It’s after 2:00 AM on Saturday morning, and I’m at the computer because I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. My usual night is to be awake and writing (on this blog or my book) for two or so hours, after which I’ll go back to bed and fall right to sleep. It’s not so bad, really, in that I get more written late like this because there are no interruptions, from husband, daughter, or dog in the middle of the night! Also, both sleep sessions are usually four or so hours long each (10:00 PM to 2:00 AM and then 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM), so I usually get around eight hours for the night. I’d rather get up a little earlier if I could, but this schedule is working for me right now, so I just go with it.
Anyhow, let’s talk about tooth 5-or the lack thereof! Wednesday’s extraction went as well as could be expected, and I was in and out of the oral surgeon’s office in less than an hour. I’ve sort of made a new friend there, in the nurse who had been there assisting for both extractions now, even though it was for different doctors. We were able to talk some, both before and after the deed was done, and she was both caring and interested as to why I was having my teeth pulled instead of having root canals done. She’d just had one done, you see, and had been listening when I’d talked to Dr. Stewart at the end of November (for tooth 4) and now with Dr. Holmgren (for tooth 5). She also has a good friend who has MS, which was another reason why she was so curious. Telling her about how I had researched mercury amalgams and MS on-line and in books, and mentioning that a dead tooth was just a new home for bacteria, I gave her an abbreviated version of why I had made the choices I had. I left out Dr. Huggins because I was talking through guaze when I got to the bacteria part, which also means I didn’t really do the cause any justice, but she still listened. Talking about my teeth is becoming a lot like talking about the gospel–I never really know where a seed will be planted and later grow! On this day the nurse was listening, and I wonder what she’ll do about it.
Dr. Holmgren was very kind, and less adversarial than Dr. Stewart. He didn’t question my decision to pull the tooth, though he did voice his opinion when I said that I wasn’t seeing a neurologist. He said he hoped I’d find one soon, advice I took with a grain of salt: Finding a neurologist isn’t my primary concern right now, though it was nice he cared enough to be concerned. After that the tooth came out, but not without a problem. The nurse told me afterwards that the composite filling shattered the moment the doctor grabbed it with the metal tooth pulling thing-a-ma-jig (I think that’s the technical term for it!), so there was a little time spent cleaning up the shards before it came the rest of the way out. Relieved when it was over, I declined the offer of pain medication and was eventually escorted back to the lobby where Paul and Joelle were waiting.
Now, two days later, I can feel a definite lessening in the pain, even though I still have the pain of a new hole in my head. (Which I needed about as much as anyone needs a new hole in their head!) Still, I hope this is a harbinger of good things to come, and was especially heartened by a better day moving around yesterday. I know all my problems aren’t solved with one extraction, but I felt good enough to decrease my Motrin level. Yesterday I began dropping the amount I’ve been taking and then stretching out the time between pills, and have found a lower level to be adequate. Hallelujah!
All in all, that’s encouraging, and I it feels great to say I feel better. Here’s praying that trend continues.