Nelsonshack

Sitting in the dentist’s chair, I had vivid recollections of why I don’t like going to the dentist.  There was the time I had a seizure while receiving an injection of Novocaine.  There was the time that I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was 18, in Utah, when my primary residence was California.  And then there’s today, in the chair, while I sort of regretted telling the staff that I really didn’t do well with stress in the dentist’s office.

My blood pressure was checked before starting the gas.  It (my blood pressure) was too high.  The dentist asked me if I deal with high blood pressure.  I told him that I don’t, that in fact, I just finished a triathlon on Saturday.  I’m in great shape.  I just happen to stress out when I go to the dentist.  He started the gas on me and kept monitoring my blood pressure (which I believe is sort of SOP, anyway).  Finally, when it dropped just enough for him to feel comfortable, he started numbing me up.

This has always been a stressful time for me.  I’m never numb enough.  I’ve had dentists, after giving me a shot of something, somewhere in my mouth that I wouldn’t feel anything, even though I informed them that experience dictates that I’m probably not numb enough.  I’ve had those same dentists (actually, just one) start drilling anyway, to less than favorable reviews (patients in the waiting room probably second-guessed their own appointments).  But today, with the gas and a few shots of the Good Stuff, I let him start drilling.  It hurt.  A lot.  But I pushed my head into the back of the headrest and let him keep going.

Mom used to tell us kids about how Grandma Koontz used to have this kind of stuff done, sans Novocaine, or anything of the like.  They grew them tough, back then.

When he saw the tears in my eyes (this is my guess, anyway), he asked me if it hurt.  With my mouth at 12 percent vacancy, I responded that “YefbuIkaaaay.  Eeoee.”, which he, an experienced dentist, heard as “Yes, but I’m ok.  Keep going.”  He told me that he wouldn’t, that it hurt too much.  Maybe he’s like a teeth whisperer.  At his age and point in life, he’s had enough experience with people like me that he feels pain when I feel pain.  It’s also possible that he wasn’t able to guess my level of litigiousness (I’m a 2, which is low on the Starbucks Scale).

At points in this visit, I’d drift off to sleep or wake to drilling, or to obey the dentist’s instructions.  But mostly, I just tried to guard against those things that people say when they’re on the laughing gas.  But even with my incredible willpower, I still managed the following:

1.  “On a scale of 1 to 10, how am I as a patient?”

2.  “Would you consider me high maintenance?”

I was very concerned about what they thought about me.  I remember apologizing a lot.  After a while, they stopped saying “It’s ok”.  So my humility might have been a little excessive.

Soon, though, the ordeal was over.  I was informed that everything went very well.  I was also told that because it took approximately 4-5 days to get me to point that I didn’t wince in pain, that I’d be coming back this coming Tuesday so they could finish.  Except this time, they’d be ready.  I’ll be taking Valium an hour before.  They will gas me, inject me and even consider a medical coma so that they can finish up the root canal.

I can’t wait.

In church. The girls come home, today, which is great. Can’t wait to be together, again. Very tired.

Yesterday, Lynn, Jeff, Mike and my buddy, Patrick Phillips and myself ran the Provo Half Marathon. Afterward Patrick and I biked 20 miles to the Spanish Fork Reservoir and swam in some very cold water (about 1/5 mile). Then we biked 20 miles back to my house where the ordeal ended. It was exhausting and today I’m very sore.

Today, I pulled the largest zucchini out of the garden. Huge. I wonder what it will taste like.

Think I’ll swim tomorrow. Still need shoes, so might go to Park City to check the Pearl Izumi outlet. Wendy and the girls are having a good time in St. George.

On our last cruise, I remember at a beach, that I was swimming out further and further, fascinated at how far from shore I was.  I started to get scared and came back in.  I had fins on, but remember thinking that this was pretty cool.  I wonder if I’ve been getting ready for long-distance swimming longer than I thought…

September 4th:

http://www.redlineraces.com/Salt_Flats_Half.html

This is held on the Salt Flats…looks way weird.

On Friday night, I biked in the Antelope by Moonlight 22 mile ride.  It was a lot of fun and full of mosquitoes, if you like that sort of thing.  It started at 10 PM and took us halfway around Antelope Island.  It was a lot of fun, but when I got home at 2 AM, I only had hours before waking, Saturday morning,  for the…

Cascadia Trail Series Gruesome Grizzly 8k, which is a horrible, horrible race that I’m sure I’ll do, again, next year.  It is the mean little brother of Sapper Joe.  You climb for approximately 345 miles (2 miles) up and up through dirt, rock-trails and eventually free fall for another 2 miles.  When you hit the bottom of the canyon, your run is over and you get a t-shirt before you head off to the hospital.  It’s great and like I said, I’ll do it, again.

On Saturday, I moved the lawn and felt like I’d pass out.  It was the 3rd event in some horrible triathlon dream sequence.

On Saturday night, I worked all night until about 5 AM, then fell asleep.  Woke at 8 and worked a little.  Went to church at 11 and left at 11:30 so that I could work some more.

Yesterday (Monday), I worked all day, then went for a 4.5 mile run.  It was very difficult.  I attribute its difficulty to the weekend and hope to feel a little more like myself tomorrow (I’m not running, swimming or biking, today).  Today is a day off).

I might do this:

http://www.regtix.com/event/antelopebymoonlightbikeride.htm

So the sore throat is all but a memory.  Although, singing to some Jackson Browne in the truck, this morning- it’s evident that I’m not back to full on that front.  My body feels tired, asthma is a breath away, runny nose in the morning…lots of mucus.  Other than that, I’m in a much better place, now that I can eat, speak and sing without major pain in my throat.  I’m not quite to the point that I can exercise without a problem…and Wasatch Back is only a few days away.