Oh the MISERY!

I think I've mentioned the fact that about two weeks ago, while chomping on a really delicious, salty, ridged Lays potato chip (I love them ~ with or without dip!), I broke one of my back molars. I went to our dentist out in Sparta, Dr. L-----, and he kindly sanded down the jagged edge on the tooth and told me I needed it crowned. I resisted the notion quite vehemently. But my tongue wouldn't stop going to that gaping hole in my tooth. I had visions of myself ten years from now being not only OLD ~ but OLD, FAT, and TOOTHLESS! Not a pretty picture. I made appointments for the two-step crowning process with much dread. I don't make a habit of going to the dentist. I HATE anyone messing around with my mouth or teeth. I am almost phobic about it.

My dentist knows my weakness for pain and said he would "double numb" me and give me some kind of gas that would make me oblivious to everything! So that's what he did yesterday. He numbed me up SO good that I couldn't feel my chin, my tongue, or even my nose! But he ran into a problem after cleaning out the filling in that molar. He discovered that infection had gone all the way down to the root. He looked at me and said in a rather doleful voice, "I'm afraid you are going to need a root canal before we can get a crown on this tooth." He gave me a referral to an odontologist (a dentist who deals with structural abnormalities of the teeth) and said he would see me after the root canal was completed. !!!

My x-ray: the middle molar is the bad one!

I came home from the dentist, still not being able to feel half of my face, and made the call to set up the root canal. The scheduler said she had an opening for Tuesday (today) if I wanted it. I told her, "No. I've got some volunteering to do tomorrow." She said there was an available appointment Wednesday morning ~ would that work for me? No, no, no. Much too soon. Then she mentioned that since this was an emergency, they could fit me in Thursday afternoon. I very relunctantly agreed to the appointment. I wondered WHAT emergency she was talking about!? She asked if she should call if there were any cancellations before that, but I declined her offer. I had just been to the dentist and endured extreme anxiety in the chair. I needed a few days to muster more courage! At about 7:30 last night, however, the numbness was wearing off and the PAIN was setting in. I totally didn't expect it! I took some aspirin. But the throbbing, constant aching and intense pain continued right on through the night. First thing this morning, I got out the odontologist's card and put his phone number next to the telephone. As soon as that office opened, I was going to call and BEG for an earlier appointment!

The phone rang at 8:15 and it was that very office. The kind woman asked how I was feeling this morning? I moaned and replied: "In pain!" It seemed that due to the bad weather (again!) there was an appointment open for 9:20 this morning if I would like it. I told her she could certainly count on me!

So this morning (two days in a row now), I found myself in the dreaded dentist chair, my mouth forcibly pried wide open ~ full of cotton, suction tubes, and carboard braces ~ listening to that shrill and torturous sound of a drill IN MY MOUTH!
I returned home by 11:00 this morning having survived the ordeal of a root canal. There! I am beginning to be able to feel my face now, but I still can't smile or laugh without looking like a stroke victim. I think I'll avoid looking in the mirrow for the rest of the day ~ it's just TOO scary.