Yanked

The boys had an orthodontist appointment yesterday.  It's never happened this way before, but I actually had two doctors looking at both boys at the same time.  We're always able to have both boys go at the same time, but never have we had two doctors, let alone looking at different boys at the same time.  To make matters a little more complicated, there were two other patient chairs in-between my boys.  I talked with Dr. Butler about Brennon (who has his elastics twisted in such a way to bring the front teeth together faster, and could potentially get his phase one braces off in five weeks!), and then quickly ran over to talk with Dr. Porter about Tyson.  As I was getting there, the doctor had just finished talking with his assistant and I heard the news:  Tyson's baby canines were impacting his permanent ones from coming down straight and would need to come out.  We caught it early, and getting them out would save us two years of braces.

After giving me the referral, I dropped the boys off at home and headed straight to the dentist's office.  I still find it quite nuts that the orthodontist has to "ask" the dentist, but I guess it's a second opinion thing and I should just let it go.  I just find it so crazy that a professional that has gone to school to specialize in one field has to ask permission from someone else that hasn't gone to school for that profession.  Oh well.  I was able to make the appointment for this morning.  Tyson was a nervous wreck.

While sitting in the chair, the hygienist came to tell us that Dr. Ritchie had viewed the x-ray and agreed with Dr. Butler, and we had the green light to begin.  Tyson shrunk in his chair and told me he was nervous.  I knew I was about to watch him go through something that was hard for him, so true to my new normal, my anxiety went through the roof.  I simultaneously wanted to break down and cry, or run.  I literally cannot handle stress right now, and if I do, I take days to come off of it sometimes.  I knew I would have a monumental crash when it was all over.  But I'm proud of myself for being strong while we were there.  When they asked if I thought he needed the laughing gas, she didn't even have to finish the sentence before I was saying yes.  He doesn't normally need it, but he was so scared to get these teeth pulled.  I don't blame him, actually.  He asked if there was any way he could be asleep when it happened, and I told him that I truly wished he could be.  The poor thing was a sweaty mess.  We both were.

 Tyson wasn't quite sure whether he could believe Dr. Ritchie when he said it was easy stuff, and that he wouldn't even feel pain.  What he didn't know was that the worst had already happened-- he was already numb.  Dr. Ritchie used his calm, friendly, cool dude tone the entire time, and had those two teeth out in like 30 seconds.  When he told Tyson that he was finished, Tyson looked away from his game in confusion.  "Wait... we're done?!"  At that minute, seeing the shock and relief on his face, I could feel myself letting go of the adrenaline coursing through me, and once again I almost cried. 

I asked him if he could feel the deep indent on his nose and between his nose.  "No, I don't think I can feel anything on my whole face!"  He smiled a cute, guazey smile when I showed him this picture.  "I'm a little embarrassed that I was that scared.  I actually thought I might cry, and I really didn't want to cry."  My Tyson showed great courage today.  He was scared out of his mind sitting in that chair knowing he was about to have two teeth yanked out, but he gave no indication as soon as they reclined the chair back and told him to open his mouth.  I am so grateful for compliant kids, especially in situations where I myself have fantasized flipping the tray, pushing people out of my way, and bolting from the office, never to return.

When the numbing wore off, he told me that he was glad that he went through that knowing it saved him two years of braces.  "It hurt when they were giving me the shot, but that only stung for like a second.  If I would have had the braces for two years, that would have been 24 times going to the orthodontist, if I went every month.  With two days of pain after you get your braces tightened, that would have been 48 days of pain, and I only had seconds of pain today.  I'm glad I did that." 

Me, too, Ty.  Me, too.