Without glasses, I cannot read anything smaller than the "E" on the eye chart. And even it's a bit fuzzy.
To be honest, I'm nervous. I have always been anxious around doctors, and my body reacts poorly. I have vasovagal syncope, which means that I often faint in painful circumstances, such as getting a shot, slamming my finger in a car door, or banging my knee.
I also had a very bad experience at the dentist last year, which leaves me even more paranoid. First, I fainted after the dentist gave me the numbing shots. Then he and his assistant yelled at me for fainting. The procedure itself was an even bigger nightmare. My mouth was propped open for three hours, and I was fully awake while they yanked and hammered on my wisdom teeth. I do believe Tom Hanks had a more pleasant experience knocking his tooth out with an ice skate when he was stuck on an island in Cast Away.
I literally thought my jaw was broken. I was in intense pain for six months, had headaches and my teeth were incredibly sensitive to hot/cold temperatures. When I returned to the dentist, they didn't have any recommendations for the pain. So I proceeded to pick up my records, which they hesitated to give to me. (Until I mentioned my HIPAA right to view my records). The dentist called me the next day, yelling at me and saying that he didn't do anything wrong, and then he hung up on me. Very unprofessional.
So here's hoping that tomorrow will be a much better experience. No one will be there to hold my hand, which reminds me of when I was 5 years old and my mom took me to the dentist. She told me to put my animal-shaped erasers in my pocket, and squeeze them if I was scared or it hurt. Of course, the erasers were demolished into tiny crumbs by the end of my appointment. Maybe tomorrow I'll take something to squeeze that I don't mind if it gets ruined. Or perhaps the valium will take care of all my concerns.
Keep me in your thoughts, and I'll see you on the other side :)
What's your method of staying calm when you're nervous?
When I get nervous I try to think of all the other experiences I was terrified of and made it through!
ReplyDeleteI had a horrible wisdom teeth removal myself...all 4 got dry sockets.
Good luck tomorrow!
I had a medical procedure several years ago that should not have hurt as much as it did (it was my second time through it and it didn't hurt nearly as much that first time). There was a nurse in the room and it seemed like it was her sole responsibility to hold my hand, pat my arm, and tell me everything would be alright. I really wish I would've thanked her for that. Perhaps there's a nurse who will do the same for you tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm jealous. Lasik is definitely something I want done soon.
Wow! That dentist sounds like he shouldn't be practicing! I hope you have a better experience tomorrow. My colleague just got lasik and she loves it. I'm sure you will, too! :)
ReplyDeleteHope the Lasik went well.
ReplyDeleteI try and focus on my breathing when I'm nervous and I'll think about silly stuff to keep my mind off what's bothering me.
Why were you awake during wisdom teeth surgery? I had mine taken out when I was 19 and the surgeon put me under completely.
**THINKING OF YOU!!!**
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK LOVE! i really hope everything goes amazing and u can finally have the vision youve always wanted!! "seeing is believing" hehe <3
ReplyDelete