12.10.2004 18:35
So, this is how my last 48-hours have gone: on Wednesday morning (prior to my last post)< I went to the dentist. It went fine… no worries. I will need to have a few filings replaced, but these aren’t emergency things or anything (in fact, the dentist said that they were ‘optional’ for now). Anyway, they also have time to clean one side of my teeth because of a cancellation. I hadn’t been to the dentist in a while so they were rather aggressive with the cleaning. My mouth kind of hurt a little bit after that.
Thursday morning, right side of my mouth, all the way back by my ear really hurt. I thought it was just from the dentist experience the day before, that maybe my jaw was sore from the experience. By mid-afternoon, however, my face really started to swell. I called the dentist and they said to monitor it until the next day and if it got any worse, to let them know.
Overnight, the area below my ear and down the right side of my neck swelled up about 4-5 inches. We’re talking really, really dramatically. The right side of my face overall looked like an overstuffed melon. The bulge below my ear actually sticking out beyond my ear. I guess a good analogy is that I looked like a Mr. Potatohead.
So off we went to the urgent care (not the emergency room, but I made a doctor appointment). It was likely the most efficient doctor’s appointment that I have ever experienced (it was at the Lakeshore Clinic in Kirkland, by Evergreen Hospital, for you Eastsiders ever looking for a doctor). Turns out that I have a lymph node infection. I guess that if you don’t treat it quickly, or if the meds don’t work, sometimes they have to perform surgery to let out the fluid. So, they put me on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory steroids. I came home and slept the rest of the day. Ben took the day off and kept me company (not while I was sleeping, obviously).
It still hurts, but I feel a little better at this point. It isn’t contagious, and the fact that I went to the dentist the other day is most likely a complete coincidence or didn’t play a huge role in the whole thing. I guess that some people get strep throat, some people get ear infections and some people get this thing. Honestly, strep throat and ear infections are likely worse – with this, I just look freakish (hopefully that will be gone before I head to New England next week) and the skin is very tight is more painful than anything else. Eating is a bit of a problem because I can’t open my mouth more than an inch or so. Time for soup I guess.
This is an old picture.
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