Feeling Better

I'm feeling so much better today! It's just been crazy! I don't know why everything always has to be so difficult for me when I have a toothache.

Tuesday, I got ready for my appointment, determined I was going to demand pain killers this time. Enough was enough. For the last day or two before that, I'd practically been in tears thinking they didn't care and wanted me to be in pain. (I get emotional when I hurt).

I get to the dentist at nine, which I'm positive is the time they told me, but they tell me my appointment is at 10. Fine, whatever. I leave and go to Target, which is in the shopping center right next door. No, I did not plan that. Ok, maybe I did. ;) Grey's Anatomy was out on DVD (I have my priorities!) and I'd planned on going after my appointment anyway.

I kill time in Target. I buy two books, Grey's and some stuff from their dollar section. The office manager at the dentist office had told me to go get some coffee or something, but I'm one of those people who won't eat or drink anything before seeing a dentist since I'd just brushed my teeth. So I'm definitely not drinking coffee!

When I get back to the dentist office, there's not a parking space to be found. There's a big gym a couple doors down, which must've had someone famous in there or something (Richard Simmons?) because a hour ago the parking lot was almost empty. Whatever. I park out back.

After I hike back to the dentist office, I sit down and start reading Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. When they call me back, one of the dental assistants asks me, "How are you?"

I tell her, "I'm in a lot of pain."

When the dentist walks over, the first thing I notice is that it's not the same dentist I had before. I'm pretty sure this guy is like the main dentist. I tell him what happened, and how Sunday my husband had paged them since I was in so much pain I was crying, and how no one answered the page. They knew all about this since someone did finally call my husband Monday. So while I'm sitting there he makes it a point to call in his office manager and tell her that they need to fix the answering service. Today. Immediately.

He then explains to me that the lady I'd had the week before had given him my file to look at. I have a rare nerve in my tooth that does not just go straight up and down, but forks like a V. He tells me that he could open up the tooth and try to help me, but there is no guarantee, or I can go to an Endodontics Specialist who has a better chance of helping me. When I agree to that, he tells the assistant to call the one they refer people to and to make me an appointment. He tells me that the money I spent for the root canal on Wednesday will be refunded to me.

The assistant comes back and tells me that they will see me in an hour...and it's in another town. When she asks me if I know where it is, I must look confused (and blonde) because the dentist tells her to Map Quest it for me. They were very nice and kissing my butt, which tells me that they know they made a mistake.

The next thing you know I'm in the car on the way to the endodontist. It was one of those surreal moments where you're wondering, "How did I get here?" I didn't even call work because I thought it was just a consultation or something. Oh, how wrong I was!

When I get there, I have to fill out millions of forms. Then they call me back. I wait for a long time, but I guess that's because they had to fit me in. When the specialist finally comes to see me, he's very nice and very concerned. He wants to drain the abscess and do another root canal. He explains to me what the other dentist explains to me; that I have a rare tooth and that even for him, it will be tricky.

Let me just say right here that I'm glad I know why the first dentist wasn't able to complete my root canal, but that I wish someone had properly explained that. I also wish someone had given me an antibiotic the first day or told me that it might become abscessed. I've never known a dentist or doctor causing more pain than before you walked in. I'm still not even sure why it became abscessed. Everything was such a blur on Tuesday. I wasn't expecting to go through such an ordeal of pain as I did.

I'm not going to go into details about the procedures I had done or the root canal. It's not for the squeamish. Let me just say that there was no going to work for me after that.

When I left they gave me more painkillers (two different kinds) and a stronger antibiotic, so now I'm on two of them.

My chin is still a little puffy, but not as bad as it was. It still aches at night where they drained it at. I have to go back next Wednesday and I'm not really sure what he's going to do. I'm a bit scared.

What really sucks is that while this was going on another tooth started bothering me. *sigh* I don't even know what to do about that. Do I go back to this dentist? Was what happened a fluke? Should I trust them? Not to mention, I think I've used all my insurance on this one tooth.

Then there is my laptop, which keeps shutting down without notice. It's shut down like five times since I started this post. I'm not sure what to do with it since my dad was the one who always fixed my computers before. I'll probably have to buy a new one and give this one to my brother to play with, but it makes me sad. My dad gave me this one and it even has the Jimmie Johnson wallpaper he made me for me on it.

So there's a lot going on right now and not just with my tooth and I'm dealing with it. But man... I would just like to have one good week.

It's 9/11 today and I feel like I should say something, but I'm not sure what. Seven years. It's hard to believe it's been that long.

Well, need to finish this up before my computer shuts down again...grr.... I'll be back tomorrow with pictures! No, don't worry, it's not of my tooth. ;)