This year I decided to take control of my mouth. I decided to visit the dentist. My original goal was to have a long overdue chipped tooth fixed, but I also decided to get my cavities filled while I was there. Over the next several weeks, my mouth was perfect.
So, I thought.
On my last visit, I set up an appointment for a "cleaning" so I could get into the habit of going twice a year as recommended. A few days prior to the cleaning, one of my molars started to bother me. It was never very bad, and I would take a few ibuprofen and the pain would subside. However, since I was doing this three times a day, I knew it had to be dealt with.
After the cleaning, I mentioned the tooth pain, and the doctor told me he probably didn't get all the cavity out, and he would re-drill, and re-fill. He did, for no charge, and my tooth felt better. For a couple of days.
Soon, the tooth began hurting with a pain that ibuprofen wouldn't kill. I called to see the dentist, and was told I could get in Thursday at 8 am...it was currently Tuesday. I've been through some pain before, so I thought, no big deal. Quickly, the pain intensified, and it became a big deal...A VERY BIG DEAL.
Wednesday was like no other day I've ever had. There was nothing I could do to stop the pain, except (as strange as this sounds), taking a drink and holding the cold water on the tooth. I would hold the water there until it started to get warm, and then, less than a minute later, the pain would take hold again, and I'd have to do the water treatment over again. The pain was so insurmountable, I finally broke down and went to the Health Services at my work, where they prescribed me
Vicodin.
I've never taken pain medication. When I had my knee surgery, I took one because they made me, but I really didn't want to, or need to, but this time, I willingly swallowed one.
It was 1 o'clock.
By 3:30, nothing had changed, so I took a second one. By 6pm, the pain was gone enough for me to eat dinner. I knew I needed to take one before bed, and I had planned to take one before the pain came back, as it is always harder to manage pain if it is present, rather than being proactive. Unfortunately, the pain came back before I took another pill. At 9 pm, I took the third pill. Between 9 and 11, I had consumed 2 bottles of water while performing "water treatments" because the pain wasn't going away. At 11, I took a fourth pill.
That proved to be a big mistake.
I managed to sleep, but at 3:30, I awoke in a cold sweat, nauseous, and disoriented. I went downstairs and began eating crackers so I wouldn't throw up, and drinking a little water. I was sitting on the couch, and I literally couldn't feel my arms. I could see I was holding the water, but you couldn't have proved it by me. I got up and read, and re-read the signs of an overdose, which freaked me out even more because, even if I didn't have the symptoms, in the moment I felt like I did!!
"Yellow eyes and skin, holy crap!! My eyes ARE yellow!!" (They probably weren't.)
I finally put a cold wash cloth on my head and fell back asleep. The next day I awoke with a terrible pounding headache, and a throbbing tooth. Afraid of putting more drugs in my system, I drove the 30 minutes to Greenwood to see my dentist without any additional
meds.
I checked in and sat down, holding my head, squirming, and trying not to cry. Finally, they called me back. After a few x-rays, the dentist came in and told me he was trying to prevent the root canal, but it looked like it had to be done. I was fine with that...anything to ease the pain. He asked me which tooth hurt, and I told him, but that didn't stop him from tapping on my teeth with some torture device. I could feel him tapping around the sore tooth, but I really didn't think he would hit the one that had me nearly in tears, would he??
He would.
I'm sure I
lept up from the chair and screamed. He apologized, before pushing around in my mouth some more. He said I had a terrible infection. (I could tell, the roof of my mouth was swollen.)
"Here's a prescription for antibiotics." he said. Then, he asked the dumbest question ever.
"How does your Monday look for that root canal?"
Are you serious?!? I'm about ready to either:
1. Pull my tooth out myself.
or
2. Cut my own head off to stop the pain.
and you are going to have me wait Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then Monday to take care of this?? Ah, hell no!! I told him Monday didn't look good at all, and pleaded with him to take care of it right there and then. He said, go get this prescription, and come back at 11.
I left. I filled the prescription. My blood pressure was 158 over 118...usually, I am a perfect 120/80 or lower. I almost broke down and bought some ibuprofen, but I was still scared to. I bought a Mountain Dew instead, in an attempt to caffeine away the headache. It didn't work.
Finally, at 10:30, I went back to the doctor and basically curled in a ball in the corner until they called me. Finally, the dentist gave me the tooth numbing shot, and I could feel the pain slip away for the last time. The nurse saw me holding my head and gave me some ibuprofen, promising me I wouldn't OD on it. The doc did his thing, and I left with only the root canal pain...which was a million times better than the other pain.
I felt like I had the flu that night (probably from the infection), and I awoke Friday with some medicine head, but by Friday afternoon, I was as good as new. I have never been in such severe pain before, and I hope I never will again!!
