Road to Recovery

So here's what happened. Yesterday, I went back to the dentist. I didn't even call ahead, I just went in with my face swollen to the bejeezus and said...I need someone to FIX this. I didn't get there until 1 because I had to wait for JR to get home. They took an x-ray..I told them the were crazy if the thouht I could bite down on anything. ONe lady held the piece in my mouth, while the other pushed the button. Then I went to a room where the dentist that did the root canal came in. She looked at the x-ray and said that the root canal looked beautiful, but she looked in my mouth and found the puss pocket and explained that even though she drilled the infection out of my tooth, there was still infection in the gum and around the tooth, so when she filled the root with the root canal, it trapped the rest of the infection, so it had no way to get out (apparently it was using my tooth as an escape) and therefore it pushed its way out of my gum and into my cheek. This is what caused the swelling - only it wasn't really swelling, it was infection - and my cheek was hard as a rock. So she put some numbing stuff on then gave me shots in order to numb it completely - I thought I was going to die. Then she lanced the puss pocket and pushed around to drain it - then the cut a small hole in the inside of my cheek and squeezed the hell out of my cheek..well it felt that way - basically she just applied pressure to the knot in order to drain the fluid. This went on for about 45 minutes. I wish I would have taken a picture right before I went in, my face was swollen from the bottom of my chin all the way up my ear...it was insane...under my eye was really puffy. She wrote me a prescription for a stronger antibiotic and another pain med. Apparently the pain med isn't stronger than the vicadin that I already have, but it works to alleviate pain and reduce the swelling. She also sent me home with a prescription mouth wash to keep the area clean...the stuff is NASTY...but, I will use it if it kills bacteria and can help get rid of the infection. What was crazy, was that even thought they numbed me, by the time I got home, I was balling because the pain was so bad...BUT my tongue was still numb. After the pain pill kicked in the pain started to subside, but again...my tongue was numb. I kept finding myself biting my tongue...so I put my mascara in between my teeth so I wouldn't bite it. (A few years ago my mom had dental work, and her bottom lip was numb...she didn't realize she was biting it and woke up the next day looking like bubba gump - so every since then I get scared). Anyway, the dentist said it would take about 48 hours for the swelling to go away...it has already started to go down, but my face is really sore - i guess from being stretched out so far. My tooth is no longer sensitive to touch...I can even bite down - I just have to do it carefully. My cheek, chin, and pretty much the whole right side of my face is very sensitve. But the good news is that I am on the road to recovery...the worst thing though would be if the infection doesn't completely go away and comes back in a few months...or over and over again, and I have to get the tooth pulled afterall - after paying money out the ass for the root canal, crown, and everything else. But I am going to think positive, and believe that the meds are going to work and I am going to feel better than ever in a few days...and once I get my permanent crown I am going to be able to chew on the right side of my mouth! Anyway, I am feeling much much better and can't wait to be 100% again!