Checking in

Hey y'all! I know I said that I would start doing better with my blogging and yet it's been another week or so since my last visit. Shame on me. ::slaps hand:: BUT, I'm now laid up in bed for the next day, so I have a bit of time. Thought I'd give y'all a quick update as to WHY I'm laid up in bed.

I mentioned in my 2009 review that the dentist found a cyst under my gums back where one of my wisdom teeth was removed from and sent me to the oral surgeon. Went in to see him and verified there was a cyst there. His plan of action: CT scan to get a better 3D picture of it, biopsy to determine what type to know best treatment plan, then finally removal.

This morning was biopsy day. And let me tell you. Having a biopsy on a cyst in your mouth is not. fun. at. all. The actual procedure went quite quickly. We got there about 9am and we were on the way home by 10:15am. It's the pain and bleeding and dry scratchy throat afterwards that kill you. Believe you me.

My throat was so dry and scratchy that I could barely talk and had to get Ward to bring me a notepad so I could write down everything I wanted to say. Once I became coherent enough I had him bring the laptop so then I just typed what I wanted. He's been downstairs most of the day so anytime I need him, I either send him a text or honk my duck call. Yes, you heard that right. Duck. Call. Apparently he could not find a suitable bell for me to ring, so I get a duck call. And then he has the nerve to call my 'calling' "pitiful". Umm...you try blowing through this thing when you can barely feel half your mouth and the other half hurts!

My stitches keep bleeding so I've had gauze stuffed in my mouth all day. Sure doesn't help the dry throat situation there. And to top it off, my pain meds aren't really helping all that much. It took sooooooo long for them to kick in and I took one just as soon as we got home this morning. I'm supposed to keep ice on 30min on and 10min off. I took it off after the first 30 min and not a minute later the pain came back so strong I wanted to cry. I've had ice on continuously since then. But hubby's been great about getting me new ice packs. He even used the vacu-packer to make some so they wouldn't leak. He's so resourceful, that man. I think if the pain continues as bad as it is today, I think I'll have Ward call tomorrow to get a new drug. They gave me Darvocet, which has acetaminophen (Tylenol), and Tylenol has NEVER worked for me. Errg.

So, for the results. They at least found that it was definitely a cyst and not a tumor, so that was good. Pathology results as to the type of cyst should be due back in the next week. I've got a follow-up scheduled for the 1st. Hopefully those come back saying it's just your everyday cyst and they just have to go in and scoop it out. Oral Surgeon said some cysts are real aggressive and not only do they take out the cyst, but also tissue and possibly teeth around it as well. I do NOT want to have that kind of cyst!! The bad news? Yes, there was bad news. Apparently the cyst is quite large. Probably like Brazil nut size. So it's already pressing into my jaw bone and like eroding away the bone so they actually will have to take out part of my jaw bone to get out the entire cyst. Greeeeaaaaat. Doc says though that since I'm young and healthy, the bone will regenerate itself so they won't have to put in any reinforcement. Better keep up with my calcium, huh? But he was quite concerned about the strength of the jaw and said even eating a tough steak might cause it to fracture! So I'll be on a quite soft food diet for a while after they remove the cyst.

Haha! I'm sure you guys were totally looking forward to reading all about cysts and jaws and bleeding. :o) But it's what's going on in my life right now, so I thought that I would share. Thanks for 'listening'!