Not the Week I Had Planned

This week has been a long one to endure for this mom who hates giving in, especially when I have to ask for help.


It all began at 3:05AM last Saturday morning when I awoke from sleeping with a painful toothache. I took some Tylenol and snuggled into bed before heading off to the ER to work my weekend of 12 hour shifts. I made through the day somehow, with a little giggle to myself and increased sympathy to all the patients that checked into the ER for dental pain that day. After little sleep it was Sunday, and back off to work not feeling any better.  I made few phones calls to my husband looking for encouragement to make it through the day, and was thankful to leave on Sunday evening.  I called on right away Monday morning to get into the dentist office, they were able to squeeze me in at 3pm. How was I going to take care of Grant and Norah until then, the pain was getting out of control. Hold it together woman and focus, you can do this.

I arrived at the dentist office promptly at 3pm, desperate for the relief I needed. One xray later and little numbing medication to hold me over was sent to an endodotist down the road. The appointment was an hour later, by the time I was sitting in her chair for my root canal, all the pain medication had worn off and there were only tears to be had, sheer pain was all I felt. She did the root canal, but very little relief was felt. She told me that the abcess that had began above the tooth was only going to get worse and I needed to see an oral surgeon in the morning. Seriously! Ugg, this day wasn't ending in the way I expected. My past experience is root canal = relief.

I started my antibiotics and settled into another night of pain after I called in sick for my Tuesday nursing shift. Oh how I hate to call in, but there was no way to avoid this one. The bright side of calling in, it meant Jason would be home all day to help look after the kids so I could go to the oral surgeon and get some rest.

I called the oral surgeon right away in the morning, who then want a note from my OB to clear me for the procedure since I was pregnant. They also needed the xrays from the day before, otherwise they were going to take more. I didn't want to harm the baby anymore than I already had so multiple phone call were made, a little back and forth, the appointment was finally set for 2pm.  Oh relief is in site! I always tell my patients how much better they'll feel after there abcess is drained. Later I would learn never to use that line again. 

To occupy my time and distract me from the pain, Jason and I took the kids with us to vote, my vote counted if you haven't heard of the controversal Wisconsin election for the State Supreme Court. Our polling place is just a two blocks away in the park and it was a nice spring day so the kids spent a little bit at the park on the was home.

After my visit to the oral surgeon, I was nice a numb again, Thank goodness! but left with a tube in my mouth to keep draining the abcess. Yuck!  Also the doctor told me this is going to get worse before it gets better. What? I'm supposed to feel better after this is drained. Homeward bound, I enjoyed my few moments of being numb, still thinking I was on the mend. I was looking foward to the last appointment of the day, my 30 week OB visit. Tonight I would get to check in on the baby, who hadn't been to happy with me the last few days. I had hardly ate, what I did eat had little nutritional value, nothing but jello, pudding, mashed potatoes and soup broth. Anything that required any chewing was out.

By the time I got to my OB appointment the tears were back, the pain was at it's worst and my face was becoming more swollen by the minute. There was a quick meausrement and doppler of the baby's heart rate, then a prescription written for some serious pain medication so I could get some relief, and boy did I need it. This was becoming worse that labor, there was no end in site.

In my opinion, when you take two narcotic pain pills your pain should go away, at least for more than a hour, but not my experience this time. After a loooong, painful and sleepless night, I then had to turn to my husband and tell him there was no way I could take care of the kids that day. I felt horrible guilt, my primary job to take care of our kids so my husband could work, I couldn't do. I apologize a few times for causing such chaos in our life this week. I spent most of Wednesday sleeping.  Not to keep all the fun to myself, Wednesday night Norah had a fever and Grant was now coughing and sounded congested. Looking for the bright side, at least I could cancel Norah's therapy for tomorrow and not feel solely responsible for why we were going to miss.

Thursday, really it's Thursday, I should be getting better, but I'm not. I had a followup appointment with the oral surgeon in the afternoon. There was no way I was going to ask Jason to stay home again to take care of the kids. So I made a comfy spot on the couch and set Grant and Norah up with activities and planned to have the TV help me keep the kids entertained for the day. They are also still sick, Norah's fever broke in the middle of the night but she's still sleepy. Well, I didn't last long before I was dozing in and out of conscionsness. Then an hour later, I am half watching the events unfold before I fully grasp what I'm watching. Grant had decided that the glider in the living room needed a makeover and he was giving it some color with his markers. Oh, where was this day going, only a hour had past. Well, let's just say the kids weren't going to let mom sleep on the couch all day.

I did ask Jason to be home in time to cart me back to the oral surgeon's office to have my drain removed. The doctor removed the drain and squeezed my cheeck one finally time, oh the pain again!! Then sent me on my way, telling me I should be great by Monday. That is so hard to believe right now.

Well, it's Friday. There will still be no pictures of me taken, as I look like I may have had a stroke. The left side of my face is twice the size of the right. The is no movement of my lips or cheek if I try to smile, which I try not to do because that too is painful. I however am starting to feel better. I have take much better care of the kids today, towers have been built, tea parties had, and lunch was made. Now, I am enjoying the peace and quiet of nap time.

The biggest bummer that all the fun of this week has brought is that we are not all currently packed into the car for an eight hour drive to my brother's house and going to get to see all of my family. We will be missing our newest nephew's baptism this weekend. We are so sorry, Jeff and Sara, that we cannot be there this weekend.

Graham, welcome to God's family!