Monday, May 28, 2012

Endodontist Ends Excruciating Pain

This was from March 27, 2012

When I told my endodontist that I was soooo glad to see her, she said not too many people feel that way.  I'd had four days of zinging pain and was barely able to sip room temperature Ensure through a straw, even the tiniest bit of toothpaste or touching my face sent me through the roof, so yes, I couldn't wait to see her!

Many people might describe these as instruments of torture but I say they're instruments that delivered me from pain. 

Most offices have some files but I learned that
endodontists have LOTS of files!

When I'm being worked on, I always try to envision what's happening.  I asked what they used to get the infection out and, as I thought, they use files..... all of teeny sizes! 
Here is my dear Dr. Jusarra Morsani and her assistant, Tanya.  This is the 2nd tooth she's done for me and I think she's THE best!
The thing I was most curious about was what they refer to as a rubber damn.  A former endodontist called it a raincoat.  Here the good doctor gets the rubber damn ready for me.
I'd been trying to imagine what it looked like so took my camera.  Oh, my, I didn't realize how strange this was!  It isolates the tooth and prevents anything from falling in my mouth while they're working.  The sunglasses protect my eyes.
Now comes the most amazing part!  Dr. Morsani works with a microscope and when it's a top tooth, she does it in reverse with a mirror.
I took a picture of my X-rays on the large computer monitor she has in the corner of the room where she works.  Somehow infection got under that 2nd crown I had gotten in December.  There was lots of infection in all four roots but luckily it hadn't reached the bone.
Now I have a clearer understanding of why flossing is crucial --- it keeps germs from gathering under our teeth.

Good-bye pain and another thousand bucks!!  
It was worth every penny. 

Friday, May 25, 2012

Quickly through the Quagmire?

It's been over a month since losing my loving husband, Ed. I miss him every single day but I know he's with me in spirit.  

The tough part now is the quagmire of paperwork, which I plug at diligently every day.  I sometimes wonder if there will ever be an end!??  

Each detail is sooo complicated. I thought computers were supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient --- yeah, right!!!!! 

For example, getting the Comcast account changed into my name has involved many phone calls, verifying numbers, addresses, etc., and faxing of documents.  The faxing process took the whole morning yesterday because the fax number they gave me didn’t work.  
 
At that point, I had to start over with that annoying 800 phone number and fight my way through their phone menu until I got to a real person. Then that real person kept putting me on hold for “a minute or two” while they “researched”. Finally, I got a fax number that went through, hopefully.
 
The cover letter I sent requested that they send me an email or call me to verify that they had received the information. They didn’t --- of course --- so I called today. Well, “that might take 24-48 hours so call back...but don’t forget that Monday is a holiday.” 
 
It looks like Comcast gets to continue using up the minutes of my life and producing a few more gray hairs in the process.   Then again, if I let Comcast go, I won't be able to get on the internet and that would  give me a plethora of gray hairs!

Getting quickly through the quagmire of paperwork is simply not going to happen, is it?