I remember picking up my great niece from the hospital over a year ago after she had undergone a surgical procedure and she said, I think I'm addicted to anesthesia.
I get that. You literally go into the deepest of sleeps and wake up. It's when the anesthesia isn't there that keeps you really from getting addicted.
My point of this story is that I had a root canal today. When undergoing procedures like this, I usually like to have Nitrous Oxide, or otherwise known as laughing gas. It's not the pain I'm afraid of, it's that claustrophobic feeling of having two people with instruments and drills and chemicals and rubber things and tubes and drills (yeah, I said it twice) and everything else. I just want to zone out from the whole thing. Liver disease has made a mess of me dentally.
Here comes the point of the story. I wanted gas. They hooked me up. Here is how it went:
Around ten minutes in, he did the Novocain. I didn't really even feel it. Until the one on the inside.
When he started doing the work, I just totally zoned out. I felt like I was in a tunnel.
I laid there with my eyes closed. Not moving.
I always sit on my hands, because I'm afraid of what I will do if they are free. He asked for a thumbs up and I couldn't get my hand out, . Finally did, it was very hard to move around.
At some point, laying there with my eyes closed, I could see a light. I started freaking out thinking I was "going to the light". I decided I had to open my eyes so the light would go away.
After opening my eyes, I freaked out again seeing the two heads above me. Literally seemed like every alien abduction picture people paint say seeing the aliens over them.
Decided I needed to close my eyes again. So I tried to focus on one thing, and it was the country music being played in the background. But, I didn't know the songs, so I gave up.
Had my ankles crossed. Decided I needed to move them, because I couldn't feel them. So I struggled and got them apart. Feet and hands are numb. I'm like doing conducting motions, trying to un-numb my hands. It doesn't work.
Then start choking on the accumulating saliva. So they have to pull stuff out of my mouth so they can suction my goo.
Next thing I know I am smelling smoke. I can't figure out if I'm on fire or what is on fire. So I make myself open my eyes and face the aliens again. There is smoke rising from my mouth. Then I feel this burning sensation on my tongue. Apparently, it got in the way of whatever he was cauterizing. Nothing lasting, just felt it.
Decided I couldn't handle the aliens anymore, so I close my eyes again.
I pretty much kept them closed through the rest until they finally started oxygen going.
I have never had that strong of a reaction to Nitrous before. I don't know if I was breathing it more deeply or what. I have been pretty wiped out since getting home and took a nap in my chair. I have another appointment for the other root canal in three weeks. Not sure what I'm going to do. Deal with the claustrophobia???? Or deal with the aliens??
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