Six months ago, in late June, I had a tooth removed due to it absorbing itself. Since then, I've been dealing with a gap in the front of my lower jaw. It took time to get used to using my mouth stick again, but I have been making due.
This past Monday, I had another dentist appointment to finally get an implant to replace the tooth, or so I thought. My regular day nurse wasn't feeling well, so dad took off work to drive me the 1.5 hours to Iowa City. After we finally arrived and I was called back to the office, the staff realized I use a wheelchair and would not be transferring to their seat.
Apparently only one room is equipped with a chair that can move, so it took another 20 minutes to wait for that space to be available. During this wait, I realized I wouldn't be getting my prosthetic tooth, just an anchor for it.
As far as my feeling is concerned, my entire body is my head. That means any type of touch, or pain, is enhanced more that most people. I think the dentist got slightly annoyed at my request for plenty of Novacain, but my mouth is something I feel very well. After over 30 minutes of drilling into my jaw bone, I had a new metal anchor embedded in the gap.
Leaving the dentist is always a challenge though with not being able to feel my numbed chin. I thankfully succeeded to not hit anything and get back in the van. However, dad and I learned it snowed while we were inside and on the way home encountered several vehicles in the ditch. The road was fine for us, but I'm thankful he was able to take the time to bring me.
This week has once again been slowly getting back into using my stick. My list of tasks to complete keeps growing while I sit and watch YouTube, but it is improving. Now, in another three months, I should finally get my tooth replaced. I'm looking forward to being able to use my entire mouth again.
The quad life has challenges, but I'm glad to have access to funding for dentistry and its benefits. I'm also thankful God has allowed me to continue to work, even at a slower pace.
🙂
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