Thursday, January 31, 2013

January 31 – “The ultimate super-villain … Oral Surgeon”


Going to the dentist is never a really fun day-trip experience.  Make that the ultimate super-villain - an oral surgeon who has plans to pull five teeth - and the day gets just a little worse.  Add to that the fact that the patient is almost 86 years old and suffers from dementia and you have the makings of a very difficult day.  Yep.  That was our day with yesterday.  She had several teeth that were actually breaking off, so they needed to be pulled.  The others were just so full of decay that they were in danger of breaking at any time.  Mom did pretty well.  At least through the first two.  The third one she started to fight back. And was obviously in a great deal of discomfort. 

She can’t tell us any more when she is in pain, so Chris was watching like a hawk.  When she saw Mom start pushing the guy’s hands away and kicking her feet, she knew it was time to call it quits.  The surgeon wanted to continue, though.  He asked Mom if she wanted to do one more, even as Chris was saying no.  Mom finally looked to Chris for an answer, as she usually does, and she saw the exaggerated wag of the head from side to side that most assuredly meant “No.”  Guess the guy couldn’t argue any more, so he stopped there. 

We are supposed to call back for an appointment to pull the other two in about three weeks, but I don’t know if that will happen or not.  It was impossible to get Mom to keep the gauze in her mouth to stop the bleeding.  And she is supposed to gargle with salt water or peroxide for a few days.  That is too confusing for her as well.  She thinks any liquid that enters her mouth is to be swallowed.  I don’t know what her pain level was last night, but she was up trying to pace at least as much as usual in spite of the medication. 

It was encouraging to have some people pray for Mom and Chris at our church prayer group time last night.  Caring for Mom has already been a long haul, and it’s not over yet, so we can use all the spiritual help we can get. 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 says, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Father, please hasten Mom’s recovery from this dental surgery.  And thank you for your encouragement, through people and through your Word.  Amen.

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