Monday and accident day all in one

I didn't want to write this, today. 

I always hate January 7.  The day Ron got run over. 

I slept OK but woke up in a bad mood.  Ron and I squabbled.  He finally asked me what was wrong and I told him.  I could tell he would have rather I kept that to myself.  He said a day didn't matter. 

We went to work.  Somewhere in the process we met the woman who doesn't believe in mental illness medication anymore, who "got a big rush of energy" when she threw her meds away (it's called a mania and it is very bad).  I distracted her from that subject by talking about pets. 

We got working.  I focused on helping Ron to start, otherwise he tries to do the lifting himself and I can't have that.  I did a mediocre job stocking snacks but the bottled vendor looked good. 

I got the sandwiches and stocked them.  I, very carefully, ate a turkey sandwich at one point.  It was pretty difficult: I have scar tissue on the inside of my mouth, on the "good" side.  Then I have the jagged mess of a molar on the other side.  I'm not chewing on the molar!  But I am not accustomed to chewing on the scarred up side. 

I should probably explain that.  We have to go back to when I was 12.  I was going to need braces.  The doctor said, 4 teeth have to come out, and we are taking these 4.  I was taken in, giving nothing except a topical, held down in a chair and my teeth extracted with some sort of horrible wrench.  I will never forget the awful crunching noises in my head. 

I was not medicated.  I didn't handle it well, I began screaming and threatening to bite them, they shot me up with so much painkiller I am amazed I have any sensation.  Anyway, the dentist left a root fragment in one extraction site.  I had a tumor grow up around it, in my jaw (my jaw x-ray looks very different, as a result), undetectable except on x-ray. 

Well, when I went in for my oral surgery to take out my wisdom teeth (they were very bad and painful, and pushing my teeth around), they found the tumor, said "This has to go, it could be cancer".  Oh, well then, go ahead and take it! 

Medicaid was paying for it anyway.  I had the literal lowest bidder on oral surgery.  She explained she would cut open my gum and pull out the tumor.  And my teeth were so badly situated she would probably have to use a drill to split them in half, then use the wrench to get each half.   I had to sign a consent form for that. 

But, for an extra $150, they could knock me out.  I didn't have that kind of money.  Ron didn't, either.  I am a very proud woman but I went begging to my Dad, who gave me a loan.  He made the check out to the oral surgeon. 

I went in and got knocked out.  I woke up feeling awful.  It wasn't my wisdom teeth so much as it was the extraction site.  My cheek was sewed to my gum, probably 20 stitches worth, covering up where they had cut me open and dragged out the tumor, which, of course, was benign.  It healed but I have scar tissue inside my mouth at that site, upper right. 

So a problem on the left makes it hard to eat! 

We did what we could, ran out of time.  Ron had to pee but WISELY did not go at work.  I really didn't think they would need a sample today. 

I had Ron go first, down the hall, while I ran over and locked the fridge.  On my way to catch up with Ron I saw the boss lady, here to do the quarterly inspection.  WELL CRAP.  Nothing looked good except the bottled vendor.  I saw her stop Ron, lean over, and talk to him.  She saw me, and I waved.  She smiled as she passed me. 

I hope she was still smiling when she left! 

We went out, the ride was a little late but it was a big van (preferred, for a long ride).  Paratransit has kind of an odd system.  Ron has a yearly pass.  Good stuff.  But it only takes him in the basic area.  For premium areas, like his pain doctor, he has to pay with 4 tickets total.  2 each way.  So he made with the tickets and off we went. 

We picked up someone at a nursing home.  Her caregiver was talking loudly, and not making sense.  Ron asked what was going on with him (he wasn't on the van).  I made an oblique reference to Ron's vodka, and he laughed. 

We got to the doctor and parked in the handicapped area.  There was an old woman getting into a very high truck with handicapped plates.  Our driver stopped the van and put it in park, then unlocked the wheelchair.  The old lady yelled at me to move and I said "This is for a blind man in a wheelchair, it will just take a minute" thinking, surely, another person with a disability will understand that.  Well, they almost ran into the van trying to get out.  Not a speck of patience. 

Well.  We got Ron unloaded and I took him up the ramp.  We went in, said hi to the staff and gave them some chocolate.  They all have a collective sweet tooth. 

I asked if they needed a sample, because Ron had one at hand!  [grin]  They said yes they did need one and hustled us off to the bathroom.  They gave Ron his cup and it only took him a couple minutes to make with a sample.  That's pretty good, for Ron.  He has trouble going when someone is around. 

Then they put us in an exam room, and Doc came in after a few minutes, when I was talking to Ron about my tooth.  Doc said Ron is doing "very well" on the protocol so he isn't going to change anything.   Good.  They sent us off. 

And we had an hour 'till our pickup.  I asked Ron to call the dentist for me and set up an appointment.  I prefer it if he does it, especially since he will be the one paying.  He called and found out they had moved the office, pretty near the pain doctor actually.  And they could see me Friday. 

I wasn't too worried about getting an urgent appointment because, for now, it doesn't hurt.  If it does, I have Advil, which works pretty well on dental pain for me.  Ron told me not to say that, or it would hurt. 

After we did that he called Arturo to come get us.  He was only 20 minutes away, and Ron would rather take a penalty mark for a late cancellation and pay a cab, than wait an hour.  I was right there with him.  We went home. 

I made some oatmeal.  What a pain in the butt.  It was either cold or burning my tongue, and that is after stirring it.  I ate that with a protein shake and took my pills, then I laid down for a nap. 

I slept pretty good but woke up with a headache.  I took something for it.  I'm getting hungry again so I think I will carefully eat some cheese.  Cheese is nice and filling and should require minimal chewing. 

I'll be glad when I get this tooth fixed.