TheBanyanTree: Happy Mom Moment

[Laura]

My 15 year old son had his wisdom teeth (third molars, the dentists are calling them now) 
extracted last Monday.  Poor kid has been on the baby food and soup diet ever since.  A 
couple of days ago, he could still barely open his mouth.  He hadn't eaten anything more 
substantial than tomato soup and boiled custard since Sunday.

Last Friday he was still in so much pain that I took him back to the surgeon to be sure there 
was nothing bad happening in there.  Everything looked good, it was just really, really 
hurting him.  They gave him a prescription for a stronger pain med than the one he had.  
We filled it, and he took one right there in the store.  About 20 minutes later, he got this silly 
grin on his face and said, "Mom, my teeth don't hurt anymore!  Can we get me something to 
eat?"

He had some soup and crackers (with the crackers all mushed up in the soup - no sharp 
edges!), and was even able to eat lasagne with us one night.

But still, even with the new pain meds, he was waking up in the mornings so painful he 
could barely walk, because the footsteps jarred his jaw and made his whole head hurt.

I was really starting to worry about him, because he's my stoic kid - he'll endure all kinds of 
pain and just blow it off.  So for him to complain at all meant that it was pretty darn bad.

This morning he got up and said, "Mom, I think I can go back to the other pain meds, my 
teeth don't hurt nearly so much this morning!"

Glory Be and Hallelujia!!

He did end up taking one of the more powerful pain pills, because we have to go see the 
surgeon this afternoon for another follow-up, and we both know the surgeon will be digging 
around in there.  Ouch.

He had planned to go with some friends to a computer cafe here in town so they could all 
LAN and play games together all evening.  I told him he could go if he felt like it.  After we 
talked this morning about how his teeth finally seemed to be getting better, he walked over 
to me and asked, "Would you be upset if I *didn't* go to the cafe with Jon and them?"

"No, honey, of course not.  That's something you can do if you want.  I'm happy for you to 
go if you feel like it, but of course you're welcome to stay home if you'd rather!  Are you 
feeling bad again?"

"No, not really, but my head does hurt a little, and I think I'd rather stay home and help you."

I was standing at the stove, peeling carrots.  Inside I grinned a big grin, but didn't let it show 
on my face.  "That would be great, but it's up to you whether you go or not."

"Ok, I think I'll stay home."  He thought for a second.  "I haven't done this in a while, and I 
think I need to..."  and he reached up behind me and gave me a big hug.  "Love you, Mom."

"I love you too, son."


-- 
Laura
wolfljsh at gmail.com
http://wolfsinger.wordpress.com