False Alarm!

Okay, so all of my teeth are still in tact, at least for the next 14 hours, anyway.

I mentioned in my last post that I had a consultation with my mom's periodontist, Dr. Richard Gartner. He referred me to an oral surgeon in Bowie, and assured me that he was the best in his field. Dr. Gartner is very thorough and patient. He took the time to listen when all of my other doctors refused to think outside the box. Dr. G, if you read this, I want to thank you. Just knowing that I have you in my corner makes me finally feel like I will eventually overcome all of this pain.

In walks Dr.Z
I showed up to my appointment in Bowie with Dr.Z and walked into an office that looked like a boutique hotel in NYC. I wondered to myself if the person responsible for decorating would come to my house and help me decorate. Lord knows I need all the help I can get and I'm not above playing the cancer card at this point. I filled out a few forms for my records. It's still unnervering answering "Yes" to the "Do you have cancer" question on medical history forms.

I was taken back into a beautiful office by very friendly staff and offered a drink (more attention than I get at home). Dr. Z came in and we began to talk about why I was there and my history. If I wasn't so nervous about the possibilty that he was going to be yanking teeth out of my mouth, I would swear I was just having a chat with an old friend. I had a panoramic CT scan of my face and teeth and had an exam. Dr. Z opened the pictures on his computer and he went through them with me. The technology that his office has is beyond impressive. We concluded that my tooth does have to come out, and that the swelling in my face, is in fact my cheek bone. Why? I'm not exactly sure yet, but it's a step in the right direction. I'm scheduled to have my tooth removed tomorrow at 11. Tom's driving me since I'll be put to sleep.
If you need any dental work, I highly recommend Dr. Z.
http://www.drzebovitz.com/index.php

I'm praying that after tomorrow I won't have to throw this much money at any dentist or tooth ever again.
Running total for this damn tooth:

- Dental visit 1. $150.00
- Dental visit 2 $150.00
- Root cannal $1000.00
- Dental visit 3 $70.00
- Dental visit 4 $300.00
- Tooth extraction $873.00
Toal: $2,543.00
This money doesn't include all of the co-pays that I've paid for my surgeries, doctor visits, and RX's the past few months. HAVING CANCER IS EXPENSIVE!

Man, I can't wait for all of this to be over. I eat, sleep, and breathe cancer these days. Talking about it helps, but it's all I seem to talk about. I know Tom is sick of hearing about it. I've managed to keep a positive attitude most days. The other days I'm a total bitch.
I've committed to run The Ulman Cancer Fund's Cancer to 5K this summer. I'll post more about this and Ulman in an upcoming blog. When I start my radiation, I'll be quarantined, so I'll have lots of time to blog about all kinds of crazy things. :) For those who know me, the thought of me running in any kind of race is hilarious. Run Forrest, run!!