8 Days Of Hell

Okay so not completely 8 Days.
A very brief background. A few months ago I had two root canals that went remarkably well. I've since scheduled my first crown. I went in, got all drilled up, got my temporary crown and was fit as a fiddle. They said it would take 2 weeks to get my porcelain crown in and they'd just pop it on when it came in. No problem - right?
So last Thursday, - over a week ago, I sort of had this ache in that tooth. Not bad, just not good. Sort of uncomfortable. Take two tylenol, no four, but then it's okay.
Friday, pain gets worse. I'm popping pills all day at work to stay ahead of the pain, man it really hurts. I go out to a concert Friday night (Little River Band and Dennis DeYoung with a ROCK Orchestra, heehee) and I'm popping pills most of the night, again trying to stay ahead of the pain.
Saturday, pain gets worse at some points but is mostly manageable, but it's worse.
Superbowl Sunday. In the morning and early afterntoon, pain is escalating...but manageable. By game time, my mouth is screaming. The pain is rolling up into my ear. I can only describe it as the feeling of red-hot pincers, pinching me in the gum - and twisting. Scott had prepared much fantastic food, but I could barely eat. I'm taking 4 advil - they aren't phasing the pain. The pain is moving into my ear. I'm in hell. At night, it gets worse and worse. I'm crying like mad, like a little girl sometimes and Scott is trying to get me to go to the ER. I decline and finally sleeps takes over.
I wake up, call my Denstist who gets me in immediately.
She sends me off to the endodontist - saying "oh we might have to repeat your root canal in that tooth."
The endodontist gets me in immediately and says "OH hey, this is rare. Some people are sensitive to this acrylic that the temp crowns are made from. It causes an inflammation that can become infected. That is what happened - you have an abscessed gum. Take your antibiotics and your pain killers and good luck. Come back in week if you are not better. I go to work. The pain is escalating. I go home at like 2pm.
I go to bed. I stay in bed on Tuesday and Wednesday. I spend most of those days sobbing, sleeping, being VERY upset about how much the vicodin the prescribed me is NOT working at all....how screwed up is it that advil is working better?
On Wednesday the fog begins to clear by the evening.
Thursday I go to work but Thursday night the pain goes right back to HELL levels a few times. I wake up struggling to get to the kitchen to scarf down pain meds. I'm so unbelievably tired when work time comes I have to roll in late.
And so here we are.

And the pain is ramping back up for the evening. Yippee-ki-yay.

The plan currently is to do a root canal "retreatment" on that tooth on Monday at noon if I'm not better. That tooth is somewhat sensitive to heat and cold now that the swelling of the abscess is going down......which makes me think I'll just go ahead and do it.

Should be a charming Monday.

Wish me luck people. I need it.