A Sudden Turn-Around

Anticipating this past weekend, with the Orchid Show, the Choral Concert (free), and the launching of the book by the Kangaroo Dyer, at Webs I was feeling good about life.

Saturday arrived, the day of the Orchid Show, and the Choral concert. By noon, I was aware that my teeth hurt, and my face was swelling up. Well, that might all go away in two or three hours, I thought. In another hour, I was in throbbing pain from the upper left of my mouth!

I decided to skip the Orchid Show. Another hour, and I realized that I would need a few soft food items from the Health Food Store, as well as some Rescue Remedy. I drove the 40 minutes to the Health Food Store. I had been shoppping for about five minutes, when I realized I was no longer in full command of my legs, my walking, or my mind! Yes, must be a fever! I grabbed what I could think of and manuevered slowly to the check-out, and out to my car. I waited to compose myself, and drove home. Now chills! So, I would not be going to the Choral concert, either.

By evening, I was throbbing, fever and chills! One hum-dinger of a tooth problem!

Struggled through the night, to find myself slightly better in the morning. I knew that I would have to deal with this, so I would be missing the book launch, also!

Supportive phone calls to my sister (was and LPN) and my friend, Cyndie convinced me to go to the Emergency Room.

I have an extremely sensitive system and cannot take aspirin or tylenol, or most dental products. My doctor recently retired, and I have not found a Wholistic dentist in this area!
The last time I went to a Wholistic Dentist, it was a difficult 4 hour drive each way.

The ER DR. was totally confused and frustrated. He asked me what I wanted them to do for me! They have a difficult time understanding that some folks cannot, and or do not wish to have medications. Everything he would have given me was something that I cannot have. So we settled on Penicillin, as it has been more than 15 years since I have had that. And on Codeine without the Tylenol, or aspirin.

Hungry, there was no time to try to find soft food, I had to get to the Pharmacy before it closed at 6 P.M. Didn't matter, the Pharmacy could not fill the 15 mg. of Codeine. They do not carry it.
I asked if they could give me the 30, cut them in half, and only give me part of the prescription. They could give me the 30, if they had this, but I would have to get a new prescription, and they would have to order this, as they had none in stock. He called around and no other CVS had a 30, and none of these carried 15's. From there, I rushed over to Stop and Shop, and they do not carry the codeine, either!

Another 2.5 hours at the ER!? No! I would go without!

Monday, I called the clinic in Turner's Falls, which is how I found out that even though my Doctor had come back from retirement, she was not seeing patients like before, but doing specialty home visit. I would need a new Dr.!? She is the only one with the records of my reactions to certain antibiotics. After 40 minutes of answering questions to the Dental Clerk about my condition, she stated that they would call me back. She left me a message stating that they could see me in two weeks!?? I called back, left a message stating that I was an emergency, this needed to be done now. I have never heard back from the. (it has been four days now.)

Finally tried to reach the Hilltown Medical Clinic, called three different times, and could not get through. Bit the bullet, so to speak and went ahead to schedule an extraction with the Ct. Valley Oral Surgeons. They could extract the tooth the next morning, but I would have to pay in full at the time.

From the Penicillin on Sunday and Monday, I developed a massive migraine, and eyestrain.
I needed more items from the Health Food Store, and would try again to get the pain killer prescription filled. I went to a Wallgreens, the clerk at the Pharmacy said that they had the 15's, and entered me into their system. Two minutes later, he says they do not, they do not even have the 30's, unless I want to go to Springfield. He called around and found a Pharmacy in Florence that had 30's. Then he encouraged me to go back to the ER desk and explain the prescription need. He said I should not have to wait 2.5 hrs.

I dragged myself to the ER, waited about 25 minutes, and had the new prescription. Scurried to Florence, waited another 20 minutes, and had my pain killer!

The next morning, Tuesday, I showed up to have the tooth pulled. We were in a snow storm for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday!

The Dental numbing agents that I tolerate, also don't take any effect on me. The regular ones give me reactions, and trigger my PTSD! Especially Lidocaine, the one with the least side effects for me, and the most success getting me numb. Lidocaine can put me into another very frightening world, a place I do not want to be. So I was praying hard as I entered the office.

People were leaving, and the clerk explained that she had left a message on my cell phone ten minutes ago. The Dr. had been called to the ER to an emergency. I had no phone call, or message! Anyway, we rescheduled (tentatively) for 2 in the afternoon. A whole day for dread and anticipation, or for prayer. I went to work for a few hours.

At two, we were able to do this. The Dentist began to approach my mouth with the numbing needle, and I shouted, What are you using?! He told me and asked if there was a problem. I had to embarrassingly try to explain simply that I might have difficulty coping with this, just be kind and patient with me. He was uncertain as to how to proceed. I said I had to do this. I could feel the Angels' Assurance that it would be alright.

He was able to remove the large tooth without much difficulty! The whole thing was faster than the ER! Soon, I was standing to pay the bill, when my whole being began to tremble and shudder. I had to sit down and wait a while for it to subside. Was it the Hypoglycemia, or the reaction to the Lidocaine!? In the past, I was unable to move my legs in a normal fashion for about a week after Lidocaine!

I started the drive home, planning to bunker down with the penicillin, and the codeine, and the soft yogurt (which I am allergic to). Amazing to me in my condition, I had the presence to remember to think to slow down a bit when I got to the top of the hill coming out of Goshen. When I arrived at the top of that hill, an ambulance was coming from the other direction with the lights flashing. I slowed, and pulled to the side a bit. The road conditions were bad due to the snow storm we were in. After the ambulance passed, I pulled slowly back into the lane. The front wheels slipped on the ice, decided that the car should instead head straight for the middle of the road. I steered into the skid, the back wheels began to spin around, the car was now sliding downhill and across the lanes, and the back spinning around. Soon the energy of sliding toward the guiderails at the hillside, and the energy of the back end of the car sliding down the road were equal. I knew that I would be all right. I could feel the assurances of the Angels!

Yes, the car finished with a light thud sideways against the packed snow at the guardrail. It all ended lightly, easily. My car was in the other lane, oriented uphill, just the opposite of where I was going. I was not injured, there were no cars in that other lane for me to slide into!

Only a bit of damage to the paint job near the rear tire. A man stopped to check on me and the car. It was amazing! Absolutely nothing that I could do! And all that time still biting down on the gauze in my mouth. Two difficult circumstances in one day, and neither of them a problem, not like all the events leading up to them!

I am now eating some, and doing quite well, barely needing the Codeine!