I woke up at 2 am this morning, crying. Felt like someone had taken a hammer to the left side of the top and bottom of my mouth. Teeth more than hurting, felt like if I opened my mouth wide enough, they’d all fall out.
I walked around the house for a bit, trying to calm down. Went back to bed, fell asleep for an hour, woke up again, crying. Pain was worse this time. It was about 4 am. I took two Advil, walked around some more, fell back to sleep, partially thinking about all the work I had left to do before class at 2 pm this afternoon, and how was I supposed to do that if I couldn’t get at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
6 am, and I bolt out of bed, almost screaming. That’s it, I walk down the halfway to the bathroom and the medicine cabinet, look inside, make a decision. If I take half of one of the old hydrocodones, I can get -some- sleep, still get work done, go to class, and then make an appointment to see the dentist to find out what’s wrong with my mouth.
I broke the pill in half, went back to bad, fell asleep, woke up at 12:45 pm from the pain that was still trying to pierce its way into every part of the left side of my mouth.
I sent an e-mail to my professor saying I wasn’t coming into class, called my dentist, told them I was going to take the problem teeth out myself, or slowly go through the rest of the hydrocodone. I was lucky enough to get an appointment with my dentist (who I love because he is so patience with me, and knows me so well!).
Several x-rays latter and it’s two really bad/deep cavities, a dying back molar which, surprise! Needs a root canal, and the suggestion that one of the cavities will by the end of the year or beginning of the next, need a root canal as well; that tooth’s nerves are dying as well, and it’s better to have the work done sooner, verses later.
Almost two hours later, after goofy gas, several shots of Novocaine, fillings, and nerve removal, I’m sent on my way, with an awkward grin from my dentist, and a “You had every right of calling and complaining about this one…it was really bad in there.”
My head feels like an overdose I suffered 10 years ago, and all I want is the 12 hours I missed from today, back.
