Chemo and Dental Work

. . . so this morning I wake up and decide I’ve had enough of this toothache. Anne (Greg’s sister, former dentist) had encouraged me to not wait for a root canal over the weekend, but alas who was I to ignore my dentist and oncologist and find myself an endodontist and just get-er done? Today I felt stronger, so decided to see what I could accomplish on my behalf.

I did manage to get an appointment – and after explaining the past week in detail, the endodontist agreed that oncologists don’t always know what is considered “invasive” dental work.

We proceeded and soon determined the troubled tooth was not the tooth my dentist had suspected of needing a root canal. (One wonders why I had a non-troubled tooth filled last Wednesday, but what’s done is done.)

Halfway through the root canal (numbness never felt so good), he stopped the procedure and explained there was not a good possibility of success. The tooth was cracked deep into the root. Options were to complete the root canal and hope for the best, or seal up as much as he’d done in the hope that the pain would not resurface until chemo was over and the tooth could be extracted.

When I said I didn’t gave a damn about the molar (farthest back), he said he felt best with that solution.

Questions remain: Will today’s procedure keep the pain at bay long enough to get through chemo? And will my body’s ability to heal be sufficient to allow the pain to abate in a few days as would be the case of a “normal” patient?

I no longer count on my body to behave normally, but fool that I am, I continue to be optimistic! Tomorrow should tell which way I’m headed. Good sleep to all of us.