i just went to see my dentist to have my tooth examined 'cos it was bugging me for the last 4 weeks. it turns out that i have a huge crack on my tooth, and a surgery on my tooth will be required as an oral surgeon will probably remove my valuable tooth in the top left of my jaw. an implant will probably be inserted. i wish that i could have seen my old dentist while in CA during my road trip, but he wasn't in the office at that time and i thought i could withstand the pain for next two weeks once i get back to chicago. the dentist said that the crack grew and grew as the time went by which is why i got a swollen gum near my tooth for the last few days... well, i'm gonna see my oral surgeon soon in a few hours. wish me a good luck...

good thing that i still have my medical and dental insurance via COBRA. so, here's a piece of advice for you who get laid off: continue to PAY for these insurances via COBRA! they're great!!!