Oral Surgeons, Biopsys, & Cavaties-OH MY!!

I went to the dentist the other day for a normal cleaning and for the dentist to check out the area of my gums that is swollen.
The swollen area is right above a cap that I had placed over a very slim tooth when I was about 10 years old.
(I honestly believe that my tooth was extra slimas a side effect from my fathers drug use)
The cap is tiny and the gum area is huge.
It looks kinda strange but it doesn't hurt.
Actually most people don't notice it, or at least they don't say anything to me about it.

Prior to this appointment, i just assumed that my cap has been irritating my gum causing it to swell.
My dentist, Dr. Cooper, informs me that she thinks I have a granuloma. She explained to me that it is like an overgrowth of cell tissue, and that she wanted me to go the the oral surgeon so that he can do a biopsy of the affected area.
B-I-O-P-S-Y!
She them proceeds to tell me that i have 3 small cavaties that she wants to fill.

People, I panicked!
I have never had a cavity in 28 almost 29 years.
The mother was fanatical about my brother and I going to the dentist every 6 months.
But that wasn't the real reason for my panic-----
MONEY!
Who was going to pay for this.

If we lived in a country with free health care, I wouldn't care.
You want to cut a section of my puffy gums go ahead.
You need to stick a needle into my molars-no problem.
But damn, if I'm not trying to get a head on my bills and raise my credit score and I have tons of dental work that needs to be done and paid for.
Insurance will cover 80% and I'm still trying to figure out if they cover the Oral Surgeon.

DAMN!

So I leave the dentist office call my mother who is totally calm.
I am freaking out, so much so that I am wandering the city, talking on my cell.
At one point I got disorriented and wasn't sure where I was.
My mother is telling me to calm down it will work out.
I head home and try to sleep.
I wake up and I can't figure out why I'm still freaking out.

Then it hits me...
My mother doesn't live here.
I will have to go to get my biopsy--A-L-O-N-E.
My RN of a mother, who totally takes wonderful care of you when your sick, lives in Indianapolis.
I do have my Uncle here but he has limited bedside manor and would probably be out of town on buisness.

So at 6 am, I call my mother and demand that she explain whats going on with my gums. I felt like she was holding back the truth from fear of me having a full blown anxiety attack!
My brain (with no medical background)had tried to figure it out and came up with this solution:
My swollen gum is the equivalent of finding a lump in your breast!
So needless to say I was shook up.
My mother sternly reminded me that she graduated from a 4 year nursing program from Indiana University and that if she wasn't worried I shouldn't be worried.
Then she sent me this web link-http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic651.htm
(Warning:The pics are gross and the only pic that ooks remotely like my gums is the 2nd picture. And my gums are still not as puffy as that)

I felt better but was still nervous about going alone to my appointment.

"DUH! Take the Redheaded Aunt!" stated my mother. (God bless her for dealing with my anxiety)
So I proceeded to call and wake up the Redheaded Aunt, who said it wasn't a problem and even told me that:
She would hold my hand during a pap smear, if I needed her.
Awww, aint that love!

Needless to say I've calmed down.
It isn't the end of the world, and the Queen of Candy-KSD- has even walked me through the steps of getting a cavity filled!

I'll make it after all!