Well, this didn't go to plan...

Last week, I started to feel some pain in my mouth, so I made an appointment at the dentist for Monday. Over the weekend, the pain worsened and on Monday morning, I was sent home from work. At that point, I made an emergency appointment at the dentist and was seen about six hours earlier than planned.

My dentist took an x-ray, diagnosed a 'nasty' infection and sent me off with antibiotics to fight it and an appointment for root canal the following week. They didn't work and the next evening I was seen as an emergency patient at the dental hospital. I was given new antibiotics (really strong ones) and I left with renewed hopes for a recovery...

The next morning I awoke to a swollen face, up as far as my eye but I reckoned that the antibiotics hadn't kicked in yet. My mum came to visit and as horrified as she was by the swelling she was confident that the antibiotics should start to work. WELL...

This morning on seeing that my eye had become more swollen, I had a look inside my mouth and noticed that the abscess had now extended down there. Good, I thought, hoping that this now meant the dentist could make an incision into my gum and drain the pus, so I phoned and was given an appointment for later on in the afternoon.

On seeing the dentist's reaction to my face, I had a feeling all was not good. She had a look at my mouth, declaring that the infection was now 'fierce' and that the fact the swelling had traveled to my eye meant that the infection was 'potentially life-threatening' and that in her opinion the tooth had to come out. After many tears and her making an attempt to drain the pus, we went ahead with the extraction. Unfortunately due to the infection, the anesthetic wouldn't take properly, so I had the tooth pulled with very little pain relief. The smell and taste was phenomenal, in a bad way, and the dental nurse said it was the worst infection she had seen and the dentist said it was 'up there' for her.

Anyway, my dentist advised cold, soft food so ice cream it is, until I go back tomorrow, that is.

Hold my hand?