This is no religious tract, although it brought several lessons.

I am just rising from 3 days of fog, illness and pain. It felt like months, but I am so grateful that it wasn’t! Having multiple teeth removed seriously shocked my body. I took the pain meds on my way home (I wasn’t driving), before the numbing meds wore off. When I woke from a fog in the middle of the night, my brain was muddled and my head, neck and upper body ached like I had been run over with a Mac truck. My mouth did not hurt at all. Weird.

I did not take any more pain meds, only the antibiotic. I couldn’t stay awake. I did my best to take the anti b’s 4 times a day, as directed. I did my best to sip broth, grape juice and use ice packs. Someone from the dental clinic called and said to stop ice on the second day and start warm salt water rinses. I would never have remembered that, or anything else they told me.

I dreamed like crazy and I whined to myself a lot. I wanted my mom, my daughter, my son. my aunt, a friend. I cried because I didn’t have the stamina to stand and wash my dishes. I was confused about my mouth not hurting, while the rest of my body was under attack.

This morning, I feel shaky, weak and wiped out, but I woke at 5 a.m. with the fog clearing and my body no longer aching. I washed dishes and went to the garden for slug patrol and dead heading. And to just enjoy the fragrance of sweet peas, freesias and damp earth. Of course, I took pictures 🙂

So, the lessons:

Gratitude; it was only a few teeth, not a breast or arm or foot.

Stubbornness; my friend would have been happy to drop me off with my family or a friend, but I didn’t want to burden those already carrying heavy loads. Okay, I get it now.

Please enjoy the garden and forgive me for not asking for help.

Patti, the humble one

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