I have created
some excitement in the Singaporean dental community. A week after my tooth
extraction and suffering five days of the most excruciating pain I have ever
experienced - a collection of dentists, endodontists, oral surgeons and
one mighty oral maxillofacial dude have determined that I have a very unusual
'dry socket' disorder.
My dentist
Derek had only read about it before and the endodontists and oral surgeons that
I had seen had themselves only seen a handful of cases. The maxillofacial
surgeon was called into to remedy it. I have just returned from his Mount
Elizabeth practice.
My entire face
is numb.
I am
blissfully pain free.
Apparently this
condition was sparked by the death of some blood capillaries. A sneaky and
persistent and very nasty microbe crept into the bone in my jaw where it
quietly took up residence. An infection has been living there for a while
apparently. It made itself at home. It also slipped ever so discretely into a
large nerve bundle that belongs to my left sinus.
It was
explained to me that having the tooth extracted somehow unleashed and enraged
this beast. It unleashed it's fury and attacked me with no small degree of
brutality. I enquired as to whether this was related to the thing I had last
year.
That which was
blasted away with radiation.
They thought
it might.
So armed with
my bundle of X-rays, CAT scans and MRI's I went to Dr. Wee Tze's clinic this
afternoon – once again at the Mount Elizabeth hospital but this time the new
Novena one. Dr. Wee Tze is the Oral Maxillofacial Dude. He seemed pleased to
see me. He even rubbed his dainty little hands together in pleasant
anticipation.
"Yours
is a very interesting case" he informed me.
Even though he
looked ethnic Chinese, the Doctor's accent was British.
It was
clipped.
It was posh.
"So I
believe" I replied.
"You
are going to fix it?" I added.
"I
am"
he responded.
His voice was
confident and assured.
"So
what exactly are you going to do to me?" I asked.
My voice was
anxious. I have endured a lot already this week. Much of it horrific.
"We
will start by cleaning out your socket" he explained.
"We
will dig out the surface infection down to the bone. I will then insert an
antibiotic and anesthetic package that will dispel the pain and heal the
wound"
"Into
my bone?" I queried.
"Yes"
he
responded
"Oh
shit"
I thought.
I did not say
that though but it didn't sound very nice.
"Then
we will numb the upper part of your mouth through your lip" he said,
"Then
I will inject an antibiotic and anesthetic through your sinal nerve into your
jaw"
"Through
my mouth?" I enquired.
I was more
than a bit anxious now
"Through
your face" he replied
"Oh
fuck"
I thought.
I may well
have said that aloud too. This didn't sound good at all.
"And
my pain will be gone?' I asked
"It
will"
he responded.
"Then
let us begin" I declared.
My voice was
shaking though - my whole body was in fact.
I will not
describe in any detail the horror of having a hole drilled deep into my jaw.
Nor the sight of pus being drained from within. Even now I am trying to block
out the vision of the hypodermic syringe being pushed into my face. Through the
sinus and into my jaw. My whole face went entirely numb. When asked to rinse I
could not even move my lips. I dribbled.
A lot.
I am pain free
though now for the first time in what seems an eternity.
It is
wonderful.
It is
marvelous.
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