Dental Surgery

Evie is scheduled for dental surgery under general anesthesia in less than two weeks. 

She has tremendous anxiety about getting shots.  We have been to four doctor's appointments since she has been with me.  On the way to the first three appointments (she always asks where we are going because she knows we are not going the right way to go to daycare or home... and I don't lie), she has asked if she is going to get a shot.  Then she has suddenly and fiercely burst into tears when I answer, "I don't know" or "I really don't think so" (again, I'm not going to lie to her) and has fixated on the anxiety of the potential for a shot, continuing to cry sometimes the whole way there.  On the way to the appointment today, she at least did not cry when I said I didn't think she would be getting a shot. 

I also used the opportunity on the way to the doctor today to vaguely prep her for the upcoming procedure.  She said the doctor (I think she was talking about one in the hospital) said no more shots.  I said, "Well, you will have to get shots again sometime in your life.  And if you have to get a shot when you're with me, I will take you to get a treat for being brave after you're done."

I'm struggling with when to tell her what is going on.  I'm almost positive I won't address anything until at least the morning of.  Because she has so much anxiety, a part of me thinks it will be best to wait until right about the moment that she is going to get any shots to tell her.  But one problem with that is that I'm sure she will ask in the car on the way to the procedure if she will be getting a shot; and I will be honest with her (I can't say, "I don't know" on this one) but don't want to have that honest conversation in the car when I can't sit with her and comfort her.  Another problem is that if I wait until she asks, I'm pretty sure she will immediately burst into tears when I say yes, before I have a chance to explain to her that there will be a big treat at the end of the whole thing.  Which makes me lean a little toward telling her about some things at least before we leave the house.  Maybe just a general, "We are going to get your teeth fixed and you will get a treat when it's over." 

I have a post on FB right now (comments popping up as I'm writing this) about this.  Many have said that they may give gas before doing any IV.  My plan (which I hadn't thought of before posting the question) is to call the dentist's office and/or stop by the surgery center (it's in the same building that I work in) and try to find out what the procedure will be.  If she never will know that there's an IV, then there may not be a need to worry her about it. 

If anyone has any words of wisdom, I'd be happy to listen!  I'll update with how everything goes once it's over.