This afternoon I had an operation in which the doctor grafted tissue from my palate to the gums around my lower front teeth. Decades of gum recession are causing bone loss in the jaw, leaving my bottom front teeth with little anchorage. The graft won’t reverse the gum recession, but should keep it from getting worse.
The procedure was not as bloody nor as painful as it sounds. Just long and tedious, particularly as he was stitching the graft. Fortunately, however, they had a classical music station playing low in the corner. Even more fortunately the station was playing a Beethoven symphony that I love. At one point it was all I could do not to start conducting despite the dentist leaning with both hands into my mouth. Listening to Beethoven’s lovely music kept my mind off what was going on for most of the procedure.
Also, trying to decide if could identify which symphony it was. When Gale picked me up afterwards, I asked her to check the app that she has for this station. I had been listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. I knew it wasn’t the 5th or the 9th, but couldn’t be sure which it was. Next time I hear it I’ll remember.
I’ve written before how much a line in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute means to me.
We walk by the power of music
Wir wandeln durch des Tones Macht
In the opera Tamino and Pamina walk through trials by water and fire to lovely music. This afternoon music helped me stay still so the dentist could do his work. And now that the anesthetics have worn off, I plan to let lots of music guide me through next few days.