Fast Forward

The whole disaster with D.A. happened in 2005. Through 2006, I continued to send out emails to random dentists, with no acknowledgement from any of them.

So fast forward to 2007. Infections have been a recurring nightmare for me. My teeth are in such poor condition, that I constantly get abscesses. I recently learned that not only are my teeth infected, but my lower jaw bone is infected as well.

January 2007, I had major mouth pain. I went to an emergency dental office, that I had been to before with an infection. The dentist said he would give me antibiotics and some pain relievers, but that they would not see me again in the future. It was simply time to have my teeth removed if I ever wanted to stop the infections from coming back.

Having only 8 somewhat decent teeth, I didn't want any of them pulled without something to replace them. How would I eat if I just pulled them all? How much worse would my speech become if I was completely toothless? Plus, how ridiculous would I look all gummy. I'm only 35, I didn't want to be toothless.

Not knowing how I would fight infection again, I only took my antibiotics until they gave me the needed relief. I hoarded the rest of pills so I would have some to start taking again as soon as I felt an infection coming on.

February, I was in horrendous pain. One of the worst infections I'd ever had. So I called another dental office and made an appointment hoping to get one tooth pulled, the one I believed to be the main culprit. DH as I'll call him, said all my teeth need removed. I explained that I was not comfortable just pulling my teeth without something to replace them. DH thought it might be possible for them to make a set of dentures for me. I told him that was exactly what I had been trying to have done!

DH decided the only way he would build dentures was if someone would repair my fistula, the hole in my mouth. I told him I had seen Dr. Gagnon a few times over the years, so DH made a referral appointment for me to go back to Dr. Gagnon. However, it would be a month before I could get in to see him.

I suffered through my infection, taking antibiotics like they were almost extinct. Finally, in March, my appointment arrived! Dr. Gagnon didn't seem pleased that no progress had been made with my mouth over the past 2 years. Finding someone to work on me had proved extremely difficult, but I don't think he understood the challenges I had faced in finding someone.

Dr. Gagnon said, like everyone else, I need to pull my remaining teeth. I told him that DH said he would make my dentures, if he would repair the fistula.

Dr. Gagnon said repairing the hole would be a lengthy process, that he felt would be unnecessary and very difficult for me to endure, when a special denture could just seal the hole. Repairing the fistula would call for pulling all the teeth, breaking my jaw bones, bone grafting to join my two top jaw bones, wiring my jaws together, and healing for almost 6 months. Dr. Gagnon just felt there was an easier way.

He personally called DH and tried to convince him that a special denture would solve the problem of the hole, without putting me through the major surgery. At that point, DH backed out completely. He no longer wanted to be involved.

Mom and I explained to Dr. Gagnon that I was worried about letting him pull the teeth without a doctor in place to build my dentures. His assistant, J, said she would make a call the following week to a dentist in Kansas City. J called my mom that week and gave her a number of place in Kansas City to call.

My mom called the number she was given, but it turned out to be an organ donation center. They gave her another number to call, then she was given another number, on and on. Finally she reached someone! She was able to get an appointment for me 3 weeks out, in Kansas City, Missouri.

It would take us just over 3 hours to drive to Kansas City. Would we make it? Would my MD be there? Is my life finally about to take a positive turn?

Find out next time......