Get on your marks, get set, GO...to the dentist!

Who knew it was going to be 'dental marathon' day?  What started out as a sprint turned into a pretty crazy, all day, multi-specialty dentalthon.  OK. It started at 0715 for a 9 a.m. check up.  Dad had been complaining about some pressure and pain around a lower molar so I wanted to get the source of the pain investigated by our regular dentist.  When you tell a dentist you are experiencing pain in a tooth they find some kinda way to get you seen quickly which is great.  Our hygienist must have worked as a contortionist in a prior professional life; watching her bend and twist to get the initial x-rays and then the panoramic view (all while Dad stayed comfortably in his wheelchair) was a sight to behold.  It took four of us and some blankets to get the shots needed.  Dad was a trooper through all of it...until about 11:15 when he caught a NASTY case of the hangries.  This was not Dads first rodeo with complicated dental exams but he'd hit the low sugar wall and well...  Have you ever seen videos of people reacting to the signs of a tsunami?  First thing they do is make sure they are really seeing what they are seeing then they gather their loved ones and RUN!!-- which is what we did.  I planned an escape route and Raymond and I scooped a cursing Dad up, took a break, and went to get some breakfast at Wolf's Den on S.R. 54.  Nothing like some protein and complex carbs to get your mood back in line.  This was when I was able to talk over all of the possible procedures with Dad and get his consent.  It can be really tempting for us and the staff to kinda proceed with what WE think is best not always taking the time to suss out Dads feelings about the findings.  I knew his tooth hurt and I knew he wanted the pain to go away but there is always more to consider.  So after telling him everything that was to be done and the potential price tag I waited until he gave his OK.  Back to the general dentist we went then to finish up some impressions which he soldiered through.  Meanwhile, the office staff got us in to see an oral surgeon at 1:30 p.m.  We made it there in enough time to fill out three pages of paperwork but risked not being seen because I didn't have Dad's health care surrogate paperwork with me.  Lesson learned today: email myself all of our legal documents in CASE we have to obtain medical services we weren't planning for.  As a caregiver, it really is imperative to carry a few important pieces of information on your phone at all times. 1.  A list of all current diagnoses.  2. A list of all current medications with dosages and times including supplements. 3. A list of all allergies and reactions.  4. A list of all surgeries and procedures with dates. 5. A list of all vaccinations and dates received.  6. A list of all hospitalizations and outcomes.
I've managed to compile this handy list in the MEMO section of my phone and I update it regularly.  But I don't typically carry around my legal right to advocate for my Dad.  Note to self: email the appropriate documents to Sylvia R-B and keep them on Google Drive AND on my phone in the docs section.  As it was, our medical doctors office was, 'aw shucks' nice enough to fax over what we needed so that Dad did not have to miss out on the consultation visit.  Keep us in prayer as Dad continues to heal!