I SURVIVED!

Yes, it's true, I survived. And yes, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The valium helped a little to calm me, but truly, the shot itself wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated (I hear a collective, "SEE!"). And I kept my eyes closed and prayed for the rest of the procedure, which went well.

So, praise the Lord! Thank you for praying for me and thinking of me throughout all this.

The dentist said that the tooth was all hollowed out inside, and even cracked, so it was VERY good that I went in when I did. He said I will definitely need a root canal, but that can wait for January. I just have to continue to be gentle with that tooth when chewing.

The main issue right now is that I can't feel a quarter of my mouth area (including half my tongue), and that's very odd. I hope it wears off soon. He said it usually takes half an hour to three hours; the shot he's given that's lastested the longest lasted eight hours. But that's VERY unusual. He gave me lots of warnings to be careful about my tongue, so I'm concentrating on keeping my mouth and jaw from clenching, which I tend to do when nervous. Oh well. I just overeact. ;)

He said I did a great job with the shot (even told my husband when I was in the restroom that he flinches more than I did).

Thank you again. I love you all. Happy Thanksgiving!