People receiving chemotherapy are advised not to see the dentist during that time. Corinne knew that she had at least one tooth problem before she started chemo. When the tooth started hurting her after we received the scan results, she got an emergency appointment with the dentist and came home missing a tooth: they had extracted a molar. The dentist also found a problem with an opposite molar and referred her for a root canal. In the end, she had the other tooth extracted as well, and was warned to delay the start of radiation for a couple of weeks to let the sockets heal and to avoid radiation-induced infection.

I can’t say that either of us was heartbroken at the delay. Though the tooth extractions were painful, Corinne seemed to be happier with that pain than the unknown experience that she faced with radiation therapy.

The delay also gave us a chance to get out into the mountains in the snow for a
day of photography.