to me before.

Well it surely did this time! I checked myself out in the mirror when I left the office and saw a golf ball in my cheek! Ugh, I needed to get home quickly to put ice on it. I did that and then I put on some more ice and then some more.... the swelling never went down. I suppose I helped it from getting worse, but it's not any smaller and it's been 4 hours now. On top of that, the bruising has commenced. That's not surprising because I bruise if someone breathes on me too hard, but I still am a little shocked that I am having any of this just from a cavity filling.

If this bruising continues the way the rest of my bruises have, then I have a few days of embarassment ahead of me with a big purple, then red, then blue, then green, then yellow splotch on my face. That's attractive.