I have no wisdom teeth anymore.

Yesterday I got three wisdom teeth pulled. It was important that I get it done soon, as I have 100% dental coverage through work, and who knows how long that will last! I need to take advantage of my situation while I can.

I went to the dentist a few weeks ago, after not going since high-school. It was decided at that appointment that my wisdoms needed to come out.

Yesterday was the day. Carmella drove me down to Vancouver. We left at 7am, since we'd be having breakfast with one of her good friends first, who lives on The Island and is in Vancouver once every few months.

It was a good breakfast, and I made sure to eat a lot because it'd be the last solid food I'd get to eat for a few days. I got pancakes and some eggs and some hashbrowns. None of these items should be considered really solid, but they were really tasty.

Carmella's friend Aniko has two children, one who is 5, and one who recently learned to walk. It was interesting having breakfast with little kids...it was actually pretty fun. They were polite and well behaved and weren't screaming and being all disruptive. Aniko's husband is in China, so I didn't get to meet him. Maybe later we'll talk Middle Kingdom.

Anyway, after breakfast I went to the dentist's office to pick up a script for some anti-anxiety pills. Most patients don't get these, but since I was so wound-up last appointment, Dr. Kwong suggested the option.

I got the pills, then dropped them about 30mins before my appointment. Carmella and I then sat in the waiting room. He we are, while I still have three wisdom teeth. I am a bit apprehensive.



I didn't really notice the effects of the anti-anxiety drugs, until I found myself singing along loudly to a song on my phone. Carmella mentioned that I was high, and the receptionist behind the desk said "See? Trips to the dentist aren't all bad!"

Then it was off to the dentist's chair. I was nervous, but feeling confident. Carmella was going to take pictures since I wanted to blog them, but Dr. Kwong and his assistant weren't into the idea. So, knowing that the procedure would be more than an hour long, she got some food to eat.

While it was happening, I was thinking that this procedure was the worst thing that I had ever been through. It wasn't too painful, but for some reason it was really bad. I had local anesthetic, so I felt pressure rather than pain.

Dr. Kwong went after the most difficult one first. It had grown in very close to the back of my jaw bone, so it was hard to get at. The bone was right on top of it, so it would be hard to find purchase. He'd have to chop the crown off first, then go in and retrieve the roots. It sounds simple, but was pretty terrible. I think the thing that got me the most was all the implements that they used in my mouth. He had a little circular saw, pliers, stretchers, and probably an ax.

He was rummaging around in my mouth for a long time. I could tell he was a bit stressed, because there was a sense of urgency and tension in his voice when he'd ask for various instruments. I heard him exclaim at one point "I can't get a hold of anything!"

Sometimes he'd be yanking on my tooth, pulling toward him. He'd get his assistant to tug my head in the other direction. I just sat there with my protective glasses askew, hoping splinters of tooth and chunks of flesh weren't going to start flying out of my mouth. I was also trying to be confident that my healthy teeth wouldn't end up being collateral damage.

While the procedure seems primal, and while I thought it was really savage at the time, Dr Kwong did a good job. He was trying his best to make it happen smoothly and as painlessly as possible. Teeth are stubbornly attached to your skull, and aren't supposed to come out. They way it happened was the only way it could happen, and it happens every day in dental offices all over. I may have had it a bit worse than the average person because I have some stout roots, and because that one tooth was situated under the bone. Other than that though, I had to go through a fairly average procedure.

When he finally got the roots out, and said this first of three was finished, I for some reason lost it mentally. I began hyper-ventilating, and then tears began gushing out of my eyes, down my cheeks, and presumably into a puddle on the floor. There was something psychological going on there for sure, since it wasn't actually that painful, and that portion of the procedure was over. Dr Kwong was doing nothing except telling me to take slow, deep breaths.

The second tooth was similar to the first, but much easier. The last tooth took about thirty seconds to get out, and was pretty much pain-free. I had to wait in the office for a few minutes once the procedure was over, but I don't remember why. I think we were waiting for more scripts for a post-procedure drug concoction. Here I am after the teeth are out. Note that there is not much swelling. Dr Kwong mentioned that the swelling would peak on recovery day number two.



I had to go to the pharmacy and get three types of medicine. I got T3s, Amoxicillin, and Ketorolac. I'm taking the Amoxicillin every six hours to fight infection, a T3 for pain when needed, and I recently downed a Ketorolac for inflammation.

I'm not usually one for pills, so taking these is a bit of a stretch for me. But, they gave me the drugs for a reason, and I haven't been in terrible pain since I started taking them. So they're doing their job, and I'm not miserable.

I've spent the time since the extraction at home, either on the couch or in my bed. Carmella is very helpful, making me food and keeping me company. She's also figured out my drugs and when I should take them and what to expect when I do. Most of all though, she's put up with my constant silliness, a side effect of these drugs.

Today is recovery day number two, and I was quite surprised when I looked in the mirror this morning. I'm a chipmunk! I'm reminded of when Carol got her jaw surgery and had a similar jowl-y appearance.

My right cheek is much more swollen than the left, even though the left side had two extractions, while the right side had just one. But the right side was the site of the problematic tooth, so it makes sense.

Blackcomb is on fire!

P: Greg Norgaard on cbc.ca

I can't see it from where I am in Creekside, but I've seen some pictures of smoke rising from the Crystal area of Blackcomb Mountain.

It started about an hour ago, and now there are four planes flying around it, probably getting pictures and water. There are helis involved as well, but I can't see them from here. I'm making my way closer, we'll see if I can get any reasonable pictures.


Here are some pictures from various places.






P:emeraldhouse on
NSMB

A full story from the Whistler Question newspaper is here.

Haggard

Here I am walking home from a hot shift at work last night. I'm looking pretty beat down, for a couple reasons.

First, it was energy-sappingly hot all day. While it is hot, people in Louisiana and Texas have it worse all the time, so I guess it's not that bad, it's just not what we're used to.

Secondly, I feel a heavy cloud of uncertainty above my head pretty much all the time. I want to be more positive, but it's difficult at the moment. My current job ends in a month, and I have much to sort out between now and then.

Do I stay in Whistler, or move down to Vancouver? No matter where I end up staking my claim, I will have to find another place to live, and another job. Vancouver's housing market is tough, and so is Whistler's. The job market is tough too, in both places.

I like Whistler because my whole life has been here since I graduated in 2004, if you don't count brief hiatuses in Ontario and China. I like Whistler because it's in the mountains, and I like it because as odd as it is, this small resort town/tourist haven is my home.

I don't like the idea of Vancouver because it's new and unfamiliar. I'll have to set up a whole new life, and that idea doesn't appeal to my 28 year-old brain. I don't want to heap lots of change on my head!

So, we'll see how things progress. It will be important for me to remain positive though, and not let my pending decisions cause me stress and worry.

I must remember to be positive and not obsess over it every day, since it's wasted energy. I must be positive!

Look! I smiley emoticon! :)

It's hot here, and everyone's grumpy.

We're in the middle of a heat wave here in Whistler. It's been over 30C for the past week, and will continue to be that hot for the next week. Vancouver has been posting record temperatures, and we're feeling the same system up here in Whistler. You can read about Vancouver breaking records here.

I don't mind the heat so much, as my room is fairly cool and I can always go to the lake and cool off.

What I do mind though, is working the evening shift at a hotel built in the 70s or 80s that was geared towards winter use, so has no pool, no elevators, and NO AIR CONDITIONING!

Everyone's grumpy because of the heat to begin with, and when they show up and realize they've reserved themselves a property with no AC, they get all aggro at whomever they see first, which is me. Time to don my flame-retardant suit and deflect the negativity!

So it's 32C right now, and I'm working the evening shift meaning that I get to break the news to all the guests. Fantastic!

Good news though, there was just cloudburst rainstorm out of nowhere! Now it feels about ten degrees cooler. Phew. We'll see how this evening goes.

The Dentist

I went to the dentist yesterday.

It had been quite awhile. I remember the last time I went I was in early high school. I had an appointment at about 3:30, when I'd be home from a day at SCSS.

I was in time for this appointment, at the offices of Dr. Drake and Dr. Drake, twin dental sadists. I was in for a regular check-up and cleaning I presume.

Mom was at home, and looked at the clock at about six in the evening, and began to worry about where I might be, since I'd been gone a long time. She decided to drive to the dentist's office and see when I left.

When she got there, she found me still in the dentist's chair, with tears streaming down my face as Dr. Drake (who knows which one he was)hacked about in my mouth. It was painful and terrible.

I have avoided the dentist ever since, and have put off going there for too long.

Carmella's friend Tony, who I've met before, is a dentist. When she found out I'd been avoiding dental work for such a long time, Carmella sprung into action. I have dental coverage from work, so it would be a good time to go. Left up to my own devices though, I would find an excuse to not make the appointment, further prolonging my appearance in a dentist's chair. Carmella took it upon herself to make an appointment for me, and got me squeezed in with very little notice by calling Tony's personal phone and getting the job done.

Yesterday we drove down to the city, and I entered my first dentist's office in many many years. I was scared.

Dr. Kwong (I call him Dr Kwong in his office, and Tony in social situations) was really good. There are x ray machines all over the place, and my mouth was radiated twice. Dr. Kwong used these rays, in addition to that little pic and mirror on a stick, to study my teeth and see what was up. I was in for a basic check-up and cleaning.

Turns out I'm still cavity free! Unfortunately, I'm not wisdom-tooth free. I have three of them, two of them major. The Wisdoms are not impacted though, so that's positive. They're also not infected, so that's a bonus. They are present though, and big enough to be squishing and cramping my other teeth. These extra molars have to go.

I will make another appointment with Dr. Kwong in the coming weeks to get my three extra teeth separated from my mandible. It'll be pretty intense, but based on my dental experience yesterday, it won't be as bad as the same job performed by one of the Drake team. There will be some anesthetic involved, which will improve the experience.

I'm pretty relieved, now that I've been to the dentist. I was nervous about what he'd find in there, and was happy it was only a few extra teeth, and evidence of a less than stellar flossing career. I was also happy with Dr. Kwong's skill and personality behind the mask.

I have a good dentist now, and while my 100% dental benefits from work are still active, I will make good use of him.

Slaying the Bike Park

Today I killed it in the Bike Park. I got my groove back after being away from my bike and the mountain for two years; I was fast, confident, and fluid. It was awesome.

I've ridden four out of the last six days I think, and I can tell that I'm getting the feeling back. I was shredding the singletrack like never before; I was better then when I was here the last time. I rode the toughest parts of the toughest trails today, and it felt great. I was taking the harder lines, and riding them with confidence and speed. It was fast and fun.

The downside to today's fastness and awesomeness was that my bike got thundered a few times, coming down hard on harsh landings or smashing over rocks and roots. It protested, but came through relatively unscathed.

My rear shock needs a rebuild, and my front hub bearings need replacing, and I need two sets of new brake pads. I think as the season wears on, more and more things will start to need repair, which is unfortunate. Oh well, the wages of riding is repair.

I took my camera up with me, and took some shots. Here they are.



I load my bike onto the lift, and take the next chair up. At the beginning of bike season, the Mountain puts special bike carriers on. You just roll your bike in, and it securely cradles the front and back wheels.



I enjoy the ride up. I'm going up the Garbonzo lift, and you can see Blackcomb's environs in the background.



The lifties take my bike off the rack at the top. I say thank-you every time, because it's quite the job, schlepping bikes all day. The new lifties reply, the veterans don't say anything. But I always thank them.



I love riding by myself, and most of my riding gets done this way. I often stop in the woods and think, look at the scenery, watch other riders, or just enjoy being in the forest. This was one of those times, my second significant pause of the day.



When I looked up, the trees were really tall and straight. The picture doesn't look as good, but it's still sort of neat. If you don't spend time taking it in, you just ride through and by all the trees and forget where you are!

I might go up for an hour after work tomorrow too, we'll see. I'm really enjoying the Bike Park this year.

Carmella and my photoshoot

Here are some pics of Carmella and me. They were taken on April 18th I believe, more than a month before we started officially dating.

We are at our friends Nate and Kim's wedding in Pemberton. They've moved to Squamish since then, so I don't see them as much.

Carmella has been quick to point out she was only holding the pop, and not drinking it. She's not a fan of heavily-sugared foodstuffs.







(Does a beverage count as a foodstuff?)