I had to get a couple of fillings done on Thursday at the dentist's office.
Dental work has always been painful for me. Almost every time I lay down in that chair, once things get started, I fight to hold back tears for the entire appointment - even when it's just a cleaning!
That added with the fact that dental work is a primary trigger for Hereditary Angioedema swells, I have to have some form of conscious sedation for anything more than a simple cleaning.
Conscious sedation has its own risks, but one of the main side effects is memory loss. The sedating medication that was used on Thursday is the same one that I used to take before receiving Remicade infusions. I had memory loss every single time. The duration is about the same every time too - just about 24 hours.
Friday I woke up around 4pm in a total panic. I thought that I had slept through my alarm and had missed the dental appointment entirely, but when I went to pick up my phone to call my bf, I noticed the date and time and realized that it was all over.
I got up and started noticing a few things.
The inside of my cheeks and lips were really sore, there was a sleep mat, blanket, and my novel in the living room, I had several texts including conversations that I absolutely have no recollection of, and my medical notebook had entries in it that I don't remember writing AND looked like they had been scribbled by a child!
Apparently - while I was in the dentist's chair, they kept having to wake me up in order to continue the procedure, and I always had enough time to have a nightmare :(. I was also told that I get very emotional when I am sedated.
Oh - and apparently I asked my bf to cover a plate of Salt & Vinegar chips with shredded cheese, microwave it, and went NUTS for the plate of weird nachos.
I received a call from the dentist's office today asking how I was doing after the appointment.
I told her that I don't really remember a thing - and that is exactly how I like my dental work!
I just always forget that the memory loss continues for hours after I become more coherent and feel back to 'normal'.
Thank goodness I had so many Remicade infusions to prepare me - now I know to ALWAYS check my phone calls, texts, outgoing emails, and calendars for any vital conversations and plans booked while I was still in the 'memory loss' phase.
It's also a good thing that I am generally a pretty honest person. It kind of acts like truth serum. :S.
At least that's what I've been told ;).