Just Checking In With A Life Update

*Ignore my bemoaning if you wish….it’s one of those posts strictly about life, dear readers.

The past week, the post-wisdom teeth removal week, has been awful. A surgery long time in the making, then it arrived and went well. In the beginning phases of healing, I even said aloud “I should have done this a long time ago.” I would eat those words and mushy, non-solid foods in the days to come.

After the surgery, I felt as I thought I would-in a pleasant state of numbness and the following two days were much easier than imagined…then the third day arrived. A pain spanning my entire face in the places you’d expect to be sensitive arrived as soon as I awoke. Keeping in mind that this must be what people talk about for this procedure-the suck factor-I told myself to deal with it.

However, I woke up early the next day to a very sore throat. Feeling panicked because my airway felt like it was closing up, I started to question if this was a normal part of the healing. Breathing was difficult so my sentiment was no way in hell this is normal. Visions of a Grey’s Anatomy-esque scene where they have to do a tracheotomy wouldn’t get out of my head. An expensive trip to the emergency room in the middle of the night was also a constant thought. Poor Greg stayed up with me through my tears and attempts to reduce the swelling even with his 4AM alarm to start his work day. I don’t cry very often (shut it, Greg, with your differing opinion) but I was in an all out freak fest which didn’t help the matter.

A call to the oral surgeon’s office was made but being a busy place, I was handed over to a not-related-to-my-case nurse 45 minutes away at another office, which “answered” my questions. She told me my symptoms were not related to the surgery (were rare so I must have caught a virus over the 4 days) and that I needed to go to my family doctor…I immediately disagreed that it was not related. Being without health insurance but full on dental, I wondered what happened to the “we’ll be here to help you with anything you might face after the surgery-here’s our 24 hour number that allows you to speak directly to a doctor” statement made by the office. Disappointment and upset didn’t begin to describe my emotions.

Really, I have to spend more money with an unrelated doctor to receive the care I should have had after this ordeal at your practice? I mean I wasn’t feeling that way before the surgery and now my face feels like it’s on fire, both ears have extreme pain and my throat and tonsils are swollen to the point I can’t breathe very well. Eventually I lost my voice (make your cruel, joking comments now about lucky Greg). My local urgent care was my destination (the same place I have a history with concerning that elbow problem I had not long ago). The doctor said it was indeed related and could only prescribe me a stronger anti-inflammatory that would play well with the 3 other medications I was already taking. Their office was also surprised by the lack of attention and mention that my symptoms were not related to the surgery. On a good note, the urgent care office contacted me to see how I was doing today. Seems like the opposite office that should be calling but how sweet.

Anyway, the new med brought something different to my days and nights-the inability to sleep. Before it came along, I was sleeping most of the day and began to despise the unproductive time. Those were the good times. Wired but highly productive in a crazy/frantic/ abnormal/scary way.

This is what I’m talking about though. It’s not the actual procedure but the fallout. Inevitably something happens to me that complicates the situation and it’s either something no one wants to deal with and shoves aside or they don’t deal with it in a rational manner…causing more unnecessary money spent, time lost, more pain inflicted than the norm and me being letdown once again.

So we’ve come to expect these events. To go without is just not us (or me rather). This time the whole “unable to breathe well” thing scared the bejesus out of me. What will it be next time and how much will it cost beyond the expected? More dental work is in store. Anyone want to place any bets on possible complications? I joke but leave you with a semi-serious tone.

These are not happy times for the dabbler. I’m craving the summer food my senses are bombarded with in the stores, on tv, in magazines and at parties but limited to a diet of mushy foods and the unavoidable jaw pain with consuming anything. 8 lbs. down. Please enjoy summer for me as mine will be cut short due to these complications. My time eating grilled foods, fresh produce and sipping alcoholic drinks on my patio are limited. So what are you enjoying this summer? Make me jealous.

I’ll be back next week with a recipe of some sort…something I obviously had when I could enjoy a wide variety of foods. Until then, enjoy your weekend! I will be traveling hours away in Minnesota to St. Cloud (again), Princeton and Minneapolis for a looksy at some craigslist furniture finds and housesitting.