Agony

Friends, I'm in pain...a lot of pain. In fact, I would say that pain is not the word for what I feel.  This is like the pangs of labor, that moment of no return when you're about to give birth where you hear the nurse say "I'm sorry, there's no time for pain meds...now push, sweetie."

Yeah - I have that pain -- but in my face.  The whole right side of my face feels like it's gone into some sort of strange face-labor that I will never fully understand.  I feel like it should be swollen...as if I've let George Foreman take a few shots at me -- but no - to my recollection, I haven't been in any boxing matches lately.

Instead -- I'm suffering from my own teeth.  Oh, I brush (and floss) regularly.  I eat (fairly) healthy and I make sure to take care of myself - but my body has betrayed me.  These stupid wisdom teeth of mine (yes, I get the irony) are out to get me.  You see, normal people's teeth grow up and out of their jaws at normal angles.  My teeth, however have chosen to do their own thing and grow perpendicular to all the rest.  Don't remember what perpendicular is??  I'll put a picture -- courtesy of studiodentaire.com

Yup...that's pretty much what my wisdom teeth look like.  And yes...it's as painful as it looks too.  I didn't know I suffered from this issue until about 4 years ago.  The dentist gave me an x-ray and said "Wow! That's a mean pair of teeth!"  I was blissfully unaware.  We set up an operation date -- yes, you read that right -- these babies are so impacted that I can't simply go to the dentist and have them pulled, it requires that I be knocked out, under anesthetic, closer to death than I've ever been...I'm thrilled.  But...my husband and I prepared to pay out the big $$ to do it -- then...I found out that I was pregnant. That put off the surgery for 2 years -- the nearly full year of pregnancy, and the full year of weaning that followed.  Then...fear set in. I ignore my dentist's calls.  I haven't seen her since the baby was about 6 months old.  I'm a fraidy-cat!

But the cold, hard, painful reality is hitting me now.  I need to get these things taken care of.  But when? How?  I was told I need 4-5 days recovery.  How am I gonna pull that off when I have 2 major assignments due every week in school?  What about my kids?  What about my chosen children??  Please -- can't this wait until after I'm done this semester???

Am I the only chicken out there?