Due to being sick a lot and having a lot of allergies, I was at the dentist one day and he said after seeing that at my age I still had my wisdom teeth that wisdom teeth could be the cause of some of my issues. So, I scheduled an appointment with an oral surgeon to have the upper wisdom teeth removed. The lower ones, especially on the right side, were too close to the nerves and they said if they removed those, it would probably cause my face to sag.
I wanted to go to a recommended surgeon but unfortunately our insurance would not cover either one we wished for! Now I wished we would have paid out of pocket for them since the idiot I went to caused about $8,000 worth or so of damage that I still contend with today!
The morning of surgery I decided not to be put out and to be awake during the surgery. I am so glad I did! There was a hole that was torn in the sinus pocket and boy he cussed and carried on because his assistants didn’t have the proper material to cover the hole! He ranted and blew up like I’d never heard a Dr. do before.
He got mad and stormed out of the room. I heard him open a door in their hallway and yell, “I guess I’ll have to use whatever I can find.” About a minute later I heard, “I guess this will have to do.” He came back in and I assumed he knew what he was doing. We are suppose to trust that surgeons know what they are doing right?
I was hurting SO bad! I called a few days later and explained the excruciating pain I was having. They scheduled a couple days out to have a debreeding. Needless to say, if I remember correctly, he debreeded 3 times before he said the last debreeding he got a pocket of liquid out so now it should heal!
By this time, it was probably a month later and nope! I couldn’t eat, drink, sleep, see, or focus duet to the pain. He suggested I see an ENT. Took me about a week to see him and all they did was put me on nerve meds. My stomach couldn’t take them but they said take food with it. I tried and it wasn’t helping. They gave me more meds! Same thing!
Nothing was helping! Six months later after seeing two different ENT’s they sent me to, I decided to go to the Louisville Dentistry specialist. Took me another week or so to get in to Him! He basically said to give it time! They all said that! Give it time! Oh it will heal. You see, the original surgeon also had a difficult time removing the upper right side I was having the issues with. All everyone sId was give it time!
I did what the Louisville Dentist said and took more meds he prescribed but no success! I called the original surgeon and he said to go to a Pain Specialist and it happen to be in the same building as his office. So I scheduled an appointment and went.
I was tired of hurting! I asked God why! I thought I was doing what was recommended to help me! I prayed about having the surgery and doing what it took to get better! My face on that side stayed swollen and it hurt!
I despise insurance companies who rule where you have to go! I am so thankful we now have insurance where that is not a stipulation! I was able to go to this Pain Dr. with no problem, but skeptical since he was in the same place!
The Dr. took one look at me and held up a mirror and told me to smile. When I did, I saw something I had never noticed before! I couldn’t smile on that side! It was so swollen it even caused my face to be distorted!
He had the ladies take me into a room and they did a Pano scan. I waited and he came back with a film and pointed out a pocket of bubble-like formation in my jaw. He asked me if I knew what that was and when I said no, he told me it was bone infection. By now, there was only a pin-point bone left between my cheek and sinus pocket he told me.
My husband told me I needed to sue the surgeon and this was a case I really should have! But, I fought my heart and brain back and forth! At this time, there were so many cases of sue for this and sue for that that I wasn’t a suing person. Is this what God wanted? Would this heal now? I knew in my heart that God would heal me now.
This Dr. suggested I have Ozone Treatments. I agreed even though this was a fairly new concept but it beat cutting my face wide open to clean out the infection! So what he did was literally inject hospital-grade oxygen into the area in intervals. And it worked! The infection was defeated and now I could heal!
So I thought! The infection was gone but I was still in pain. I went back to the Louisville Dr. and he basically said I’d just have to give it time now! How much time? How long would I have to wait to be pain free from this?
I kept hurting! I saw my dentist and he he said I had damage to my teeth so sent me to another Dr. who had to do root canals on a total of about 4. Then, back to the dentist for crowns! Back and forth I went.
While I was at the Orthodontist for a root canal, I conversed with a few patients here and there who had to have root canals as well. Guess who their surgeon was as to why they were there beside me? The same one I had!
I mulled a lot over and thought, “I am not a sue person and should I go ahead with it? Am I being tested to see how strong I am? Or, am I being used to help stop this surgeon from hurting more of God’s children?” Oh my brain hurt with questions and what would God want me to do? That was a time in life when those bracelets that said WWJD were a fad! What would Jesus Do?
So finally I thought about all those who that surgeon did wrong and I called a lawyer! “Can’t help,” they said, “a little too late after the 2 year mark by now.” Two year mark? Oh yeah, you have 2 years after an incident to file a claim against someone! It will cost you an arm and a leg to go to the Dentistry Board! And then, if you lose, you’ve lost your home! Really?
I should have listened to my hubby! I learned a very valuable lesson and am still paying for it today as I have nerve damage and Arthritis build up! I know when a storm is brewing cause I feel it as weather changes! I look at all the court cases on tv where people still sue for this and that and think how sad it is for those who really need help that no one is out there to help them!
I was told that some Doctors rub each other’s backs and it seems maybe they have! Give it time they all said! It was a rough surgery they said! It will get better now they said! I still have my records I got from that original surgeon and for some reason can’t part from them! Maybe one day someone will need a backup and I can help! When I hear anyone who has to have their wisdom teeth removed, I will always let them know my experiences and be sure they don’t go to that man!
