facing fear
Some people are afraid of heights or small spaces or bugs or any number of things. I am afraid of going to the dentist. I can’t even remember why. I can’t recall any particular experience that has created this fear, but i can’t recall any particularly positive ones either.
For whatever reason every time that I have been to a dentist, there has been a cavity that needs to be filled, a tooth that needs to be drilled and a needle that needs to be applied. (not necessarily in that order.)
In October, while I was overseas, I could feel a hole in one of my wisdom teeth. I knew that I couldn’t delay it any longer, but I don’t have a regular dentist. I don’t even have an irregular one. The frequency of my dental visits is almost measured in years, not months. (For accuracies sake I didn’t say decades but it wouldn’t be too much of a lie.)
Finally, over a month after my holey discovery, I defaulted to the most local dentist, just down the road. To my credit this was not a pain based decision, but I knew that pain was going to be inevitable if I didn’t do something soon.
The dental surgery was clean, new and friendly, but event the act of getting x-rays and a proper dental clean had me feeling panicky. That was the easy part.
At the end of the week the results were in….
WOW. I will be going back to the dentist for a while, but it was time to start with something. The bastard tooth that started it all. The recommendation was to pull it out and it’s buddy on the other side. My last dentist has said the same, but is never went back. Fear. It was easier to run.
On Tuesday this week it was time to stop running. I stepped up to the surgery again to have the offending teeth removed. It went well. There was NO pain. I couldn’t believe it. I practically sobbed when it was over, so great was the relief.
It is a testament to the power of fear. What else can I handle that fear had stopped me from taking on?
Thursday, November 30th, 2006
