Oh, my aching tooth!

Last week, I think it was Thursday, I noticed that whenever I was eating on the right side of my mouth, I would get a sharp pain. I figured it was just something that would go away. Boy, was I wrong! It got to where I couldn't eat on that side at all without it hurting. Then any time I would drink coffee it would almost kill me. It got worse and worse all week and over the weekend it was getting almost unbearable. It finally did get unbearable yesterday. Last night I was awake nearly the entire night with a sharp throbbing pain shooting through my right jaw. My head has been pounding and jaw aching for the past 3-days.

I finally was able to visit the dentist this evening. I had a crown put on my tooth last year about this same time. Dr. Sowder told me at that time that the nerve was very close to the top of my gum and there wasn't much tooth to attach the crown to. He told me there was a danger that I might have to have a root canal eventually but it could be anywhere from a year to 5 years or even longer. I took a gamble that it would be NEVER. I was wrong. Only a year later and now I'm faced with having a root canal tomorrow at 2:30. I've always heard my entire life that a root canal is extremely painful. Now all of a sudden people are telling me that it's not really that big of a deal anymore. I don't know what to believe. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Dr. Sowder did call me in some narcotics though. I have taken one Hydrocodone pill this evening. I've not really been in much pain and I feel pretty drained, probably from lack of sleep last night. Mary says that those kind of pills usually knock her out quickly. If I would put this stupid computer away and go to bed I would probably be out like a light. I just hate the thoughts of losing 3 or 4 hours of my own time. I know that once I go to sleep I'll just be getting up and facing another day tomorrow and the dread of having a root canal. Oh well, life goes on I reckon.