This morning one of the things I had on the horrible "what if" list happened. My dental infection was initially treated with antibiotics and they improved things greatly. One of my "what if" worries was what if the infection comes back before I can get the hospital appointment. Well this morning it happened. Woke up with the left hand side of my face looking like a hamster. Pins and needles and numbness again. I had already anticipated this happening and asked the dentist what I would do in those circumstances. He said I'd need to speak to a GP to get stronger antibiotics as dentists are limited in what they can prescribe. For a bit of reassurance I'd tried to confirm those arrangements when I last spoke to the GP. No, don't contact us, he said, we don't have anything to do with dental problems.
So what are you going to do? says my worried husband this morning. I sighed and said I'd have to get phoning and pester everyone till I get somewhere. I'll try 111, the hospital consultant's secretary, the GP and the dentist. But it will have to wait. I had to get to the hairdresser as I'd booked some pampering to cheer myself up and I wasn't going to cancel.
Lots of the usual chat going on in the hairdressers. Someone remarks on my swollen face. I say I need to get some antibiotics urgently but I'm not sure how to do this. Simple, she says. They're allowed to prescribe them at the Boots Pharmacy these days. The other ladies all agree. Everyone seems to have done this in the past. So I go to Boots. Great, no queue. Ask to see the Pharmacist. I'm whisked into a cubicle and she arrives immediately. Explain it all and she says she's very sorry but she can only prescribe antibiotics in certain circumstances and this isn't one of them. Ask her what I'm supposed to do. She says go back to the dentist and get a repeat prescription of the same antibiotic I had before.
So back to the dental surgery and explain it all yet again. Only problem is I can't have the prescription without seeing a dentist and there are no NHS appointments available for a week. We're back to square one. This was the exact situation I faced right back at the beginning. So I say the magic words, I'll pay to see the private dentist then. Last time I got a same day appointment which was well worth the £55 consultation charge and a £9.90 fee for a private prescription. It isn't going to work now. He's got the day off. The receptionist is very sympathetic. She says if a dentist can squeeze me in this afternoon then she'll ring. Otherwise it's calling at 8am in the morning when there will be a limited number of NHS emergency appointments.
I start walking home. It's now raining and my lovely £30 cut and blow dry is getting ruined. I'm no longer worried or upset. Now it's just anger and rage. I'm furious at cancer. If I hadn't had the radiotherapy I'd have been able to have the affected teeth out by now. Now I'm going to have to cancel social plans I was looking forward to this afternoon so I can stay by the phone. Still at least I can have a large glass of wine to console myself. Then I remember. Wine and antibiotics don't mix and if I manage to get the antibiotics today then I'll want to be able to take one straight away.
Sorry for the rant.
