Thursday, August 20, 2015

Summer of Strings

Much to my dismay (okay, maybe it is slightly funny looking back in hindsight), my summer of 2015 has been dubbed the Summer of Strings by my family. And with a name that clever, a blog post is definitely due to document this not so fun memory of strings.

The summer started out just as any typical college summer would. Settling back into my hometown, sharing how my first year of college went with anyone who would be willing to listen, beginning a summer job, taking some summer classes and yes... the dreaded visit to the dentist for a wisdom teeth consultation.

I had been told by my Kansas dentist that I should really consider having my wisdom teeth taken out while I was at home for the summer, and I may or may not have slightly hated them for being the bearer of bad news (they are actually my favorite dentist office ever, so I guess I should't hate them too too much anymore).

Before I get much further into the story of the Summer of Strings, you should know that wisdom teeth removal is in my top 5 list of fears. And not for reasons you may think, such as having teeth pulled or just being in the dentist office in general, but because of the dreaded IV that absolutely positively gives me nightmares and chills just thinking about. I will gladly share this fear in great detail with anybody who asks, but anyone who has asked will probably tell you not to ask me about this fear because I may just turn into a baby... or so I've been told. ;)

Anyways, it is because of this fear that I spent a full week researching dental offices which would remove my wisdom teeth without IV sedation. I found what seemed to be the perfect dental office, yet the experience was everything but perfect. Torturous would actually be a much better description of this consultation. I was told by the dentist that I have worst case scenario wisdom teeth, and that there was absolutely no way for me to not be sedated for the removal. I have a very small mouth with very impacted wisdom teeth which would make for a very difficult surgery with a very long recovery, yay! Oh, and I cannot forget to mention that I was told I am at a very high risk for permanent nerve damage due to the way my teeth are positioned. Yes, torturous is a very good word for this visit. I did not take this news lightly. The strings holding me together were very quickly being torn apart.

Due to my possible stubbornness and more honestly the fact that I was not going to say yes to the IV that easily, I decided to get a second opinion from a dentist in town. Unfortunately, I had to wait a week before this doctor could see me, so I had to live a week in fear waiting to hear what the news would be. This really tested the strings of my patience.

This doctor noticed that it may be better to remove the molar right in front of where one of my wisdom tooth would be growing in, and thought it may be smarter to instead pull out my molar and let the wisdom tooth grow in its place. I really liked the sound of this, as it was one less wisdom tooth to remove and there would be no IV for the molar removal... or so I thought.

I was then transferred to a third consultation to make sure this was the right move by letting the wisdom tooth grow in and taking the molar out instead. Indeed it was, so I was scheduled for a molar removal with doctor number 2, and that is when I found out they still wanted to sedate me for this removal. Can you hear the strings of my sad and tiny violin playing in the background? I was not okay with this fact, so I decided to give this dentist office a call to beg and plea my way into not being sedated and instead just local anesthesia. It was not easy to convince them, but I think I got my point across because we finally got to a compromise.

The doctor decided I would not be sedated with an IV, as long as I would compromise and have nitrous oxide instead. I was more than okay with that, I mean hey, I just got a doctor to compromise with me. My strings must be pretty tough! ;)

Moving on, I had my molar removed, and what was supposed to take 20 minutes max ended up taking close to an hour. My tooth was refusing to come out, so they had to cut my gums open to cut my tooth into 3 tiny pieces (which resulted in lots of strings holding my gums together afterwards). This is very rare for what was supposed to be a simple removal, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for being able to be awake for it, as the doctor was able to lead me step by step rather than being clueless and asleep and having to hear about it all afterwards. I know, I've already been told I'm crazy... by friends, family and the full dental team. ;) But I left with no IV so I was a very happy camper... or patient.

So that is why my summer was officially named the Summer of Strings. For the next three weeks after the removal of this one tooth my family had to hear my complain about how much the strings in my mouth were bothering and hurting me. As the strings continued to tighten my gums together, my mouth would sting and itch and I could not help my share my string complaints with anyone around me. About one week after my removal one of the strings was so long I could feel it hanging out. I had to call the doctor to make sure this was okay since I knew they were supposed to dissolve, and I was told I can either suffer with the string hanging like that for another 2 or so weeks, or I could pull it out myself (hahahahaha). I obviously decided to suffer, as no way would I ever pull out something literally holding myself  together, which meant my family also had to suffer the Summer of Strings with me (sorry, but I know you love me!haha)

Thankfully all was dissolved by week three, and the Summer of Strings came to an end. And that is great news. The bad news, however, is I still have three wisdom teeth that will have to be removed. Maybe next summer will be Summer of Strings: Part 2, or maybe winter break will be dubbed Winter Break: Wisdom Worries. ;) Stay tuned to find out.
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All teeth aside, I was able relate my Summer of Strings to other aspects of my life. This being my first summer back home after college, I noticed how some high school friendships may have only existed due to the fact that we had all of our classes together for the last four years. These friendships were held by small strings, much like dental floss or the stitches for my molar. But this is okay, because some strings are temporary, but for the time that they are strong and the memories we have of them is what we should appreciate (much like the stitches temporarily holding my gums together).

However, other friendships remained strong. These friendships are held by a much stronger string, much like a rope. It was so refreshing to see these strong ties hold to the test of time, as passions and the way we walk through life remained the same.

I also noticed how strong my K-State friendships are once I returned back to campus two weeks ago, as it was like we were never separated for the last three months. The K-State Family is held together by an unbreakable string, and tied together with a great big purple bow.

Strings are an interesting concept. Some hold us together, some break off. Some get tied up in knots, some stay strong and sturdy. But all strings, for at least one point in time, hold a purpose. A purpose worth reflecting on.

What are the strings in your life?



Living a life of purple, passion, progress and purpose,

Kaitlyn Alanis





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