and another thing...
Sep. 29th, 2015 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fufarawThe eye surgeon is pleased with the improvement in the eye. The pupil no longer looks like Quasimodo's lumpier cousin, OH says, but like a football. The atropine drops have broken some of the adhesions that were pulling it out of shape. But they've done as much as they can do, so I'm to stop the atropine drops, and finish the week with the steroid drops twice a day, and once a day thereafter until my next appointment at the end of October. Vision itself has improved--the opaque "floater" that obscured more than half the vision in the left eye has reduced to about the size of the end of my finger, and is nearly clear. No pain, and much less light sensitivity. However,
our PCP couldn't pinpoint a cause of the inflammation, but she thinks it's related to my diabetes and sedentary lifestyle, so I'm to reduce or eliminate simple carbs and sugar, and step up the exercize. I'll admit I've been pounding the popscicles all summer, and have been frolicking with the rice noodles, and recently, white rice, on far more frequent occasions. But honestly, my diet ordinarily is pretty Spartan for most folks. She's eyeing my coffee, I can tell, and that's the spot where I will throw *down,* ITYW. Of course, when it comes to vision vs. coffee, well, vision wins, but I will *never* shut up about how unfair it is.
The PCP and the surgeon have both sent second refs to the rheumatologist, and maybe this time she'll be able to schedule an appointment for me. There are four rheumatologists in town, and two of them are retiring in the next few months, so the two remaining are having to pick up those patient cases. She's the one who will check the bloodwork and reports from the surgeon and the PCP, do a better job of diagnosing the cause of the inflammation, so we can treat it directly. Hopefully if it's identified, we can actually eliminate it. That would be good. Or if not, control and reduction is acceptable.
So, feeling fairly positive about things, I headed to bed last night around my usual 2AM. And was woken from a sound sleep around 3:30 by toothache. A molar, lower left, decided to blow up, so I hit it with Anbesol, took ibu and Tylenol, and went back to bed. Almost fell asleep and it cranked up again. This went on for an hour or two and I finally got up, trudged to the couch, covered up with the fleece throw and cranked up the laptop to distract myself. By this time, the whole jaw was hurting, and I couldn't actually tell which tooth was the source of the pain--upper or lower. Just kill me now, you know?
OH got up, made coffee--no drinking hot coffee! Okay, but I let it get cold, and I could drink it then. Had a banana, nothing that required vigorous chewing. I was torn between riding it out or calling our regular dentist. He's good, but he's definitely upscale, and charges accordingly. He's also prone to scold and judge, and I just didn't wanna.
OH found a dentist in the yellow pages accepting emergencies, walk-ins, and new patients. Full range of services. So I called, and they had an opening at 2PM today. Of course the minute I hung up the phone the pain began to recede, and by noon it was effectively gone. I ate scrambled eggs and cheese and drank more coffee, and debated calling back and cancelling, but I really didn't want another pain experience, thanks.
So, no judgement, no scolding, there was low-key, quiet, calm, competent energy. The office is in a double-wide in a rural area rather than bricks and mortar downtown. But the place is immaculately clean, the furnishings are high-end, beautiful, and well-kept. My chair had a picture window view of a grove of birches and a fir tree, with a couple of bird-feeders. He discussed the cost of everything before we started and offered alternatives.
He took x-rays, showed me the inevitability, and pulled the tooth, for a significantly lower fee than our regular dentist. He offered four options for replacing the tooth, two of which are affordable. The office is affiliated with care credit, which charges a usurous 29% interest--but, if you pay everything off in 18 months, there's no interest at all. So, installment payments, yes, we can do that.
OH dropped me at home and went to fill my Vicodin script, and now my lips and ear are tingling, I'm a half-hour into the first Vicodin, and contemplating soft food for supper. And an early bedtime.
our PCP couldn't pinpoint a cause of the inflammation, but she thinks it's related to my diabetes and sedentary lifestyle, so I'm to reduce or eliminate simple carbs and sugar, and step up the exercize. I'll admit I've been pounding the popscicles all summer, and have been frolicking with the rice noodles, and recently, white rice, on far more frequent occasions. But honestly, my diet ordinarily is pretty Spartan for most folks. She's eyeing my coffee, I can tell, and that's the spot where I will throw *down,* ITYW. Of course, when it comes to vision vs. coffee, well, vision wins, but I will *never* shut up about how unfair it is.
The PCP and the surgeon have both sent second refs to the rheumatologist, and maybe this time she'll be able to schedule an appointment for me. There are four rheumatologists in town, and two of them are retiring in the next few months, so the two remaining are having to pick up those patient cases. She's the one who will check the bloodwork and reports from the surgeon and the PCP, do a better job of diagnosing the cause of the inflammation, so we can treat it directly. Hopefully if it's identified, we can actually eliminate it. That would be good. Or if not, control and reduction is acceptable.
So, feeling fairly positive about things, I headed to bed last night around my usual 2AM. And was woken from a sound sleep around 3:30 by toothache. A molar, lower left, decided to blow up, so I hit it with Anbesol, took ibu and Tylenol, and went back to bed. Almost fell asleep and it cranked up again. This went on for an hour or two and I finally got up, trudged to the couch, covered up with the fleece throw and cranked up the laptop to distract myself. By this time, the whole jaw was hurting, and I couldn't actually tell which tooth was the source of the pain--upper or lower. Just kill me now, you know?
OH got up, made coffee--no drinking hot coffee! Okay, but I let it get cold, and I could drink it then. Had a banana, nothing that required vigorous chewing. I was torn between riding it out or calling our regular dentist. He's good, but he's definitely upscale, and charges accordingly. He's also prone to scold and judge, and I just didn't wanna.
OH found a dentist in the yellow pages accepting emergencies, walk-ins, and new patients. Full range of services. So I called, and they had an opening at 2PM today. Of course the minute I hung up the phone the pain began to recede, and by noon it was effectively gone. I ate scrambled eggs and cheese and drank more coffee, and debated calling back and cancelling, but I really didn't want another pain experience, thanks.
So, no judgement, no scolding, there was low-key, quiet, calm, competent energy. The office is in a double-wide in a rural area rather than bricks and mortar downtown. But the place is immaculately clean, the furnishings are high-end, beautiful, and well-kept. My chair had a picture window view of a grove of birches and a fir tree, with a couple of bird-feeders. He discussed the cost of everything before we started and offered alternatives.
He took x-rays, showed me the inevitability, and pulled the tooth, for a significantly lower fee than our regular dentist. He offered four options for replacing the tooth, two of which are affordable. The office is affiliated with care credit, which charges a usurous 29% interest--but, if you pay everything off in 18 months, there's no interest at all. So, installment payments, yes, we can do that.
OH dropped me at home and went to fill my Vicodin script, and now my lips and ear are tingling, I'm a half-hour into the first Vicodin, and contemplating soft food for supper. And an early bedtime.
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no subject
Date: 2015-09-30 02:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-30 10:58 am (UTC)I hope they can find the source of the inflammation and that your coffee remains untouched.