my damn tooth

. . . . Well, actually it isn't my tooth, it's the entire right side of my mouth, is KILLING me! Right around the age of 17, I was diagnosed with TMJ. Luckily, most of the time this really isn't a big deal, however when it acts up (like it currently is) it causes immense amounts of pain. Think impacted molar kind of pain. Except worse, worse because there is absolutely no way to cure it except time and lots and lots of tylenol.

Needless to say, this little development, has made sleep these last few nights non-existent. And, just in time for a major review for our district. Meaning, I'm working 8-12 hour days, only to come home, dose up on meds, and fall asleep on the couch before the prime time shows start. Only to wake up around midnight in more pain than should be allowed and spend my remaining dark hours trying everything possible to drift back to sleep.

This isn't good. I'm falling asleep on the way to work, on the way home from work, when I'm stuck in super suck ass traffic, hell, if I thought I could get away with it, I'd climb up on the back counters in each of my lovely pharmacy visits and take a short nap there.

Hopefully this pain subsides in the next few days. If not, I don't know what I'll do, except maybe hurt the next doctor that tells me there is nothing he can do except prescribe some "heavy duty" pain pills to me. Ummm, hello, do you know what I do for a living? I know all about those heavy pain killers. I also know all about dependency on said drugs. That mixed with my family history of substance abuse. . . . . not worth the risk!!! I'll die before I become one of those people. The kind I see every flippin' day, going from one pharmacy to the next, begging someone to take pity on them and "please fill this oxycontin script, just this one last time".

Yeah thanks. . . . but no.