The Grand Adventure

I was trying to search my diary for the last time that I had a tooth pulled. I know that it was right before the fourth of July but I can not remember which year. Was it three, four, or five years ago that I had that tooth pulled? It is not like it really matters. The last time that I had a tooth pulled it was “bridged” with the tooth beside it with a filling. I know that because of the sharp piece of the filling that was left behind. I think that the dentist also did some nerve damage. My tongue was numb for a long, long time and it has never been right since that tooth was removed.

Last Sunday I woke up with a horrendous toothache! I knew that I was having discomfort for a while but I was too busy to even think about it and it wasn’t in the form of pain. It was more like pressure than pain. Sunday was pain! I took Tylenol and went to sleep. Woke up with PAIN!

Nadine had a friend spend the night Saturday night and she had yet to get home. I asked Dick if he was taking her and if he could get me some stuff. That idea changed when he opened a beer. I ended up taking Amy home and going shopping with all the kids in tow.

Monday I called around to make an appointment. Dentists around here do not care if you are in pain. Most of them do not take new patients. They will not take you if you have no insurance. If by chance you can get in you have to be sure that they will pull a tooth if that is what needs to be done with it. Most do not pull because of liability issues.

I had no luck at finding someone to yank out my tooth! I was put on two cancellation lists but who knows how many are already on those lists.

Since I could not get into a dentist I called my doctor on Tuesday and got an appointment hoping that he would put me on antibiotics. They say when there is pain there is infection which is not completely true. If the tooth is cracked that gives the ligaments room to stretch and that will cause pain too. Either way he gave me antibiotics and offered me pain killers. I refused the pain killers because I had a handle on the pain with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.

Wednesday I was feeling like a fool for refusing the pain killers. I could not get a handle on the pain. I was feeling so good Tuesday that I slacked off on taking any meds. Wow, wow, wow! I hope that I remember that stupidity in the future.

Thursday I called Cavalier. One dentist town and got an appointment for Friday. I drove myself to Cavalier and had my tooth yanked out. Wow, wow, wow! That hurt! I did not feel the tooth coming out ~ I only got to hear it. But he put so much pressure on my jaw that I would have sworn he broke it. I know that my jaw is not broken but I could not even talk. It hurt to move my jaw. Hallelujah Lucy can’t speak!! Believe this ~ I called in sick to work! OMG I have used one of my 56 days of accrued sick leave for myself. Usually when I call in sick it is because one of the kids is sick.

While I was waiting and numbing the dentist had a visitor. I was reliving a dentist visit nightmare. I went to a dentist that was so busy and had multiple patients that he gave me the shot to numb then left me too long and it was wearing off by the time that he got to me. And he started drilling to do a filling. I couldn’t take the pain! He said that he gave me all anesthetic that he could give me and basically threw me out of the chair. I have never gone back to that dentist! But the dentist did return and I was still quite numb. He started yanking and called his receptionist and said “this is going to be a grand adventure!” My eyes got wide and I tried to look at him. He then said not pulling this tooth. I am going on a fishing trip. Talk about scary!

I slept off and on for most of the day and night. I woke before 5 AM but went back to sleep for a few hours. Now here I sit rubbing my jaw and writing an entry. I am most positive that everyone wants to read about me getting a tooth pulled.

GFAFB