Living with an idiopathic autoimmune disease basically means I never quite know what’s around the corner. Could be exciting if it wasn’t so exhausting! Yesterday was one of those days! I had been feeling off colour for about 10 days and then started to spike a low grade fever with swollen glands. None of that is really unusual as they are common symptoms of many auto immune diseases. However, when my fever decided to spike at 38.5 yesterday, it was a clear warning sign that all was not well and my body was definitely up to no good again.
I had my routine 6 monthly dentist appointment yesterday afternoon and I just wanted to cancel as I was feeling terrible but I also wanted to get it out of the way so I decided to go. Before I left though I rang my ever supportive GP and left a message with the nurse on duty explaining what was happening to me. Knowing that my GP always calls me back, I felt confident at least that we would be able to sort something out in regards to the fever spikes. What a Godsend that phone call turned out to be today!!
My dentist appointment yesterday should have been a routine clean and check up of some dental surgery I had last September, to remove a tooth and some bone that had become infected under an old root canal and crown ( As you can see nothing is ever simple!) Anyway, my Dentist was getting on with the clean when she started prodding my right cheek and asking me if I had any pain there. Remember I have a bucket load of medication each day for all kinds of pain, including nerve pain which prevents me feeling my facial nerves, so I really am not a good judge of my pain levels. I explained I feel a sense of fullness in that area and had assumed it was just from the dental surgery last year. Well appears it’s not just that….it is of course another complication. The area where the infection was found in my bone/gum area last year has now created what’s called a fistula ( a tunnel) from my sinuses to my gum and…wait for it….I have another infection in that area.
Because I had a serious bowel infection in 2013 (c diff) I can’t just be given antibiotics without an infectious disease specialist being involved, so my Dentist drained the infection in the hope of avoiding antibiotics and said she would consult with a colleague and call me if any further action was required. Ok, I thought, I can live with that and I’ll be hoping and praying it all just goes away and leaves me alone. Ever the optimist!!
My GP ( he really is wonderful) called me back late yesterday and I was able to fill him in on the Dentist visit and he insisted I come and see him today to get some antibiotics, as he was not prepared to take any risks and he would consult with the Infectious Disease Specialist. As I said earlier what a Godsend that appointment today was. My Dentist rang me this morning to say she had consulted with a Dental Specialist and I had to start antibiotics asap and she wanted my GP to see me to confirm he was happy with the antibiotics she wanted to prescribe….and there was my Godsend, my GP appointment just ready and waiting for me… I love it when things just work like that 🙂
I have to take the antibiotics for a week and then see my Dentist again next week for review and a “discussion” about treatment. I must admit though that I hate that word “discussion” as my experience tells me that means more complications ahead…aargh!
My Medical Musings 