Saturday, 18 October 2008

Just add "Dentist" to my resume...

I just had to do the most disgusting thing ever. I want to throw up a little bit. I lanced a big pus-filled sac on Lily's gums. *Gagbarfhurl*

Lily has been whining for a few years days now that her gums hurt. I looked in there, and didn't see anything, so I figured she was just getting some new molars or needed to brush her teeth or something. Today she was being extra snively, so I looked again, and there it was.

A big, yellow, full-to-bursting puss-filled gum pimple. Staring at me through it's multiple heads.

No wonder her gums hurt.

We did the salt wash. We did the prescription mouth wash (leftover medication - shhhh. Rinse 'n' spit.) She whined. Incessantly. We even tried the warm compresses to try and draw it out.

Finally I couldn't take the whining anymore. We're going to DEAL with this thing!

She FREAKED when she saw me get the pin. FREAKED OUT. No faith, no faith at all.

I numbed her out with anebesol (thanks Finn!) and barely touched it with the pin, and KABLAMMO! Pus was literally running out of it. Like I say, the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Yellow gross pus was running down her chin, mixing with the snot and tears and a bit of blood for good measure. Two paper towels and another dab of anebesol later, she's nearly good as new. Watching her try to rinse out her mouth was fun though, I guess the drool had swirled the numbing stuff around and made her whole mouth feel "thick". She didn't feel the water until she drooled it all over her clothes. She's laid up in bed now with a cold pack to shrink the swelling.

So, SO gross. I didn't realize I was signing up for this shit when I had kids.

8 comments:

AFRo said...

Holy crap I cannot believe I read your entire post on this, but for the record, I'm totally gagging over here. Good job though, only a great mom could follow through on something like that. I'm really impressed.

Kira said...

I can't believe you read the whole thing either! I can barely read it, and I was THERE. I'm still queasy. *Shudder* So gross.

But, she seems fine now! Smiling, talking non stop again, eating. She even admitted I was right! ;) Ahh, redemption.

Anonymous said...

Oh yuck - just to let you know if Mia ever gets one of those I am coming to visit you.

Jen said...

Um yeah the things that we have to do as Moms, yuck add then to the things I have to do as a nurse and you know why I drink so much.

Anonymous said...

Could be an abcessed tooth. My ds had one and had to have a root canal. May need to go to the Dentist and have it checked out.

Anonymous said...

Total lurker from the BHB but I have to say that oral abscesses should never, ever be lanced. It is so easy for the infection to get into the blood stream and the person can become septic. (Putting anything warm on an oral abscess will dilate the surrounding blood vessels and will further encourage the infection into the blood stream.) Pretty please call the dentist about this. Without antibiotics, the abscess will most likely come back and...well...it could be bad.

On the other hand, I lurve to pop pimples. We were taught in nursing school not to do that either so what do I know.

Kira said...

Lol, I wouldn't have touched it at all if it didn't have VERY obvious "heads". I didn't damage any skin, just took the pin and kind of poked off the blockage from one of them. I'm sure it would have exploded pretty soon on it's own, but then it would have all gone into her mouth = GAGBARFHURL. It seems to be doing all right, she's not showing signs of further infection, no fevers, no anything. So far so good. Thanks for the tips everyone - it's nice to put a tentative diagnosis to a problem. Question - what causes these abscesses?

Anonymous said...

As a dental assistant.. i have to say.. take that girl to the dentist.. i hope you have already.. but if not.. please for your dd's safety... TAKE HER...not trying to be rude, just give a professional opinion!!