The ROOT CANAL!!!

[juldea]

Yeah, I knew it was coming. The root canal on Monday afternoon when I got back from the trip. Whoo, boy.

So I skipped Saxon today (I did call in) and slept until about 2, when Goldbug, Penny, and Ty woke me up. I went to Pad Thai for lunch, came home and showered, and went to my appointment at 3:30.

I brought my CD walkman and 3 CDs of soothing music. It was a good idea. For those who care: Yes, An Evening of Yes: Music Plus; Andrea Bocelli, the $5 CD from Victoria's Secret; Phish, The Siket Disc.

So they put numb-y stuff on my gums, then shot me with the needle full of numb-y-ness about 20 times. Boy, do I hate needles. A lot. I squirm and whimper and clench my toes and fists.

After the wait-around-while-you-get-numb time, I got attacked with the drill. For anyone who doesn't know, a root canal is the dentist drilling a hole down into your tooth, then scraping around in there to remove all of the nerve (alive and dead) and infected stuff inside. Unfortunately, I did still have some live nerve in there. So the dentist is drilling along, which feels cold but not really painful... until he gets close to nerve. Ow. I do the noise and raise up my hand thing, and he gets the needle out and pokes around near there and gives me another nearby shot. Wait a few minutes, start drilling again. Rinse, repeat. After about 4 times of that, we're not just near the nerve anymore, we're drilling into it. So he takes the needle one last time and sticks it right into the nerve. That hurt a lot. But only for about 5 seconds. After that, I was numb to the world.

Which was very weird, because I could see him getting these little skinny screw-looking things and know that he was sticking them into my tooth and down into the root and twirling/twisting them around to catch all the tissue in there and clean it out, but I couldn't feel a thing. As my mom told me later, I think too much about it. I had my music on, but I still kept wondering about my nerve being ripped off of the inside of my tooth and extracted. Yikes.

After quite a bit of that, they cleaned up, filled the empty roots with some medication, and put a temporary filling on. I got a prescription for some heavy(er) painkillers, an appointment to return in a week and a half, and a note saying that I shouldn't go to work that night.

I went by Papa John's to see if I was scheduled, and I wasn't anyway. I had fun talking to my manager through a COMPLETELY numb mouth. I could barely enunciate.

Then I drove to Walmart. I called Jason on the way. He couldn't recognize my voice. ;) It was very amusing at that point, because I still didn't hurt and I talked funny. I called my mom as well, and Brendan to tell him I have to work on Saturday at 9 (affects band performance).

I got my prescriptions filled at Walmart. I really should stop doing that, since the only thing to do there for the 20 minutes they're filling the prescriptions is shop. I picked up a lot of stuff, some more vital than others (surge protector for new computer, underwear, pair of short overalls), and put all of it back except one pair of underwear and some cable ties when I found out that I was paying for the remaining 2 months worth of Zoloft right there, about $100.

I was still shopping a little after they had called my name to pick up the prescription, until I realized that the numbing was wearing off and I would be feeling my mouth soon. I picked up the medication and left the store to come home then. ;)

Took some of that stuff, and wow. I was feeling pretty woozy a little while later. Almost couldn't walk straight. I did stay awake, though.

Did find out that you're not supposed to take it with other drugs that can cause drowsiness.... including Zoloft. Can create a fatal sleepiness. So I am going to call my general practicioner in the morning and ask, before I take my Zoloft.

It's long enough for that to wear off by now, and I'm achey but not so sore that I'm going to take another before bed. Besides, I'm sleepy enough.

Supposedly the worst is done now, since the live nerve is no longer there. The rest of the treatment (redrilling in a week and a half to make sure there's no remaining infection and securely filling it, and getting a crown placed over that in about a month) shouldn't hurt, just maybe be a bit uncomfortable.

I was really shakey after the whole procedure, but I made it through alive and mostly unharmed.

Comments

[ex-dervish821.livejournal.com]

i'm glad you're safe. it sounds absolutely awful, and you have my utmost sympathies.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

It's a very good incentive to get back into being anal about brushing twice a day. Since I am a person who has to do that, and probably should start flossing too, to prevent cavities. Stupid genes.

This morning nothing in the actual tooth area aches. Just the back of my gums where the needle was poked several times.

[vambot5.livejournal.com]

that sounds so much worse than getting your wisdom teeth out it's unbelievable. I'm queasy just thinking about it.