Unfortunately, today I had another setback with my wisdom tooth recovery. Only a couple of hours after taking my morning dose of painkiller, I was overcome with pain of such intensity, I was desperate. I got on the internet right away and started reading up on what pain relievers are contraindicated for the painkiller I've been prescribed. Luckily for me, for at least a couple of days, it's reasonably safe for me to take Tylenol. Unluckily for me, we didn't have any in the house. I had to go into the office and wake a napping Etienne and ask him, tears rolling out of my eyes, to please go get some. Why the hell did this guy, after inflicting such pain on me, decide that he would prescribe me a weak NSAID?
This pain was different. It was sharp and searing, like the usual pain, but this time it was spread all throughout my lower right jaw, and up into my face and head. The culprit? That damn nerve. It was firing like a firework cannon on the 4th of July. For the ten or so minutes while Etienne was gone, I could only pace the floor, crying, and flailing my arms about...anything, any sensation to think about besides that horrific pain.
I got the Tylenol, and an hour later, I felt better than I had since this whole debacle began on Friday. Later, in casual facebook conversation with my sister, I learned that the dose I've been given is ridiculously low. She takes this drug (one a several) as part of a regime to reduce and control her chronic, lifelong, and very painful migraines, and the dose she takes is three times what I was given. The whole point to painkillers is that there shouldn't be pain. It's not a narcotic, there's no risk of addiction...why should I need to take another pain reliever to cope with the pain that this low dose can't seem to handle?
This whole mess would likely have been avoided if he had done like my other dentists when they've extracted wisdom teeth, Tylenol-3's or Percocet.
Anyway, as chance would have it, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, and I will raise the issue of increasing the dosage with my doctor.
Thank you, Tylenol...
...Wish you were here.
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