Friday, April 2, 2010

Loopy

Last Monday I took Karina to the oral surgeon to have one of her wisdom teeth extracted.  It hadn't been giving her problems, as you might have imagined.  Her orthordontist requested I have it removed as it was laying down and showed possibilities of pushing her teeth once her braces are removed.

Yes, we've been sucked into the "Gotta have a perfect smile if your gonna succeed" way of thinking, as has every other teenager and adult walking the face of the earth.  Isn't that what it's all about anyway?  Excuse my sarcasim but I can remember when even the Movie Stars themselves had crocked, and even yellowed teeth.  Now a days, I don't think you can get onto the silver screen unless you have straight, white, pearlies.  I suppose if you're playing a villan, you might get away with it but if you have any intention of playing a love interest, or just about any other part, you'd better have pearly whites!

So because Karina's tooth was impacted, they had to put her under.  I'm not sure what they gave her in order to knock her out, and I'm sure they told me because they always do; I'm just not very good at remembering names of drugs or mediations.  All I really know is, she was gone.  Knocked out.  Asleep.

About twenty minutes after I left her with the surgeon I got a call to go back with her in recovery to help her wake up.  I walked up and one of the attendants began saying "Karina, wake up! Come on, open your eyes..." He began walking away and told me to talk to her as much as I could so that she could wake up.  She had the strangest look on her face, almost as if she had no idea who I was.  Uhh, Welcome to La, la land.

The dental assistant and I took turns annoying her to try and keep her a wake. As she started to come out from under the anisthesia she had me laughing.  Apparently the big piece of gauze she had in her mouth to absorb the blood must have felt like a piece of gum because I'd say "Karina, don't chew on the gauze, bite down on it", to which she'd reply "oh, sorry" and then continue to chew.  I'd repeat "Karina, don't chew on the gauze, bite down on it" to which she would respond "oh, sorry" and then chew. 

Then she asked me to video tape her so she could remember what she looked like.  I started the video on my camera and within seconds she asked "why are you taping me?"  We carried on this crazy conversation that was composed of her slurring something and my saying "What?", for the longest time.  Her chewing, my saying stop, and her, sorry.

I watched her, thinking, what a terrible thing it is that some kids, after having a surgery, will experience the first of a long affair of drug abuse.  I say this because during the period Karina was being hospitalized regularly for her pancreatitis, she loved the morphine.  Mostly because it eased the pain but being a kid, sometimes she'd say...whoooo, I'm starting to feel good.  It really was scary.  The good part was that they would give her a little "pump" in which she could self medicate if she felt she needed it.  The little gizmo doesn't allow anyone to overmedicate but, I kept an eye on her anyway.

Thankfully Karina is very involved in our church's youth group.  She's starting to sing with the youth worship team and every week makes me a bus for whatever school friends she manages to talk into visiting her youth group.  Last night there were three kids who all live locally.  The youth leaders are very proud of her fearless attitude when it comes to inviting friends to attend and I'm praying that she gets a bigger high out of seeing new friends attend her youth group and learn about Christ, than what she gets out of those crazy drugs that take away all the pain.  After all, isn't that what God does for us if we give him the chance.

If you keep a prayer list, add my daughters name to it that she might continue to seek Christ and the desire to lead others to Him.  Also pray that she not forget this months study of sexual purity where she received a purity ring.

In this day and age where kids are so confused and looking for happiness in all the wrong places, I pray all teens are turned on to the love of God by someone.  Anyone.

Love to you all and Happy Easter! 

4 comments:

Debbie said...

I wish I'd been there! I was cracking up just picturing her chewing the gauze and not know what the heck was going on LOL! HAPPY EASTER! I pray for all the children/teens in my life ... that they make good decisions and God protect them always.

XOXOXO
Comadre

Bunnym said...

I seriously don't think you have anything to worry about. I believe that by this age, you've would of known something was up...Plus your a good parent. Raquel has 4 impacted wisdom teeth that have to come out...not looking forward to that, but according to her orthodontist, it needs to be done within a few months...yikes!

Have a good one!
bun

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Oh, I remember getting all four wisdom teeth taken out and I was given some kind of anesthesia that just knocked me out cold; my parents had to hold me up to escort me to the car and I was out of it for at least two days!!! And I am so glad that even before I was a believer, I didn't see the attraction of taking drugs....I was too far-out in my own world of imagination that I never felt that I needed any health-risking drugs to take me where I already had the key to enter. Karina has you, and the love of Jesus surrounding her, so extra prayer will most certainly be a strong protection for her sweet soul. She is beautiful, by the way!!!Thank you for coming to visit; I wish you and everyone a lovely Easter, and I can't wait to see you in June sometime. Ruben is making reservations today in fact, and we will contact you with the information.

Mille bises, Anita

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

So good to see you come by for a visit! Thank you, for your kind words and I am so excited to see you in June...I must run to my email and forward you our itinerary. That paper castle on my post...it had no information on its origins!

Mille bisous à ma belle cousine, Anita