Tips when going through root canal work

Try not to panic.
This piece of advice is useless to me because I can't help it. I don't want to panic but I feel everything tensing. What I do then is imagine I have my guardian angel with me. We all have a guardian angel whether you choose to believe it or not.
Throughout the entire half hour 'operation' yesterday I imagined not one, but three angels. I didn't take my mind off them or my hand off my heart (except to hold my face while the dentist was getting something and taking what felt like an aching long time about it).

Say if your lip doesn't feel numb.
Mine doesn't feel numb from one hit of anaesthetic. My mum said I was the same as a child and would drive the dentist mad. "I can feel it, I can feel it." She said she saw a television programme documentary once that some people need more than others. I'm a needle hater, I wish I didn't need more than others. I had three injections yesterday.

You don't feel anything.
At least, I didn't feel anything yesterday. I am still afraid for the next two times. There's something about the words 'nerves'. 'Cleaning the nerves'. Going so deep down. I try not to panic. See "Try not to panic". I also have one hand clutching the arm rest and my other right hand, resting on my chest, because my heart beats so hard I get told to stop hyperventilating.

Take painkillers as soon as you leave the surgery.
I didn't think to do this, I didn't expect the level of pain. As the anaesthetic wore off, my jaw began to hurt and it gradually spread over my head. I had to get my son from school, take him to a kung fu class (just started, loves it!), go home, pick him up again by which time I was wincing and according to bandmate friend, "looking very pale". Bought soup and pills on the way home. Apparently you can take paracetamol and ibuprofen every four hours at a two hour intervals one drug to the next. I shall do this on Friday. Do this, you do this, if ever you have root canal work done.

Have faith.
I really thought my heart was going to give out yesterday. It still might. It still could, I've more sessions to go.
I guess I'm writing these tips as much for me as I am for you.

It will be alright
It will be alright
Everything will be alright.

Believe