The Tongue

These pictures seemed appropriate since I have a story about how much trouble a tongue can get into...not in a "ooh I just got caught with my tongue in someone's mouth behind the football bleachers" kind of trouble either!
Before the story, the pictures are from our walk/ride we took with the dogs on Sunday. It was their first time in the new car...hence the moving blankets (not stolen, by the way--given to Julie from her previous job)! They did really well in the backseat. Obviously you can tell they got a little warm waiting for Julie to pump the gas. The dogs that is, not the blankets. ;)
Anyway, my tongue story...I've found since having oral surgery that the tongue has a complete mind of its own and can cause utter brain exhaustion and frustration in trying to keep it from places it should not go. It has four crevices to thrust itself into since the wisdom teeth removal and I have to consciously tell myself to not let it go wandering around in there!! It apparently got bored with the three holes that are healing from the three teeth that were pulled and found the dreaded spot where the one tooth that had not erupted yet, once lived. The swelling and pain only really existed in that top spot because of that one having to be cut out instead of pulled. I haven't given much thought to the fact that it has stitches and the others do not. Duh.
Well, last night the unruly tongue got to picking and prodding around up there and felt something odd coming out of my gum or my back tooth, I couldn't decide. It was annoying the hell out of me though---so I stupidly busted out the dental floss. MISTAKE. Right before I jammed the floss up there, I look at Julie and say, "Hmm...it's probably a stitch just making its way out huh? BUT, it could be some food or something...I probably shouldn't mess with it, huh?" She says, "I wouldn't do it..."

Of course, I do it. I jam the floss up there, yank it down and as soon as I do, I know my face changed from "hi, everything is going great here tonight. How are you?!" to "HOLY CRAP! I did something stupid and we're ALL GOING TO DIE! THIS IS BAD! REALLY BAD!" Because, as soon as I yanked it down and out, my mouth started filling up with blood. I immediately started quietly flipping out while spitting the blood out of course. Julie knew this was not the time to flip out as well, so she busted out with commando military Julie and told me things would be fine, try to stay calm and sit on the sofa. She asked me if I wanted the leftover gauze and I said I did. SO, I packed those suckers up there and silently cried as I couldn't help but be scared that I was going to A.have blood drain into my mouth forever or B. have to go back to the dreaded scary mouth torturers and have more stitches put in. Aww, hell nah!

Needless to say, I didn't have to choose either one of those lame ass options and everything got back to normal.
My tongue has ventured to this forbidden spot a few times today, though I have told him not to (has to be a "he" because he doesn't listen). I still feel part of the stitch hanging around waiting to throw a party up there, but will sure as hell not let dental floss crash it. It's a great guilt-free way to get out of flossing. WORD!