I thought it might be a good idea to give you all an update on my medical situation. I know many of you expressed great concern. I was feeling pretty scared too.
I saw a dentist first thing this morning at the 'affordable dentures' place. They start seeing patients at 7:30 in the morning, and I was examined and X-rayed by 8:15. Pretty sweet.
The good news is, I am not in danger of dying from an abscessed tooth. I only felt like I was dying. Besides needing dental work, the dentist feels I am in remarkable good health. My blood pressure is excellent.
The bad news is, my tooth can't be pulled yet. It is so infected that numbing medication probably won't work. The amoxicillin my doctor prescribed wasn't doing the trick, or not doing the trick fast enough.
The dentist wrote me a prescription for 500mg Pen VK, taken orally every 6 hours. If I understand correctly that is a high dose penicillin-type product. I also got a prescription for-
Vicadin!
8 little pain pills. I'll guard them with my life.
Truth is, I'm not in any great pain right now. I feel pressure on my upper jaw, and a general feeling of...funky. I just feel funky all over. Tired, kind of like I could lay down for hours and rest. Which is probably what I'll do.
I'll go back on Friday and have the tooth pulled. It's a molar in a bad spot. When I smile you'd be able to see a gaping hole. But I'm a good candidate for a partial when it heals. That makes me feel a little better.
Other good news is that my unemployment application has been filled out and submitted. Unless the company fights it, I should receive benefits in 2-3 weeks.
I also printed out and mailed this morning an application for Medicaid. I don't qualify for expedited Medicaid, so I won't get a card until sometime next month. My kids also qualify for Healthy Start/Healthy Families as a backup to insurance their Dad's employment provides.
So things aren't so bad. Could be worse.