Not the kind of crown I'd like

I’m writing this early Thursday morning because I cannot sleep. I cannot sleep because I cannot stand the thought of what I have to do at 8 this morning: I have the first of two visits with the dentist for my first crown.

I am a dentist weenie. I hate going to the dentist, probably because I don’t floss regularly. In addition to the verbal beating I take from the hygienist over my lack of flossing, my gums bleed like crazy because of my lack of flossing. One would think I’d floss to avoid both – I am amazed I don’t just do it. But my teeth have always been so good! Well, until this little crown issue developed.

I know this procedure requires a shot. I watched the dentist give Rebecca a shot when she had to have a tooth pulled so I know his trick: he wiggles your lip to distract you from the honking long needle he’s sticking in your gum. I’m scared to death the minute he goes for my lip I’ll burst into tears.

Writing about it was supposed to help calm me down. Yeah, that’s not working so well.

The Donut Man sings the verse, "God has not given you a spirit of fear but a spirit of love and a sound mind," is running through my head. I'm grateful for that. Who knew the hours and hours and HOURS we spent listening to the Donut Man years ago would pay off for the mom before a dentist visit? (I actually sat outside the doors of a church auditorium for an hour and a half before Michael and Sean got there so we'd have good seats for a Donut Man concert. Ah, memories.)

When I come home I’ll have a houseful – Thursday’s the day our math tutor comes so she’ll be here as well as the two other students in our class. And I will walk in unable to talk coherently because my lips will be numb. That should be fun.

I just hope I’ll be able to drink a diet Coke. Pretty sure I’ll need one.