2010: the tooth pain diaries
The radio silence of late is due to illness – one of my teeth just decided it was done with me.
I closed out 2009 with a bang, being the Maid of Honor and featured vocalist at my mother’s wedding, becoming certified as an IRS volunteer tax preparer and spending New Year’s Eve at the best dance/art party in NYC that didn’t get shut down. It was hectic and wonderful and exhausting.
And right before it all started, on Thanksgiving eve, I found out that I had somehow cracked a tooth – one of my bottom molars #19. Under the care of my amazing dentist and new periodontists I had no symptoms and I got through the holidays without incident.
Not so much after the New Year hit. The pain started in the early morning hours on 1/1/2010 – I went to sleep as the sun came up and my mouth started to smart. The discomfort over the next week was intermittent and I had scheduled a follow up with my doctor, so I just lived with it.
Another week later, an infection has ravaged my fractured tooth causing an abscess and my face has been swollen for the better part of five days. I saw the doc on Monday and got the meds I need to get better. I will probably have surgery in the next week or two. I’m no stranger to dental surgery, but this is much more involved (titanium screws?) and will take more than six months to complete. What a way to start the New Year!
The frustrating part is that this broken tooth is actually a failed root canal. Twice now this tooth has betrayed me, while no other teeth have anywhere near this level of difficulty maintaining the daily grind.
The good news is that for the first time in my entire life I have real dental insurance. Thank you progressive NY State health care laws allowing Domestic Partners to buy into employee sponsored group plans! Staring down the barrel of several thousands of dollars of work to be done (on a tooth I’ve already spent $2000 on out-of-pocket for the root canal – talk about sunk costs), it is amazing to know that even some of it will be covered.
Now that I have returned to a semi-normal mental state without the throbbing, blinding pain in my face, postings shall resume.
Happy 2010.
