Friday night in Nowa Huta

My original plan for today was to be on the road somewhere with my good friend S, who is visiting me for two weeks from Toronto.

The revised plan is now to lounge around my apartment taking painkillers and muscle relaxants.

A few weeks ago, I started to have some discomfort in my jaw, and after my experiences in March assumed that I was going to have to spend some more time in the dentist's chair. However, it was only minor discomfort, and I was traveling, so figured I could wait until an appointment I had scheduled for later in June.

Then last week while in Berlin my jaw just near my ear was quite tender to touch. I resolved to go to the dentist this week and booked an appointment for Friday, which turned out to be a little too late. By Thursday night I was in agony and couldn't chew anything as my bottom and upper teeth no longer touched.

I managed to fall asleep only to be awoken by a nightmare that my head was breaking apart. Not much sleep for the rest of the night, as I had pain in my head whenever I lay down.

Friday morning wasn't much better. I was slightly freaked out by my appearance: right side of the face swollen and teeth still not able to meet. So off I went to the dentist, who thought that they might be able to manipulate my jaw back into the correct position when it was frozen. After a few painful attempts and a consultation with the dental surgeon, they decided I needed to see a specialist.

Being late Friday afternoon, the only option was to go to the emergency wing of a maxio facial department in a hospital. The dentist recommended one in Nowa Huta, which is the large communist planned suburb outside of Krakow.

So address in hand, S and I set off Friday evening by cab to the hospital. Turns out it was the same hospital that I visited last year for my one and only previous medical appointment in Krakow.

The other patients in the waiting room seemed to have experienced face traumas (ie lots of blood). One young boy had obviously had a bad fall off his bike and was scraped and bleeding from numerous appendages, as well as his chin. Another man, who lucked like he was down on his luck, seemed to be feeling no pain although his face was mangled and bloody.

When it was my turn, the doctors poked and prodded me, making me open and close my mouth repeatedly, which sounds benign, but actually was so painful that I teared up. After much discussion in Polish, they decided that my jaw was not dislocated, but that the swelling was causing me not to be able to close my mouth, and that I have to see a specialist Monday morning to put the jaw back in place and determine the cause of the swelling.

To get me through the weekend they prescribed the aformentioned cocktail of pain killers and muscle relaxants, which enabled me to sleep through the night and feel human again.

This morning, optimistically, I told S that I thought the swelling had gone down, and that my colour had improved. However, she just looked at me and shook her head.
She did admit just now that yesterday I looked yellow and now I just look pale. Regardless, I feel better. And hopefully, on Monday I'll be able to chew.

So my vacation is postponed, at least until Tuesday, and S has a few more days to explore Krakow (albeit by foot as I am not allowed to drive while taking these drugs). With any luck we will be able to head out to location in Poland on Tuesday.