Office Supply Junkie and Dentists

Ya, I know. What can they possibly have in common...nothing really, I just have two things to talk about and I didn't want to do two separate posts! It's all about efficiency people!

So first of all, I have already admitted on facebook that I have some kind of bizarre office supply addiction. A few years ago, friends got me a gift certificate to Office Max. I was the happiest girl on the planet. It's just not normal. I am a teacher by nature, by degree, by expired license, so maybe that plays a part in it...but yikes. Who has an entire FILING CABINET DRAWER full of writing utensils separated and labeled? Stick pens and refills in one pencil case, colored gel pens and colored in pens in another, high-liters, dry erase markers, permanent markers in another, and TWO with click and twist pens. One of them also has colored pencils and regular pencils, but I can't remember right now...it's all labeled, so don't worry. Oh, and I found NINE boxes of 24 count crayons. Who needs NINE??? I also have at least 1/2 a drawer full of packages of loose leaf notebook paper. I have folders and spiral notebooks....Jacob will not need school supplies until college. My sister actually suggested I donate some stuff to local schools...I almost fainted. Would she donate a child?? Do people not understand addiction?!?!?! I did find though, that I am not the only one...maybe we need OSJA? Office Supply Junkie's Anonymous?

Anywho....so yesterday morning I had to go to the dentist. Two crowns. TWO. Ouch. Two hour appointment. I got the temporary crowns right now, and will get one permanent crown now, and the other one after the calendar year begins again so I have insurance again. This drained what was left of our dental insurance, plus we had to pay over $500. To suffer. There is something SO not right about that.

I have TMJ, so keeping my mouth open that long is horrifying (hush you, peanut gallery). Today, my face feels like it's been punched. My jaws are killing me...my gums are all swollen....Three shots of novacaine...and not NEARLY enough nitrous. I kept telling them to turn it up...otherwise I white knuckle it the whole time and end up feeling like I've been in a car wreck. I had head phones on...crankin' up the Third Day...eyes shut...it still doesn't matter. Not enough nitrous and I'm still there being tortured. I think I'd rather be waterboarded.

It's amazing how you adapt to things though....like how do you give nitrous with a trach? You can't put it over my nose, because I can't breathe through my nose....same goes for my mouth. So, you have to put it over my trach...but how do you seal it so the dentist isn't the one getting happy?? We first tried a pediatric nose cone, but I knew as soon as it was on it wasn't sealing... I was like, hey, turn it upside down. I could just feel the way it had to be...and sure enough... worked like a charm. And they said it couldn't be done...where there is a will...there IS a way!

SO...in the horribly likely event (yah) that you have a trach and still need nitrous, ask for an upside-down pediatric nose cone! The things you can learn on the internet, I swear.

Have a good day interpeeps!