Always Expect the Unexpected...including blessings in unexpected places.

As you might be aware, there is a big deal holiday coming up in a few weeks.  I've been really keeping to my to-do list in an effort to get it all done and feel like I'm still having fun.  Truly...I've been keeping the joy in this season.   In the past two weeks, I've been so organized.  I managed to get Superman's presents out on time (and he got them yesterday!!).  I got all of us to the dentist for our check-ups (and there were no cavities).   After two more consultation appointments, I finally found an orthodontist for Valiant that I feel completely confident about (not an easy thing when you've only lived in a region for five years!)...we even got the study models done this past Monday, so he'll be ready to get started after the holidays.   Valiant also made the switch from contacts to glasses and loves them!  Squeezed in a dermatologist appointment, too.  In between all of this, we've had Game Night, put the Christmas tree up (we'll decorate tomorrow, Superman's birthday, as is our tradition), started our Christmas baking, and kept up with our school work.  Heck, I'm even caught up on blog reading!

Seems as if I've managed to keep things in control right?  Um, not so fast.

During  Game Night on Saturday night, my upper right wisdom tooth broke!  Broke!  Yes, at 47 years old, I had all my wisdom teeth until Saturday night.  First the broken piece was just hanging in there, but by Sunday morning, it came loose.  Since I already had a dentist appointment scheduled for Monday afternoon (to pick up my mouth guard), I figured I'd just hang on until the scheduled appointment and deal with it then.  36 hours should be doable right?   May I say?  It just wasn't an easy thing to do...knowing you have this broken tooth in your mouth and waiting for the other shoe to drop is crazy-making!  Still, we did just fine and I was still fine on Monday when it was time to cross items off our list.

So, we headed out at 9:15 Monday morning.  Valiant got his study models, I made my dermatologist appointment and hit the lab for a vial of blood to be taken.  Then I took the kids to lunch.  Finally, it was time for yours truly to have her dentist appointment.  We arrived an hour early because I had no idea what would be involved in dealing with my broken tooth and it was good thing we did.  It turns out the tooth was abscessed--abscessed!  (I got to the dentist every six months without fail!  How could I have an abscess?)    He wanted to know how much pain I was in.  Um, none.  No pain at all.  Not even a little bit.  He was stunned.  I should have been in pain...serious pain...and I was in none.

Blessing Number One--no pain where apparently there should have been plenty.

Anyway, it turns out that the crack that eventually turned into a break must have been there awhile.  The dentist took one look at my x-ray and strongly encouraged me to head over to the oral surgeon to make an appointment to have the tooth pulled.  (Fine with me, it is a wisdom tooth...who needs wisdom teeth?)    So, I headed down the street and thought I'd be making an appointment to have a consultation to make an appointment to get the tooth pulled.  Nope.  They saw me right then (the referral came in while I was driving).  I still didn't get it...no pain, so I'm fine, right?  Wrong.  A quick panoramic x-ray, followed immediately by an exam by the oral surgeon and the next thing I'm being told is that they'll be opening the office early (at 7:15 a.m.) the following day (which was Tuesday, today) to get the tooth out.  Oh, and the bottom wisdom tooth has to come out, too, because without the top one there to hold it in place, the bottom tooth with super-erupt and cause me problems in the near future.  Yes, people, apparently the x-rays were so troubling that the entire oral surgery office was willing to come in before the SUN COMES OUT to get those teeth out of my mouth.   (Have I mentioned that the people here are so nice?)

Blessing Number Two--an amazing bunch of "mouth doctors" and their people.

Uh-oh.  7:15 a.m.?  And I live 40 minutes (at best) from the oral surgeon?  And I can't drive myself and my driver has to stay at the office to be ready to take me home when the surgery is done?  Um, okay, then.  Let's see:  Charming had the day off and would have done all the driving, but then he'd have to miss appointments that he'd scheduled (remember, he doesn't live here).  Miss Sue would do it, I'm sure, but I couldn't get a hold of her.  Called Mr. R and said, "please, oh, please...what are you doing at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow?  Oh, and if you can drive me there, would you mind just hanging out for two hours at the oral surgeon's office and then bring me back home?"  Fortunately for me, Mr. R said sure and Mr. R and Mrs. R were able to ask a yet another neighbor to watch their imp for the 45 minutes between the time Mrs. R leaves for work and the time the imp leaves for school.  (Yes, we have a pretty cool neighborhood!)

So, Blessing Number Three--amazing neighbors.

So, this morning comes and the rain is pouring down.  Hail, thunder and lightning, and flood warnings.  Didn't get much sleep.  I confess that I was nervous...I've never, ever had anything like this happen to me and I don't know what to expect.  (Bribed Mr. R with a Starbuck's card and paid for his drive-through breakfast...it was the least I could do for a fellow night owl who was up at dark-o'clock when he absolutely didn't have to be!)  The surgery went well (I don't remember anything between laying in the dental chair and waking up in the recovery chair).  So far, I don't have any real pain (either I'm immune (not!) or they do a great job of pain management).  Finally, with Superman's new medical/dental insurance, this entire debacle cost us a very manageable $250.

Blessings Number Four and Five ---no unexpected complications with the surgery and no adverse reactions to the IV sedation and awesome dental insurance.

So, there you have it...so many blessings out of such an unexpected source.

Look around, I'll bet you kind find some blessings of your own.

As for me?  I'm going to bed...it has been a long few days.

(Darcy Lee, I spoke to Superman and he said everything arrived in good condition, so I'll be posting tomorrow how I packed all of his baked/candy goodies...I was holding off to find out if they actually arrived in reasonably good condition!)