As for the OS i came away from the appointment feeling completely disheartened, it wasn't even the surgeon who performed the op! he did map where the pain/numbness was and wrote it in his notes. yet offered no real advice (found more advice on this site) or pain relief! Think im going to go see my GP this week, although he not an expert in this area he's good at listening and he's not afraid to hand out prescriptions unlike some doctors!! And at least he can make referrals!

I'm going back to work Tuesday and am hoping that being at work will offer some distraction from all this! Sorry for writing such long posts.....it's just good to vent it all without boring family and friends, who dont understand!!

Please try to eat as much as you can..you need to keep your body strong throughout your recovery. Maybe you can try some liquid supplements? Have you considered taking Vitamin B12 sublingual (methylcobalamin)? I take one 1000 mcg tablet a day. It's supposed to help keep the body's nerves healthy.

http://www.sciential.net/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=543&forum=DCForumID5&omm=0

My family doctor was the one who finally listened to me and prescribed a stronger painkiller. I also took an anti-depressant for a few weeks, but stopped because I didn't like the side effects. Plus, for me, it made me more depressed to take them. What I found the most helpful were the anti-inflammatories...I still take Ibuprofen when my face 'flares up'...mostly when I'm overly stressed or tired.

To help with the throbbing pain in my face, I would sit on the sofa and lay my face on a soft pillow against the back of the sofa and just rest and watch tv. Early on, I had to fashion a 'face sling' out of two socks...just to give support under my chin. The throbbing pain seemed to be so much worse when I stood up...my theory is gravity??? Anyway, for me, it helped somewhat to support my chin underneath. I used ice packs quite a bit also. At night, I would sleep in a semi-sitting position propped by pillows on either side. That way, I could get a few hours sleep anyway.

It will feel strange to brush your teeth, and this will last for quite awhile probably. I wish I would have thought of using a children's toothbrush on the numb side!! Good idea!

I found work was definitely a distraction so I'm glad you're going to give going back a try. I was only working part-time then..and had Wednesdays off, so I was still able to get some rest. If you're going back full-time, try to make arrangements so that you can rest well in the evenings. Make YOU the priority for the next few weeks...the housework, etc. can wait.

Outside of this forum, I didn't have much in the way of 'human' support in my life. My dogs were a big part of my healing...bless their hearts.

I thought this article today was interesting. In my case, but I'm not a celebrity, my tooth was taken out pretty darn quickly...little hesitation...little worry on my oral surgeon's behalf about what might go wrong. I'm going to follow Ms. Buchanan on Twitter and see how she does!

Buchanan's Tooth Agony

British singer KEISHA BUCHANAN is in agony after her dentist refused to remove her infected wisdom tooth.

The former Sugababes star has long suffered with problems relating to the molar and the pain became intolerable for the 26 year old earlier this month (Oct10).

In a series of posts on her Twitter.com page, she writes, "Last night was awful, I had a fever, threw up, Ear infection, Every symptom from a bad case of wisdom tooth drama!!

I've been going through this for months because they wouldn't take it out... Something about it being to close to a vain (sic). Umm close or not I'm getting this sucker out so they're reffering (sic) me now. I'm high on antibiotics & pain killers at the mo (moment) so I'm feeling better."

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/buchanans-tooth-agony_1169193