Cheryl -- i remember when my kids had their wisdoms yanked over the summer. Alex [the younger] had it much worse than Jim. He was in excruciating pain for much longer than Jimmy was. so, i do think everyone's situation is different.
- well, yea, we all know that.
and I can't say, "I feel your pain" ... but in a way... i feel your pain.
Hopefully you can get some sleep tonight ..... hope you have the day off tomorrow. *wink*
PS - how's Widget?
Heidi Chronicles: Adventures At the Backyard Buffet
Hi Terese,
Are you saying that from the experience with the kids, esp Alex, it might not be unusual to still be in this much pain after 5hrs? It's been quite a while since I had my wisdom's taken out but recall that the medicine quickly put me into a peaceful, drug induced sleep. I'm sure I had some discomfort but not like this. This is the 'if it doesn't stop soon I may loose my mind' kind of pain. When I had the other tooth removed recently, the one he did with just nitrous and a local, I recall that I needed a 2nd pain pill the 1st night to get the pain to ease up. This time is different. I'm the kind of (silly) person who tends to be overly cautious with pain meds. I always start with 1/2 pill. Isn't that silly? But I never want to take more than I have to. If 1/2 will dial the pain back to something bearable, I'm happy. Well, so far this afternoon in 5hrs I've taken 5 of the 1 every 4hr pills and am still in severe pain! After I send this I'm going to run out and take food to the raccoons and let Widget out. Then I'm going to check the net to see what's the real limit on how much of the pain med I can take. Then I guess I'll go back to bed with my ice pack. Am still thinking about calling the Dr to see if he has anything stronger for the pain - right now a large hammer sounds good!
Widget is doing well. Thanks for asking. This morning he was beside himself with anxiety. He sensed that something was wrong, kept jumping up and down on me with his little toys trying to get me to play with him, trying to keep me from leaving. I know that had to be scarey for him knowing something's 'wrong' but not knowing what or how bad. Since I've been home he's been alternating between sleeping against me and sleeping in his bed on the other side of my bed - when I toss and turn and kick around it bugs him. He also keeps coming over to smell my mouth. Animals are so insightful. He may not know what happened or why but he seems to know where it happened.
On Monday when the Dr and I discussed this procedure - when he said he wouldn't do it w/o putting me to sleep - he told me then that I would have to stay home for 2 days, both the day of surgery and the following day. I asked him about this again before I left today - and before the novocaine wore off. At that time (while the novocaine was keeping the pain at bay) I thought surely I would feel well enough to go to work tomorrow. He said, "absolutely NO" So, I will be staying home tomorrow.
Thanks, Terese. Thanks for talking with me. Thanks for helping to keep me occupied and distracted. It helps. I know the pain will have to end sooner or later - but that knowledge never helps much while you are having the pain.
Yikes! Good idea to find out the limit on those pain pills--don't go od'ing on us, now! You poor thing--what a horror story with the drill bit! I can't even imagine such a thing.
I have a titanium plate in my head from when I had a brain lesion removed, and my doctor told me then, that I would be fine with an MRI and metal detectors. I've been through several metal detectors with no problem, and hopefully I won't have to have more MRIs.
Oh, KyWoods,
Now you see. That's the kind of thing I was alluding to earlier. Brain lesion. It is I who should be empathizing with you. I've had a few annoyances lately, but all in all, I guess I've been luck in that I've been spared the big things - at least, as I keep stressing, so far.
Are Youdoing ok? I mean in the aftermath of your surgery? Has it been very long? Does it look like you are out of danger? I don't mean to be nosey, just concerned.
Yeah, I've been meaning to respond to Terese about the titanium, just haven't gotten there yet. I originally wrote the sentence (about MRI and airport) with only the 'real' phrase about pain when closing my mouth (w/drill bit in there). Then I added the other 2 phrases (MRI/airport) more for humor than anything because my friends are always (or were always) joking with me about not being able to do those things.
Actually, I flew and went through metal detectors elsewhere a number of times while 'wearing' the drill bit. I did set off the detectors a lot. Had to be wanded seperately and by hand. Often set that off, too. Never was sure if it was the bit, bra straps, purse, or what that was setting it off. Not even sure if the scanners were always that sure. Some days I made so many trips through that machine it just wasn't funny, and even as I knew I didn't have anything 'bad' with me, still that darned mahine would go 'beeeep' every time it saw me. LOL
I also had 3 MRI's while I had the bit (actually very tiny) in my tooth: 2 for knees, 1 for lower back. All 3 times I 'declared' the bit and circled and labelled the location. Medical personnel always said it would be ok. I was never sure if that was because of the location or the material or both. With the last 2 MRI's my head was actually outside of the machine.
I checked on the meds. Based on what I found, I guess I shouldn't take more for a while. Looks like in the last 7hrs I've taken 1/2 my 24hr limit. The info did say, however, that in some situations (and this med is frequently used for post op) it may be necessary to exceed the max dosage for brief time to obtain relief of pain. Since I'm up and moving around I figure I can't be in immediate danger of od'ing. Thankfully, the pain has become a little more bearable for now. Not sure if it's really reduced any or if the idea about distracting myself is helping. Trying not to take any more for a while.
But, honestly, it's things like this that make me understand how those hi-profile incidents of accidental od (seen on news in recents years) could happen more easily than most people think. In both of the recent cases that come to mind, like me the person was alone. Whether they were in pain or unable to sleep or whatever, when the person taking the judgement altering drug is also the person administering it and esp. if it doesn't appear to be working, it's easy to get confused, loose track of how many have been taken at what time, etc.
You take care of yourself, too, Ky.
Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking! That was in Oct of '01, and the only problem I have is attention and short-term memory issues. I do NOT multi-task. LOL I've been in trouble at work, even fired once for forgetfulness. Naturally, I was turned down for disability--once when I was having up to ten seizures a day, before they found the lesion, and once afterwards, after having been fired from that job. Not knowing what else to do, and not wanting to deal with the stress of getting an attorney, I went back to school. After some struggling, I will graduate in a couple more weeks with an associate's in Paralegal Studies. Now, whether I will find a job I can succeed in, is another story.
Good grief woman, call your Dr. and see if this is normal or do you need another type of medication!! lol
>>more for humor than anything
yes, i sort of figured that.
Ti - has a very low magnetic signature, so it is rarely caught by airport xray machines.
as for Alex's pain, I think his pain was worse because the dentist had to do more "rooting" around [no pun intended] to get all of the roots out. I think Jim's just came right out. So, yeah -- he was more soar for a few more days - well over a week IIRC - but i also recall, he did not take too much of the pain pills .... he too does not like to take a lot of meds.
Uggg - though .... hopefully you will sleep well, and that will aid i the healing process.
KY - wow, I too hope you are doing fine now.
So -- how are them critters doing? and Cheryl -- did you happen to note the "birth date" ?
Cheryl, NO it is not normal for you to be in this kind of pain this long!! Get on the horn and call your Dr. It sounds like you have a dry socket. Hurts like a booger!!
OH yes... Dry Socket... i"ve heard about those... that never crossed my mind. Excruciating pain!!!
Yes, indeed, been there, done that, and it was NOT fun. Cheryl, you might try a warm wet tea bag on the area. That may give you some relief. The tannin in the tea bag will sometimes help the natural endomorphins kick in.
Oooo, been there, done that. I was told not to suck through a straw after wisdom tooth extraction, 'cause I could suck the clot out...didn't listen. I'll listen if there's a next time! Definitely call the Doc.
I had all four of my wisdom teeth yanked - umm.. "extracted" at the same time, and they were all impacted. That first night was no fun at all (and it was 6 weeks before I could eat solid food and half my tongue was numb for about 9 months..., but that's a story for another day). It sounds like you are in a lot more pain than I was, though, Cheryl. Call your doctor!
Hope you're managing to sleep by now, Cheryl, but do call the doctor in the am if that level of pain persists: sounds extreme, and pain like that is incredibly debilitating. Take care of yourself!
Hi, I have been reading about your tooth extraction. It deffinatly sounds like a dry socket. That is the worse pain I have ever had. It seems that the small blood clot that forms in the gum where the tooth was comes out and then the nerves are bare. I would call the dentist as soon as possible. Only one thing happened then. He prescribed some codiene pain killer and that was when I found out that I was alergic to codiene...up chucked as soon as it got down. I went to dentist and he put a filler in the gum made of cotton and gause I think. This helped a lot. Just don't suck on anything.
Hope you get to feeling better real soon
Marion
I would like to take a moment to offer my sincere apology to all those who came here for wildlife stories only to find themselves inundated by my rantings on tooth pain. Sorry, I'll try to refrain from doing that again; however, as we all know people on drugs do not always behave in the most rational manner.
I would also like to thank all those who came forward to listen and to talk to me during that very trying period last night. If find that it mattered less 'what' you said than that you were there at a time when I most desperately needed some form of distraction from the relentless pain. Believe it or not, I was actually still awake and still in pain when Ruth posted (hoping that I was finally asleep). By that time my mood had shifted and I found that while the listening was still working to distract me, I no longer wanted to talk, for whatever reason. Around that time I began to feel the pain escalating again. I took 2 more pain pills, and finally went off into the blissful, pain-free sleep that I had been seeking all afternoon. I slept through the entire day today, but, thankfully, with little or no discomfort and without the need to take additional medication.
At this point I'm inclined to think that the relentless pain last night was due to (what Terese said) the fact that the surgeon had to do a lot of digging around in there to retrieve all of the pieces. He really had indicated as much before scheduling the surgery when he said that he would not do the procedure under local. The various procedures to which the tooth had already been subjected (2 root canals, epico, grinding down, crown placement, etc) had rendered it extremely fragile. He had been fairly certain that the tooth would fracture into countless, tiny pieces as soon as he touched it and that he would have to dig out all of those shards. I suspect it was the resultant trauma that made the whole area really, really angry last night. I also forgot that while under I opted to get a bone graft (in the underlying jar bone) to build up the area in preparation for the later addition of a titanium post to which the replacement tooth will be anchored. Although I guess a dry socket is still possible, I rather doubted it knowing that the area had been packed with collagen pellets (to feed the bone graft) and stitched closed.
Whatever, the important point is the worst is over now, and I feel pretty much fine. Sorry again for the 'noise'. Thanks so much for being there.
You never need to apologize to us for such a thing! Remember that we are always here for you. :^)
Don't be a goober! Tooth pain is noooooooooo fun!!
And that was no ordinary tooth pain--wow, what a horror story! I'm so glad you were able to get some sleep. Hopefully the pain is subsiding quickly.
For all the fun entertainment you provide, the least we can do is help you through this.
Don't forget the fact Cheryl, that you sat there with your mouth/jaw open for the entire surgery. That can cause soreness and muscle spasms....along with the injury of the utensils the dentist used, even numbing.
I am glad to hear you were finally able to get some rest, and that the pain was more bearable today. And as the others said, no need to EVER feel bad for sharing.....that is what we are ALL here for.
The good, the bad....and the wildlife.
Hugs,
Debbie
It's your thread, Cheryl. You're welcome to hijack it anytime you want to. :-) I'm very very glad you are feeling better today - and I'm glad you moaned to us so we could help distract you a little.
So glad you are better today! Isn't this what friends are for??
I was there through the whole thing. I feel bad I didn't say anything. I was really worried about you.
I am so glad the pain meds finally worked. You know when my stupid crown came off for the third time, it hurt so bad afterwards I think because both the dentist and the assistant tried to have their hand in my mouth at the same time. I thought they were going to split my mouth. I really felt 'manhandled', LOL
Please don't hesitate to post because like nanny says this is what friends are for!!
Hugs,
Susan
=^..^=
Cheryl --- so glad to hear the pain has subsided a bit.
A wise friend of mine once said that both joy and pain go better when shared: and we're all glad to help with both! Glad you finally got some rest and are feeling better tonight.
Cheryl, you made my toes curl with the idea of that titanium in the jaw thing.........I'm tooo chicken. I have a full set of false teeth and can't tell you how much better I feel. My real one's weren't wonderful to begin with, but with time and various medications I had to take they just got worse and worse. I kept getting this eye infection and running a low grade temperature. Nothing was helping. Until my eye doctor contacted his professor/mentor at John Hopkins (this guy is a real true honey) and talked to him about it. I'd had every test under the sun and for somethings no lady discusses in public. LOL All negative. The prof asked about my teeth, so off to the dentist I go. Once the decision was made to pull them, they took the tops first, within 2 weeks the low grade temp dropped way down. After the bottoms were done the temp went away. My dentist, who specializes in doing nothing but dentures and partials said that was not that unusual. I have/had a rather unusual root system and it was wicking junk from my sinuses. Nasty, nasty. I've sent him lots of new patients, so he owes me a set or so he says.......LOL He's just a cute as he can be, I'm an old lady, but I ain't dead yet and this guy is FINE!!! Nothing like a little "distraction" when you're having your teeth worked on.....wink!
LOL!!
LOL doccat !!
ROTF, doccat! I hear you!
My oral surgeon is the 'spitting image' of Mick Jagger, not the current 80'ish one but the 35ish one of years past. Not nearly as hot as the guy you describe, but he'll do. When I 1st met him, I had a really tough time getting past the look. I mean, one just doesn't expect to have Jagger working on their teeth. The nurse told me he gets this all of the time - I had no doubt considering the incredible likeness. I don't think he likes it, but I can't help but pick on him. Like when he asked me if I was ready for my surgery, I said, "Sure, Start me up!" (Hmm, this might explain my pain. One shouldn't mess with the surgeon.) He told me that on one occasion when he and 3 friends (who just happened to be rather large guys) went to some event in NY they were cordoned off from everyone else, seated in a special VIP area, and treated like royalty. He soon realized that they had been mistaken for Jag gar plus body guards. He said he just kept his mouth shut, let the 'body guards' do all of the talking and enjoyed the special treatment and all of the freebies. He didn't lie, just let them think what they wanted.
doccat, I've talked to others who have had the titanium posts put in and they've all been very pleased with the results. It's the closest thing to having your real teeth. The individual replacement tooth is screwed into place on its own post. They don't come out and the fit is supposedly such that they don't present an additional hiding place for food. Other options include the bridge which I don't like because it requires destroying (grinding down and placing a crown on) one or more adjacent teeth to anchor the replacement tooth. That never seemed like a good tradeoff to me. Also, that leaves a minute gap under the replacement tooth, so you have to learn to floss that new space. I think they can also put a replacement tooth on a retainer type thing so that it is removable at night. That one involves all of those wires and that thing in the top of the mouth. The implant I am getting is supposedly the best but certainly the most expensive option. Supposedly neither I not others will know them (I'm getting 2) from the real teeth and they will require no different care or maintenance. I had better like them as the cost for setting the 2 posts alone is around $6k! That does not include the cost of the surgery I just had to remove the tooth (or the one a few months back) or any of the work done previously to try to save those 2 teeth or the cost of having the replacement teeth made and screwed in place once the posts are there. To make matters worse, while I keep hoping they will change their minds, I believe the oral surgeon's office indicated that my insurance has thus far declined to pay any part of that $6K because they figure I should go with the more common and less expensive bridge solution.
But don't worry, if the posts bother me, I will be sure to whine so loud everyone will know it! Sorry to hear about your tooth situation but glad that you are happy now with the result. Problematic teeth seem to be a genetic trait on one side of my family, the side I appeared to get virtually all of my DNA from. Both my father and his mother did what you did and for similar reasons as recommended by the medical community. Both found that removal of their teeth vastly improved their health. I believe my father was in his late 30's when his were removed. My grandmother was probably in her 50's when she had it done. She went into the hospital and had them all removed at once; I think that may be the only part she later regretted as it was quite traumatic. My teeth began breaking down in my late 20's. I even lost 2 in my teens. With extreme care and a lot of expense I've managed to halt the progression. Although I am now loosing two teeth that had become severely compromised early in my life, I'm proud to say that with advances in tooth care I've not had a single additional cavity in decades. I may still loose my teeth, but am trying hard to keep them if at all possible. However, I had become convinced that this particular tooth was causing me severe and often debilitating sinus pain. I only had sinus pain on that one side and always in a line running straight up from that one tooth. As a result, I wasn't so sorry to see that tooth go. I'm hopeful that this will put an end to those nasty sinus pains and the occasional need to take strong pain killers just to function through them. So, I too, may eventually have to let all of the teeth go but for now am still in the fighting stage; I would choose to loose them in a heartbeat if I new they were causing me health problems.
I want to thank all of you for the kind words and for making me feel less self conscious about sharing my personal plight during the tooth fiasco. Thanks for making me feel those warm hugs of friendship! The feeling, not just the words, came right through the network!
Recently when I thanked those who talked me 'down off the wall' when I was battling the pain, I didn't mean to exclude all of you who were there for me in the more basic, animal sense - you know, communicating without words. (I felt the love Susan!) I know those vibes enveloped me, too. You just chose the route Widget uses. He sat beside me and stared his well wishes into my brain for a while. It's all good. Together we got through it! (But when I see 'Jagger' again, I'm going to have a talk with him about propper pain management - like bring out the big drugs to start with and don't leave me thrashing about for hours.)
Thanks again. Let me know if I can ever be there for you - and I do mean that.
>>(But when I see 'Jagger' again, I'm going to have a talk with him about propper pain management - like bring out the big drugs to start with and don't leave me thrashing about for hours.)
There ya go!! Just pretty much knock yourself out for the first day while your body/mouth heals ... then the rest should be bearable.
Too funny about the Jagger thing -- I'd think it would be "rough' or even annoying to look like someone famous... but then to get that treatment in NY must have been a hoot for him.
there was a guy at our local "Dominicks" [Safeway] who worked in the produce section... could have been David Spade's twin brother. [i personally dont care for David Spade.... but that's beside the point] then i mentioned it to my oldest son {jim} and he said.... OH, he works at Starbucks too. [so he sorta knew the guy] But Jim never talked to him about the whole 'splitting image' thing like i asked him to.
I always felt like saying, Hey Dave!! while looking for lettuce.... but never did.
Terese,
When I go back to get those posts put in (I'm getting both at the same time to save time off work), I'm going to tell Jagger that for $6K I do not expect to feel ANY pain! I'm going to use nanny's line and tell him to just break out that Demerol to start with. I took that once for severe tooth pain many years ago. I heard rain coming down outside and thought I should go check my car windows. My brain told my body to get up - at least 3 times - but nothing happened. Then I decided I didn't really care if the car filled up with rain water.
You are right, BTW. I've had several surgeries now, dental and otherwise, and in every case those 1st hours after the anesthesia wears off are inclined to be very painful (at least, that is, if there is going to be severe pain, that's when it will occur). It seems if you can get past that 1st night, you're home free. After that the pain is minimal to nonexistent, but that 1st night can be heck!
Just to show you how much this guy does resemble Jagger (aside from the NY incident), I first mentioned it to the nurse by saying, "I'm surprised to see that the Dr is back from his latest tour." (without actually mentioning a name) She laughed and said everybody notices how much he looks like Jagger. I mean he has the face, same hair color, he's thin enough that his scrubs drape around him. I think Charleston and this alternate Dr persona might be Jagger's hide out/disguise. And for someone who doesn't like to be reminded of the resemblance, he wears his hair just like Jagger. Even when the style today is ultra short hair for men, this guy wears his hair down around his ears in a style much like Jagger would have worn. It's well kept and styled, not just all shaggy, and the style flatters him - but it only serves to further the resemblance.
Whereas a 'regular' person might be flattered to be mistaken for someone famous, I find that Dr's and particularly surgeons are sufficiently ego-centric to expect to be 'famous' in their own right. He talked like he was mostly amused by the treatment he received in NY when he and his posse were mistaken for the singer plus body guards.
In the future, maybe I shouldn't tease the guy with the knife, esp when I'm about to go under anesthesia.
I'm trying to get some work done outside today. Just came in to wipe off some sweat. Here's a little something to tide you over. Doesn't this pose look familiar?
... there's that "blue" dog again.....
yes it does... but i don't recall who that would be. I could 'scour' thru old images... but dont have the time.... and you know id' find it. LOL.
we just had 2 gorgeous days.... sunny and upper 50's [yes that is gorgeous for this time of the year]
and i got a bit of 'clean up' done... more the blowing garbage 'out back'. [coffee cups, dorito bags, general crap/bags that blows in from off the highway.... stuff like that'
today will be cloudy and cool... upper 30's/40°
I even wore capris and my dansko clogs yesterday... with no socks!!
Cheryl -- you have to go over and see Trios' Opossum photo!!
How strange... I know I posted last night, but it doesn't show up now??? I reiterated all our assurances to Cheryl that no apologies are ever necessary for leaning on friends - you've lifted our spirits & brightened our day so often, it's wonderful if you can receive the same lift in return. I wish I would have been around to offer support/distraction... hopefully, all the tooth pain is in the past & will NEVER recur, since you are going to demand some of those special rock n roll drugs.
My raccoon has been eating nightly; I need to get DH to charge his camera, so I can take some pics through the window. I saw the possom again, too, who didn't seem as afraid of me as I would have expected.
On Wednesday & Thursday, we heard the most horrific cat fights - both times it was around 7:30 - 8pm & in the same area. Both nights, one of our cats was near our door, but we worried about the other... The first night, he appeared shortly with ruffled fur & kept looking in the direction where the noise had come from. The first night, my son ran outside, because he could hear the ruckus downstairs. The second night, my husband & I walked into the noise, as we arrived home - I ran up the path clapping my hands & yelling, & could hear the "fight" traveling, but it didn't stop for a while. My husband said the noise sounded very gutteral & wild... we worried that it could be a cat & a wild animal. Then I remembered Ruth talking about the fight-like noise that raccoons make when they mate. So, I'm hoping that's what we heard - don't want to worry about my cat being in such a fierce sounding fight!
Liz -- i always used to hear that sound by my old house... always thinking it was cats. Now I do believe it was "coons mating. but what a viscous sound it is!!
Cats outside in the wild make a similar noise....have seen and heard it myself. I thought they were killing each other...but Nooooope!
Debbie
LOL, I heard the coons scuffling outside my window a couple times, and thought they were fighting...so they may have been busy making more coons? Wow!
Liz,
Thanks for the comforting words. A few time I made a post, hit preview, but never actually hit 'send'. Each time I would get frustrated wondering what the system did with my lost post. Then one day when I had multiple browsers and tabs up, I actually found the missing post still sitting there in view mode on another screen.
From my experience, raccoon arguments are generally quite brief, like on the order of seconds. (This may not be true of confrontations between males during mating season, however.) Any sustained 'fighting' sound, especially this time of year, is probably romance. Feline romance is also quite noisy BTW.
Well, if you hang with worms, you just don't have these noise issues.............grin