perks of being a tool for the government

A few weeks ago, I noticed that my tooth hurt and gums swelled everytime I brushed. I tried to ignore it, but it turned into an ordeal that was like that annoying song Jenny From the Block. First it hurt a little then it hurt a lot. So after having the Peace Corps Medical Officer ship some painkillers to me, I caught transport to Ouagadougou and got it checked out by a dentist, who said she would call the PC office with the results.

The verdict?




(wait for it)

"You have swollen gums due to brushing."

Duh. The question is why are my gums swelling whenever I brush? A second opinion got in some x-rays and a phone call to Peace Corps Washington.

The second verdict?
Impacted upper wisdom teeth that need to be removed.

Which means?
A trip to Dakar, Senegal, to have said teeth removed, because there aren't facilities here in Burkina to do it.

So, I fly out tomorrow at noon and return sometime next week. I'm not exactly thrilled about having my teeth yanked out, but I do enjoy being able to brush my teeth without too many consequences. On top of that, I'm pretty stoked about seeing Dakar for a few days while staying in a nice hotel that has AC & a pool (you have no idea what a huge step up that is from my normal living situations). I'll post pictures of Dakar in my next post. Perhaps I'll be in them if my face isn't too grotesquely swollen.