Hello,

I am a 42 y.o. female new to the board. I am kind of getting no where with my search for what is wrong, and am kind of trying to figure out what to do next.

I have a primary brain tumor on my brain stem, which was dxed in 2005. Has showed no real growth, and as it is inoperable and unable to be biopsied, I am on a watch and wait plan and have very frequent MRI's.

A few months ago I began to have some discomfort in the area of where I had a root canaled and capped molar. I went to the dentist and they felt it should be pulled. I had it extracted in August. I had been having some facial pain and numbness, and after the tooth got pulled it did not subside. I went back to the oral surgeon and to the general dentist, and both said the site looked great and nothing wrong with nearby teeth.

Since then my bite is off, my gums in the area are very soreand swollen, my lymph nodes are swollen, I am very congested (never was before) and my upper teeth around where the one was taken out are numb, and I feel like crap. Neck and shoulder pain as well. I went to the ENT and they they did a CT scan of my sinuses, which came back fine, and my sinused looked fine in an MRI taken in the ER in late August as well.

Now I can actually feel a small bump on my gum all the way in back above my last molar, face still numb and teeth sensitive to numb in the area. Gums are swollen and hurt. I went back to the dentist 3 days ago and he cleaned the area around the back gum and shot it full of antibiotics and gave me some more (I have taken about 5 courses in the last 4 months before and after pulling the tooth).

I do not know who to go to anymore. My dental ins. is crap, it is just a maintenance program, and they already told me to just go to UCLA or USC, and I am not sure who to contact there or how to. I have no ins. for that. I do have a Blue Shield PPO for medical. Should I just go to another ENT? I am at a loss and so uncomfortable I cannot work very well (I am a teacher of 4 and 5 year olds).

Whenever I had a weird issue in my head I used to pass it off on my tumor, but I know this is not related to that at all. I am concerned for oral cancer as some symtoms seem to point that way, but I don't know of course. I was a 20 year smoker, but quit 5 years ago. Other than the brain tumor I am very healthy, and fairly fit.

What should I do now??? I have so much mouth pain that Vicodin does not work, and no one seems to care!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance for any help. I am in L.A.

xo,

Michelle