Journal: Prepping for Dental Work Downtime

A couple weeks ago I found a spot on one of my molars that seems to be a tiny hole. Today I’m going to the dentist to confirm whether it is a cavity and take care of it, if it is. I don’t know exactly how my body will react to getting a filling, so I’m trying to prepare for the same consequences as other minorly invasive procedures I’ve had done in the last few years.

Outside of any pain, I expect to experience extreme fatigue and possibly nausea. I also have worked out some food options in my head in case I can’t eat solids. The last time I had dental surgery I vomited mid-procedure. If that happens again, my stomach will reset and I’ll only be able to handle fluids and possibly pureed foods for the rest of the week. A reset means I have to work my way back up to eating solids, which can take weeks and severely limit my energy levels.

I’ll likely be out of commission entirely tonight and possibly tomorrow too. I’m hoping to be mostly recovered by Thursday, so that this won’t affect the speech I’m giving for my communication class that evening. It’s not ideal to have an appointment like this the week of my speech, but it was the earliest I could get in and it’s important to get it done. It is of course possible that my body will handle this much better than what I’ve described, but I’ve learned to plan for the worst so I’m not caught unprepared. If you don’t hear from me the next couple days, now you know why.

–Amy 🙂

How does your body react to minor procedures and diagnostic testing? Do you have to plan for downtime too? Share in the comments or send me an email.