You should know better

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Ok, AN, it's guilty pleasure time. What do you do that you know as a nurse you shouldn't? Chain smoke? Binge drink on the weekends? Lecture a patient on a healthy lifestyle then go home and slam down a whole mac-n-cheese pizza? Ride your kick-a** donorcycle to work? Do back flips on your trampoline while juggling swords?

Out with it!

Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Dentists. Gads. I would go 8-10 years w/o going. Only time I ever showed up was if I had an abcessed tooth..One dentist zonked me with 'laughing gas', another would have me take 50 mg of Seconal an hour before my appointment (someone else drove me) and then another 50 mg. when I got to the dental office. I had uncontrollable shaking that started in my bones and worked it's way out in waves. NO WAY could I suppress it. It was horrible.

eta: I am no longer afraid of dentists. I don't know what changed, but whereas before I could not even stand to see commercials on TV for toothpaste and avoided any and all conversations about teeth, and I spent days dreading an upcoming appointment.....well, now I just go without a second thought.

Weird, huh?

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
Dentists. Gads. I would go 8-10 years w/o going. Only time I ever showed up was if I had an abcessed tooth..One dentist zonked me with 'laughing gas', another would have me take 50 mg of Seconal an hour before my appointment (someone else drove me) and then another 50 mg. when I got to the dental office. I had uncontrollable shaking that started in my bones and worked it's way out in waves. NO WAY could I suppress it. It was horrible.

eta: I am no longer afraid of dentists. I don't know what changed, but whereas before I could not even stand to see commercials on TV for toothpaste and avoided any and all conversations about teeth, and I spent days dreading an upcoming appointment.....well, now I just go without a second thought.

Weird, huh?

Seconal...woot!! And I thought Halcion was a trip and a half; I was convinced I was stone cold sober.... Turns out just...no. I will pass on the shaking, though!!

I can't stand doing dental cases in the OR. Give me a brutal joint revision or big open belly any day. I'm sincerely hoping that with the right dentist and right chemistry, I too will lose my fear!

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Specializes in Pediatric.
Dentists. Gads. I would go 8-10 years w/o going. Only time I ever showed up was if I had an abcessed tooth..One dentist zonked me with 'laughing gas', another would have me take 50 mg of Seconal an hour before my appointment (someone else drove me) and then another 50 mg. when I got to the dental office. I had uncontrollable shaking that started in my bones and worked it's way out in waves. NO WAY could I suppress it. It was horrible.

eta: I am no longer afraid of dentists. I don't know what changed, but whereas before I could not even stand to see commercials on TV for toothpaste and avoided any and all conversations about teeth, and I spent days dreading an upcoming appointment.....well, now I just go without a second thought.

Weird, huh?

I always get nervous too, that I will have a dental emergency and need to go immediately. Sigh.

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I hate going to the dentist. My teeth are really sensitive, and the cleaning process is literally agony for me. I am way overdue to go back, and I really need to. Dental hygiene is very important. Sigh.

I actually like the scraping. It makes me feel really clean. And I have great teeth, so there's never really an issue. :blink:

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Coca cola. Ice cold. Rabbit pellet ice. I limit myself to 2 per week with occasional binging.

Booze. I don't discriminate...craft beer, wine, top shelf gin and tonic (two limes), icy cold vodka martinis with a twist. Worked for over 5 years in the WA wine industry while on a break from school and psych. Let me know when you need a Pac NW recommendation, but that said, my old wino heart belongs in Italy, and no amount of local/regional goodness will ever convince me otherwise. I rarely, if ever, drink to the point of hangover, though. I turned 40 and my morning after pain threshold decreased by negative exponents.

I exercise, but sloth is my favorite vice. I can lay in bed and read a book and snooze off and on for a full 24 hours, no problem. Especially when stressed out. A good run would be a far better coping mechanism....and I know it.

Add me to the list of dental deny-ers. I will put that off as long as humanly possible and demand pharmaceuticals when I do go. Hypersensitive teeth and I don't stay numb...plus I had a scary dentist tell me to "tough it out" while he took a wisdom tooth out in five pieces. My best friend had to come from the waiting room to hold my feet down, because come hell or high water, I was outta there.

I just swooned. Except for the dentist.

I will hold your hand at the dentist.

(I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth intact. I have a big mouth.)

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
I just swooned. Except for the dentist.

I will hold your hand at the dentist.

(I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth intact. I have a big mouth.)

I will pay you for hand holding with wine, my wino kindred spirit!!

I have large teeth in a small mouth (all evidence to the contrary...since I'm known as someone with ahem...a "big personality"). I was once told by a hygienist that I was an orthodontists dream. I did have braces and I have nice "looking" teeth. Little do people know about the molar implants I had to get after a horse accident (an entirely different story). I clean my teeth obsessively to avoid the dentist. Oral B sonicare, excessive flossing, sugarless gum, etc.

And I whiten to handle the wine and coffee stains. :) I didn't mention coffee in my OP. That's another obsession....guess I'm hitting it out of the park with vices!!

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Specializes in Emergency/ICU.

I'm a coffee-head, but otherwise don't have other vices. I stay away from doctors as a general rule unless I am working. Including GYNs and mammographers.

But I am a believer in Granny's Cure for the Common Cold. I believe medicines should be the last resort and not the first for minor illnesses. So this makes is awkward for me as I'm explaining prescriptions for minor illnesses to my ED patients and they ask what the price will be at the pharmacy. I often have to pause and reformulate my answer instead of saying what naturally comes to mind, "I don't know because I never use this stuff!"

The Common Cold (The Beverly Hillbillies, 1965)

Miss Jane
: ...it's just a cold, Granny, and that's one thing you doctors haven't conquered yet.

Granny
: What do you mean?

Miss Jane
: Well, there's no known cure for the common cold.

Granny
: You mean to tell me that city doctors ain't got no cure for a cold?

Miss Jane
: Well, they can alleviate the symptoms, but no-one has a cure.

Jed
: Well, Granny has. She's been making it long as I can 'member.

Miss Jane
: A cold cure?

Jed
: One spoonful's all it takes.

The scene shifts to the office of Mr. Drysdale's physician, Dr. Roy Clyburn.

Clyburn
: You have a cold.

Drysdale
: I knew that when I came in. Now what are you going to do for it?

Clyburn
: I'm going to recommend that you eat sensibly, drink lots of fluids, get plenty of rest. And, in a week or ten days, you'll be alright.

The scene shifts. When the traveling pharmaceutical salesman hears about Granny's wonder cold cure and proudly announces that he is now the exclusive West Coast distributor for "the first cold cure in medical history." The final scene:

Miss Jane
: Granny, I apologize. This morning I didn't believe you. Your cold cure really works.

Granny
: Positively, if you follow directions.

Salesman
: By the way, what are the directions?

Granny
: Take one spoonful of cold cure, eat sensible, get lots of rest, and drink plenty of water.

Jed
: And in a week or ten days, your cold will be gone.

Miss Jane
: A week or ten days.

Granny
: That's all it takes.

Jed
: Ain't failed in 45 years!

Salesman
: Can we go back in your office? I think I'm gonna be sick.

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I will pay you for hand holding with wine, my wino kindred spirit!!

I have large teeth in a small mouth (all evidence to the contrary...since I'm known as someone with ahem...a "big personality"). I was once told by a hygienist that I was an orthodontists dream. I did have braces and I have nice "looking" teeth. Little do people know about the molar implants I had to get after a horse accident (an entirely different story). I clean my teeth obsessively to avoid the dentist. Oral B sonicare, excessive flossing, sugarless gum, etc.

And I whiten to handle the wine and coffee stains. :) I didn't mention coffee in my OP. That's another obsession....guess I'm hitting it out of the park with vices!!

Never had braces. I use Colgate Optic White. No pay, just buy me a drink after.

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.
Never had braces. I use Colgate Optic White. No pay, just buy me a drink after.

I'm a Colgate gal too....and it's a deal! :yes:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

I definitely could cut down on sweets. Not overweight but I loooove chocolate, basically any homemade baked good, and ICE CREAM. And yes, over the previous long weekend I did visit a new-to-me but very popular bakery in my city and enjoy a large red velvet cupcake...after diagnosing multiple patients with type 2 diabetes at work :rolleyes:

Sometimes, especially after my long and busy work weeks, I'll spend Saturday doing absolutely.nothing. As in, wake up, eat breakfast, Netflix, play around online, random snack, nap...you get the picture. Those days, it's a miracle if I even do a load of laundry. And you're asked, pooh, did you do anything fun yesterday? And it's like, yeah, I Netflixed and introverted.

My coffee consumption is creeping up as the years go by. After some dental work/implants followed by whitening, I was told NO COFFEE but I don't even care how poorly I'm following that rule.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I can easily down a pint of Ben and Jerry's in one sitting and can't remember the last time I saw a gynecologist.

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And you're asked, pooh, did you do anything fun yesterday? And it's like, yeah, I Netflixed and introverted.

I think I love you.

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