Control Tower

About a month ago I was at Los Cabos with our church staff enjoying some chips and queso when..."crack." I broke a tooth. It's very difficult to pretend everything is all ok and fine, when half of your tooth is now in your hand. I discreetly disposed of the tooth then went about my merry way mowing through the chips. I didn't want to draw attention to myself or say, "hey I broke a tooth!" I just began thinking about how I was going to find the time to get in to see a dentist. I didn't have a dentist though even though I though I could go to a friend of ours who attends church.

Over the course of the next few weeks I hobbled along not drawing attention to my plight until it started to hurt. At first it would just kind of throb for a little bit, but two nights ago I really started hurting. I woke from a sound sleep in the middle of the night with this intense jaw pain. I'm not one to take medicine, but I had to get something for this pain. Advil to the rescue. You see I had quite a busy few days and didn't need to have this interrupt my plans, people were counting on me and I don't let people down if I can at all avoid it.

About 6:15 this morning I texted the Dentist who is one of my Deacons at church and asked if he could fit me in. Sure enough, he had an opening. One x-ray and it was all over. "It seems you had a cavity that grew down and decayed the tooth. All that was left was this shell and when something cracked that shell it was over. Here are our options..." "Options I don't like options, but I don't' like dental procedures either." "You can go to an oral surgeon to get it removed, or I can do it. There will be quite a bit of pressure and discomfort but I can do it." "Let's go for it."

Dr. VanBrunt set me up with a movie and hooked up the gas to begin giving me the shots to numb the area. Apparently I have two of my 4 wisdom teeth and now I have one!

The amazing thing about a dentist is their ability to stick both hands in your mouth, the assistants hand, and seven tools all freely moving. It's a phenomenon. "Are you ok?" Quick nod and a thumbs up. I was not having fun but I was making the most of it. "Will, are you sure your ok?" "Yes." "Your feet are sticking straight up and your hands are white...are you ok?" "Well it does hurt a little bit but I'll be ok, don't' mind my feet unless you see them up over the light." My tooth was huge and came out...I'll make it and be fine.

What I did realize is that I have control issues. I don't think it was that I was in pain as much as it was releasing control to him. As I laid there I thought to my self, "just relax...trust in him to take care of you." I really didn't want to allow myself to release control. Fine time to have a Dr. Phil moment when you are at a 45 degree angle with a grown man's hand in your mouth!

Trust...control...all things I need to work on. I need to trust people to do what they say they will do and release control and not think that my way is the only way--there are other ways. So that's my challenge...give up some control.

Thanks Dr. VanBrunt for helping me out and through a control issue. Need a good dentist? smilesoftulsa.com is the place to go.