Search This Blog

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Tooth woes

Sorry for the long absence! I'll resist the urge to quote some A.C.D.C. here (Bonus points for those who get the reference though), I feel like I've completely lost a week of my life. Monday I had three wisdom teeth taken out of the left side of my face and it is still incredibly painful. I was lucky enough to be born with 5 wisdom teeth instead of four. I couldn't concentrate to do much since this whole thing started. I woke up last Wednesday morning, at about 4AM in enough pain that I couldn't just sleep through it. Eventually it subsided a bit and so I just told Tom about it that night to see what we could do-neither of us has dental insurance. He offered no suggestions, so the next day I just started walking down Hamilton street looking for dentist's offices. My Mom had given me some clove oil and that's what I was using to keep from tearing the teeth out myself. I found three offices that were unsuitable for various reasons, and I called about 4 more at home, just paging randomly through the phone book, until I found one. A lot of them lie in their adds-they don't readily take emergencies, they don't really want to do payment plans, and they don't accept all insurance. But I found a place willing to take me that day, that had payment plans, was within walking distance, and they said they didn't mind if there was a gap in time before my husband got there to watch the kids(and that is really really rare!). Unfortunately all they did that day was take x-rays and put me on penicillin. Then I had to walk home with the kids because our van had a flat tire(looked like someone slashed it. The luck continues) and the truck isn't big enough for all of us. The dentist wasn't sure about what I could take for pain since I am breastfeeding so he told me to take extra strength tylenol. So that's why I spent a large portion of the weekend curled up in a ball on the couch. Monday I had the surgery done and I was not prepared! I've had my other two wisdom teeth removed before and it was painful but not a big deal at all. This was completely different! I was looking forward to getting it done and over with so I could feel normal again. Ha! I'll let you know when that happens. This time I had him call the midwives to find out if Tylenol with codeine was ok, and it was but it felt like NOTHING. My face hurt, my throat hurt,my tongue hurt, my ear hurt, inside my mouth hurt, and I was starving but couldn't even think about eating. Tom had a headache that night so he was no help. I was lucky my Mom could come over and help out. I was completely worthless as a parent that night-my Mom fed the kids, changed diapers and got Leanna's teeth brushed and her pjs on and she calmed them down so they weren't jumping all over me. I seriously don't know how I would have gotten through that night without her! (THANK YOU MOM!) I didn't sleep that night again(kept getting up to spit out blood!) I went back again yesterday so he could look at it because I was still bleeding. He upped my prescription to Vikadin. And that finally made a difference. And then, it bled again last night. I'm just healing real slow I guess. Not fun at all. My face still feels weird, like the mussels on that side are very tired. And then after I heal and our finances heal; I have to go back and start figuring out how to get everything else taken care of. Oh joy. Right now I never want to see another dentist's chair again!

No comments: