A Word About Specialists

First of all, they are usually more creepy than you want them to be. This isn't your everyday doctor you know pretty well after years of strep throat or blood pressure woes. No, these docs are the ones you go to when things are kind of out of control and your normal set of MDs can't help. Sweet. So there's already that. Then, you usually have to travel to Timbuktoo to find their office. Finally you get there and it's the first time you ever saw a whatever kind of doctor and you're wondering about insurance coverage and asking yourself if you really did enough homework in choosing a specialist.

In short, I had gum surgery today and am ticking off the things in my head I wish I'd known BEFORE I signed on. For instance, to graft ONE tooth took over an hour. And though the area was numbed, I could feel my cheek clamped down to the side and thread sliding over my lip as about a million sutures were put in place. Now I've got a gigantic piece of what looks like silly putty stuck to the bottom left side of my mouth, as a surgical bandage. It looks like I need a spit cup. And this stays on for 2 weeks.

What can you eat on a tooth grafting day? Apparently french fries and a Frosty at Wendy's, because that's exactly what I had. Raw diet? Sigh... I'll chew tomorrow.

Anyway, it got me thinking...what else do you wish you'd known before showing up at a specialist? I'll give another example: if you ever go have a mole checked out by a dermatologist, no matter where that mole is located, expect to strip naked. No one may tell you this in advance, so just...shave...or whatever. You heard it here first.