hospital phobia!

I have to get a Root canal done this coming weekend and I am terrified!

There goes my confession. The only reason I am getting it done is because I cannot eat sweets freely with the tooth troubling me. And my love for sweets (chocolates, that is) is so deep-rooted, that I am willing to pay someone take the root off the base of my tooth. That is what my dentist explained to me a few months back, when I had gone for a filling. It is as simple as it gets. It is nothing but cutting off the nerve (or the dental pulp)  for that tooth and filling it, so that I no longer feel the pain. With an intent to calm my fears down, she also showed me a video of a root canal being done. But that only terrified me further.

I am not proud of this myself, but I have been terrified of hospitals and anything related to them from as early as I can remember. Not scared, but terrified! Which is ironical, considering both my parents are doctors and I literally grew amidst a hospital atmosphere. My mom’s hospital was just adjacent to the apartment where we lived. Because of this reason too, I have never visited a hospital before. Like never! ok, except the one time when mom herself was admitted and my sis and I went to visit her. It was a tough time 😦 . And another time when my sister was admitted. But then mom was with her for most of the part, and I was only doing stuff like running between the hospital and home fetching things and food for them. Even when I was little, and fell ill, whatever cure that was done, was at home. Because my parents had all the medicines and stuff necessary to get me well, I never visited a hospital to get myself cured. Add to the fact that I was a very healthy kid, so never really felt the need to go outside the care my doctor-parents provided me. So, long story short, I am really a novice at being the patient or even attending to someone who is a patient in a hospital. That would translate to being scared of needles and any sort of medical procedures.

Even when I came to the US, I have visited the hospital just once till now (excluding the dentist visit) in the 5+ years I have been here, and that too not because I was ill, but because I had to get some mandatory tests done for the records. And, that was the only time I have had my physical exam done here in the US. (It is recommended you get it done once every year or maybe twice, if you are really paranoid about your health). I still draw laughs when I tell people that I was so scared during my routine physical examination, that when the doctor took my blood pressure and heart rate, it was really high! Not exaggerating here :D. She asked me if I was tense about something, and I said, yes. I am scared of whatever you are about to do to me. (which included drawing blood). She had thought it was hilarious, but at that moment, I had no sense of humor and had just scowled at her.

Back to the present, I really pray that the root canal goes smoothly.  I have also promised myself that I am going to seriously reduce my sugar intake. Because, no matter how well and frequently I brush my teeth, excess sugar is going to ruin them. With such good resolutions already lined up, I hope the Gods have some mercy on me and make this a painless (or at least a reduced-pain) affair.

Image taken from here