Last night, Ansel woke up with a toothache. Never knowing how seriously to take the morning
complaints of a school child, I gave him some children’s Tylenol and sent him off to school.
I knew things were a little more serious when he refused to chew his afternoon snack or dinner. After a restless night with jaw-grabbling moans, he woke up the next day, again in serious pain, I knew that I was going to have to do something about it.
I called our dentist several times, left a message, and impatiently called again a few minutes later. The sooner I acted, the sooner Ansel would receive relief from his pain.
Luckily, the receptionist said that he could be seen as soon as we could get there, and within an hour, x-rays were taken, nerves were seen to be exposed and decisions were made.....the tooth was going to need to be removed immediately.
When Ansel emerged from the operating room, the dental assistant commented on how brave Ansel had been. Knowing my son, I could tell by the look on his face that he had been brave in the operating room, and was keeping himself together in public by a thread.
As soon as we were out in the car, he broke down in tears, revealing the true nature of the pain. which he labeled an 8 on the pain scale.
I surrendered all the plans I had for the day and spent the next few hours beside him, letting him sob out the pain and suck on popsicles. It wasn’t a pain I could take away from him. It was just a pain that needed to be gone through. I had done everything I could to alleviate the pain, and now all I could do was comfort him and mourn with him.
It didn’t matter to me whether or not his toothache was caused by his lack of brushing or eating too
much candy. The dentist said it was just somthing that happens. It didn’t even occur to me that I
should be mad at him.
I knew things were a little more serious when he refused to chew his afternoon snack or dinner. After a restless night with jaw-grabbling moans, he woke up the next day, again in serious pain, I knew that I was going to have to do something about it.
I called our dentist several times, left a message, and impatiently called again a few minutes later. The sooner I acted, the sooner Ansel would receive relief from his pain.
Luckily, the receptionist said that he could be seen as soon as we could get there, and within an hour, x-rays were taken, nerves were seen to be exposed and decisions were made.....the tooth was going to need to be removed immediately.
When Ansel emerged from the operating room, the dental assistant commented on how brave Ansel had been. Knowing my son, I could tell by the look on his face that he had been brave in the operating room, and was keeping himself together in public by a thread.
As soon as we were out in the car, he broke down in tears, revealing the true nature of the pain. which he labeled an 8 on the pain scale.
I surrendered all the plans I had for the day and spent the next few hours beside him, letting him sob out the pain and suck on popsicles. It wasn’t a pain I could take away from him. It was just a pain that needed to be gone through. I had done everything I could to alleviate the pain, and now all I could do was comfort him and mourn with him.
Are you mad at me? he asked
Why would I be mad it you?
Because I didn’t brush my teeth.
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