It is finished...

Dillon finally had his root canals today and we finished a journey, ummm, a "trip" really, that we started three months ago.

This procedure has been a long time coming and some pretty major fears have had plenty of time to grow. By bedtime last night, Dillon was literally shaking. But he wasn't cold. My heart broke a little. When I went to wake him up this morning he was crying. My heart broke a lot! As parents, we are supposed to protect our babies.. even the 10 year old kind. I didn't want him to half to go through this.. especially since I had never gone through it before. This point was not lost on him. Everytime I told him it really wasn't going to be that bad, he would counter with an inquiry on how many root canals I had endured in the past. Ok... none. But if I could, I would have the root canals in his place.

Luckily, he has the world's best dad, who was able to cuddle with him and comfort him while at the same time filling him with courage. Soon Dillon was up and dressed and ready to go.

If you'll remember, the first time we visited the dentist, there was a bit of a "to do" about whether Jim or I could be with Dillon during the procedure. Jim realized that the doctor might just do a better job if Jim were not standing over him, dogging him. (Not that Jim would "dog" anyone... but he is a protective daddy!) So a deal was struck. Jim would stand just outside the room, just in case Dillon needed him.. but let the Doctor do his thing, without fear of Jim breaking any fingers in case Dillon winced. (once again.. not that that was any kind of possibility... ok.. maybe possible.. but certainly not probable!) And so Jim stood in the small hallway outside the room Dillon was in...

And Dillon did great! For all 3 hours! Yes, 3 hours. Dillon is not even sore this evening. Jim needs to soak his feet. Dillon's teeth are a little bit loose. Jim's calf muscles are tight. But it was an experience they shared together.

Cody and I went along for the ride, and shared some of the torment as well. No, we didn't have to endure the drill, or standing for three hours... But we did have to listen to Christmas music, which was turned up loud enough to attempt to cover the sounds of the drills in the back rooms. And as if that weren't enough sound input, there was also a TV dangling from the ceiling, where we could watch Martha Stewart instruct us on how to pull a book out of a bookshelf. Seriously... her studio audience even applauded when she did it. Of course, I still don't know the correct way because I could only hear loud drills and some novelty song about wanting a hippopatomous for Christmas. After Martha left, to practice pulling books no doubt, (soon to be an Olympic event), Family Feud came on followed by Jerry Springer. At that point, Cody and I decided we needed some fresh air and a break for our ear drums, so we left to wait in the waiting room outside the waiting room. We still had Christmas music, but thankfully Jerry Springer was corrupting young minds in a completely different room.

Soon, through the window, I saw Dillon peering out, no longer sporting that snaggle toothed look I have grown so used to. All the chips were gone, and his smile, though strained because of his ordeal, was beautiful!

He doesn't have to go back again. Well, at least for 6 years. He only has temporary caps but that is all insurance will pay for until he is 16. However, we were assured that these temporary caps are pretty tough. The only restriction is that he not bite into an apple. He can handle that. He proved today that he can handle just about anything!