Positivity

A few days ago I had the preliminary work done for a tooth implant, something I’ve put off for a long time. The periodontist was very young and either had been trained in advantageous ways to make his work efficient or he was a natural at his profession because the whole thing took not much more than half an hour. During the procedure he repeatedly said positive things about what he was doing. “This looks great.” “Textbook case.”  “Almost done, it’s going so well.” My semi conscious brain heard all that and I credit his words with the minimal discomfort I’ve had. It made me think about the importance of the positive — or negative — effects of things we say and hear throughout the course of a day. The oral work also made me think about drugs. We used to have a dog who was terrified of thunder storms. She shook, she cowered, she hid under the bed. She was so scared, we had to medicate her not only during bad weather but also on the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, or the Super Bowl, if neighbors lit fire crackers to celebrate. The vet gave us something akin to lorazepam for dogs and it calmed her canine nerves.The downside was, when she was coming off the drug the next day, she had a propensity to chew the edges of blankets. Nothing else. Just the edges and corners of blankets.Two hours before my oral surgery, the periodontist prescribed something similar, so I would be in la-la land during the procedure. I wasn’t asleep, and I remember the whole thing, including the positive comments and conversation with the doctor. I was kind of sleepy the rest of the day which was okay, but by nighttime, I was definitely more than a little bit edgy. I looked cautiously at my favorite quilt but thankfully, left it alone.

Photo courtesy brenkee at Pixabay.com