It could be worse.

So today, I was trying to do a relatively easy (for me) task that involved setting up a local band's set for their gig which would entertain a record label owner that I am friends with. Everything I did I either dropped, knocked over, or set up backwards. Of course, my colorful words were being muttered as I struggled doing this easy job.

After practically standing on my head for close to an hour plugging things in, setting things up, and picking things up I stood up to go meet the band and the label owner. I felt funny but figured it was because I had been bending over alot and still trying to recover from this infection. I had no idea what was going on until one of the guys asked me who hit me in my face.

I know I had to have had a confused look on my face because I looked at him wondering what the hell he was talking about. Seeing my confusion, the label owner that is a good friend of mine, told me to go look in a mirror.

Oh. My. God.

My wisdom tooth that has been trying to come in for about 10 years (literally!) has came in sideways and while in the process of all of the setting up, I must have been gritting and grinding my teeth. A very bad habit that I have been trying to work on, but shines through when I'm really stressed and miserable. The tooth is loose, but is not down far enough, to be pulled. It is not only coming in sideways, but has apparently been chipped while coming in and has a really sharp point that is pushing into the tooth next to it. So my face is swollen, not too bad, but enough to be noticed. Every muscle and nerve is so sore and my head is killing me. I've had the last few symptoms for a few days, but just thought it was because I have been sick and crying alot.

I went back out to talk to the guys before sound check and the place opening for the gig. One of them has a father-in-law that is a dentist so he called him and asked him what to do. Since the father-in-law was coming down for the gig, he told him that he'd bring a few tools and look at it beforehand and not charge me for it. That way I'd know what I'm dealing with.

I have no insurance and have not been working since the beginning of fall. If the tooth was in far enough to get a good grip to be pulled it would only cost me $150 or so, but since it isn't and it's sideways and pushing on this other tooth, there will have to be tons of extra dental work if I opt to have it pulled now instead of waiting a while longer for it to come in a little more. The only concerns that I have are infection since I"m already fighting one, I don't need more infection and I've had Bell's Palsey several times and am afriad that it made this problem worse than it should be or that the tooth problem will cause another case of it.. The dentist looked at it and told me that the way it looked that he would have to go in and and cut into my gums to pull the tooth and that was hoping that the roots hadn't grown around another tooth's roots or my jaw bone. If I opt to do this all on Monday, it would cost me at least $500 and not knowing the extent of what is going on without x-rays or any real sterile office exam, it could be closer to $1000 if it has damaged other teeth or my jaw bone. Since I'm already on some high powered anti-biotics, he seems to think that waiting would be ok as long as I rinse my mouth out quite a few times a day and take it easy on eating, grinding, and gritting my teeth. The only reason I didn't notice my tooth is hurting is because I have a high pain tolerance, but after someone looking and feeling up my face, I'm starting to feel it.

I look swell. I feel swell. My mind was not on my work after all of this and I'm glad to finally be home.