Friday, September 4, 2009

Saint Appolonia, Pray for Me, please!!!!


Ever since last night during class I have been enduring immense pain from one of my teeth. It got so bad that I could not go to sleep last night... I maybe got about three hours of sleep, and even now, as tired as I am the pain is still too much when I lay down. I have taken advil all through the night and even used orajel, and nothing worked for me. Once I was finally able to call into work to tell them I was not coming in I was almost in tears from the pain and exhaustion. I called my dentist's office and my dentist will not be able to see me until Tuesday morning. When I was told that I hung up the phone and began to just bawl like a baby and was thinking that life was never as unfair to me as it was at that moment. I think the breakdown was caused by the stress of the night before, because I do not normally act that way at all.... I was blessed though because my dentist's office did call in some pain medicine for me to use over the week-end, and it has finally taken some of the edge off of the pain. Going through the pain of this toothache it made me wonder who was the patron saint of toothaches. Come to find out, her name is St. Appolonia.
St. Appolonia was from Egypt at a time where persecution of christians was rampant. She was captured at then tortured for her belief. The reason why she is holding the pincer object in her hand is because when she was tortured they pulled out each of her teeth with that type of object, hence the reason she is the patron for dentistry and tooth aches. After being tortured they gave her the chance to renounce her faith, and when she did not they threw her into a furnace where she died.
After reading this about her life I realized that even though the pain of my toothache is still pretty bad, it is nothing compared to what she went through. Now I am off to hopefully catch up on some sleep.... hopefully!

2 comments:

Suzanne said...

I am sitting here now and watching you as you finally find some sleep and rest. I prayed for you at Mass and feel so bad for all that you are going through right now..you are being tested by fire in a sense, Teresa, but I know you and you will pass this test. Still, as your mom, my heart hurts for you, my precious daughter. I love you.

Mike Keucher said...

Nothing like an opportunity to offer something up. Hope you start to feel better. Nothing worse than a pain that prevents sleep because it's so bad. I've had that trouble with asthma before and when I had my wisdom teeth out. Not only are you in pain, but you're sleepless and in pain at once. It's a lethal combo! Prayers!