Less Excess Baggage

A few weeks ago, I had a scary nightmare. I dreamed that all my teeth were loose and I was trying trying to hold the bloodied mess in place. When I woke up, I felt so relieved that my teeth were still all there.

But little did I know, that it was a premonition as to what would transpire on 2 Jan 2006.

Now, I am not the sort of person who loves visiting the dentist every so often. Yeah, I'm pretty normal. Ain't no sucker for punishment, that's me. Uh huh.

Well, last Christmas, one of my molars gave me some problems and I visited the dentist in Jan 05 after 3 long years. He gave me a few options - to extract the offending tooth, to do a root canal or to screw a porcelain tooth in. I told him I'd think about it. Which was exactly what I did. For 1 whole year.

I was really going to pay him a visit, I really was. But my tooth couldn't wait. On 1st Jan 06, after meeting Liang, my molar started hurting like the dickens. It got so bad that I had a migraine, was feverish and could barely sleep that night because of the sharp throbbing pain on my gum.

And so the first thing in the morning, I rushed out to meet the dentist that good ol' dad recommended. See kids, this is what happens when you don't visit the dentist twice a year. When toothache strikes, he'll be the first, heck the ONLY person you'd wanna see. You don't care if it's a public holiday and that you should be sleeping in because you are so tired from tossing and turning the whole night through. You just want to get that darn tooth OUT!

I was so happy to see a few dentists being opened. Thank you, thank you soo much for opening up on public holidays! So remember, if you are in the service industry and have to work on public holidays, know that there are lots of grateful folks out there, ok? You are much appreciated

Yeah, so I walked to the counter and got an immediate appointment made since the clinic was mostly empty. Guess everybody else is busy out there enjoying themselves or sleeping in after a wild new year's eve celebration instead of taking the time to visit the dentist in consideration of their dental hygiene. Bah, humbug. Don't mind me, I'm just a mite grouchy having to visit the dentist during a public holiday.

The dentist was a kind soft-spoken man who spoke in hokkien. But I shall translate what he said into English, "I'm going to try to extract your teeth the normal way. But if it crumbles and I can't pull the whole thing out, then a surgery would have to be done."

I gulped. And prayed. Hard. "Please God, let him pull that tooth out in one fell swoop. I don't think I can take a surgery! Pretty pretty please, God!"

To cut the long story short, I was in pain and agony. I had THREE jabs from that nasty big syringe filled with some horrid bitter stuff. I had TWO fillings done and some teeth wires fixed. I had ONE stitch after the pullout. Oh, and I had that tooth pulled out in one whole piece. Hallelujah, thank You, God!

I left the dentist with feeling light on my jaws and my purse. And I even thanked him for it. Gah. Did I just say that I wasn't a sucker for punishment? Hmmm...

Yeah, well the aftermath was not that great - headache and gum soreness - but it was bearable.

Went home like a good girl (after some quick shopping to cheer me up a little) and spent the rest of the day at home. I pondered upon the supposedly happening New Year's long weekend and how things seemed to conspire to make me stay at home all that time. And I felt depressed. Bezzie had some telepathy and called me up to find out how I was and was horrified to discover what a dismal weekend it had been for me.

Hung up after her call feeling touched. And then I asked God why did He allow this weekend to turn out this way. What was He trying to teach me?

And then it hit me as I was brushing my teeth last evening. That most of my New Year holidays were always spent gallivanting around with friends - KLCC, slumber parties, church, outstation, etc. I was hardly ever at home. This time around, with my car accident and toothache saga, my family was ever so supportive and loving. And because I had no one else to turn to but them, I started to see them in an appreciative light. It was terrible, but I realised that I had taken my dear family members for granted. Right there and then on the sink, my heart softened and I repented from my bad attitude. And things suddenly do not seem so dismal after all.

Throughout that long weekend at home, we communicated in a much better way, especially between my dad and I. He even showed me his empty molar sockets and assured me that it was alright having to loose a bad molar.

"You just need some time to adjust to chewing on the other side, like me!" he said encouragingly.

Heh heh.

Yeah, so that's how my long weekend went. It didn't go the way I planned it but it turned out to be special in its own way anyway. And here I am, starting out a brand new year, with less excess baggage

May all of God's sweetest blessings fall upon each one of you this wonderful year ahead.

And now, to capture the essence of my tooth trauma, here's Paul with his version of Bye Bye Love Tooth. Thanks, man - that cheered me up pretty good!

Bye bye tooth

Bye bye tooth
Bye bye teethfulness
Hello toothlessness
I think I'll only have some porridge

Bye bye tooth
Bye bye sweety meats
Hello gaping hole
I feel like I could die

Bye bye my tooth, goodbye

There goes my molar
In the dentist's forceps
He sure looks happy
While I cringe in pain

I neglected this baby
A year ago
Goodbye to munching
That might have beens

Chorus

I see the mighty syringe
I see the faint outline
Of the dentist smile
Hidden 'neath the mask

And here's the reason
I lost my maxillary molar
My loving molar
Decayed on me