Month: April 2019

Back to the Dentist.

It is time to go back to the dentist.  This is always a project for me and my aide.  I have Multiple Sclerosis and I am a paraplegic.  My legs don’t work.  I need to be changed.  I am patient lifted into my power wheelchair.  I maneuver the wheelchair through the door ways in my house, which is easier said than done, because the wheelchair was bought to fit in the van, not to be used around the house.

My Multiple Sclerosis progresses

As my Multiple Sclerosis has progressed, the power wheelchair has to be brought into my bedroom, and I am patient lifted into the power wheelchair.  I then go to the garage using a specialized ramp that was built for me.

The same driver

Then I wait for my driver, who was the same driver I had the last time I went to the dentist.  This does make it easier because I don’t have to give as thorough driving directions.

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My mistake

I went up the ramp without incident.  When we got to the dentist office, I made a mistake.

The key vs. the inside button

The key needs to be pressed twice to open the automatic van door, and the van ramp should come out automatically.  The button in the van to open the door automatically should only be pressed once. Sure enough, I pressed it twice, and the door would not open.  I had to press the button three times to finally get the door to open. Then it opened and the ramp came out.

I go solar

I disconnected the solar charger which I use for the van.  It helps keep the battery charged.  I don’t use the van that often and the solar charger keeps the battery going.  I went into the dentist office and signed in and signed the insurance form.

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Who’s a Teamster?

I am a Teamster.  How is this possible?  I previously worked at the New York City Houing Authority.  I have been told that when there was a vote for the union that the staff, there are many more clerks and typists than attorneys, decided to vote for the Teamsters Local 237.  The staff attorneys also became Teamsters.  This has turned out to be a godsend in my retirement.  It has means my whole family has dental insurance, eyeglass coverage, and prescription drug coverage.

The wait

Then I waited to be called.  Shortly thereafter, I was called and I spoke to the dentist.

To extract or not to extract

I mentioned that he had told me previously that I was likely to have an extraction of a lower right tooth that was cracked.  Then the dentist told me that he did not think he would do the extraction today.  Then he left the room.  Then he came back to the room, and said O.K., I’ll do the extraction.

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Many injections later

He gave me what felt like 5 injections, and he proceeded to work on the tooth.  Finally, he removed the tooth and I could feel his finger searching in my mouth for the tooth.  He found it, and out it came.

Easier than he thought

He remarked that the extraction was easier than he thought.  He thought the tooth would be in many pieces, but it was only in two pieces.

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Extra gauze

He gave me additional gauze which I ended up not using.  I took the gauze he put into my mouth out, I spit it out, about 3 1/2 hours later.  He also mentioned using ice for the pain.  I am notorious for not having much pain, and I never needed the ice.

Uneventful ride home

The ride home was uneventful.  It was difficult to talk with all the gauze in my mouth.  The van door and ramp worked without any problems.

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Try, try again.

It’s time for another trip to the dentist.  I tried to go to the dentist last month, but my mobility van ramp would not come out.  My new driver seemed to try everything.  She tried to pull out the ramp by hand to no avail.  She repeatedly opened and closed the van doors.

Telephone call to the mobility company

It was only after a telephone call to the mobility company was there information about the little yellow switch on the floor of the van that can release the ramp mechanism.  They should tell people about this before selling the van to someone.  Please see my blog post on the issue.

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I tried to go to the dentist again

Anyway, I was once again ready to attempt a trip to my dentist.  It was time for the usual routine.  I had a diaper change.  I am a paraplegic from my Multiple Sclerosis.  I was clothed in my hospital bed at home.  I was patient lifted into my power wheelchair designed to fit in the van.  This is a different power wheelchair than I use around the house.

Garage to driveway

I make my way down the specially designed garage ramp which gets me out of the house and into the garage.  From the garage, I can open the garage door and go out the garage to the driveway and into the mobility van.  I went to the van and pressed the van button on the remote controlled van key and nothing.

The grinding noise

I heard a slight grinding noise which means something was happening but not even the van door would open, let alone the van ramp which is supposed to come out after the side door opens.  I had my new driver close the driver’s door ad then open and close the van’s side door.

The charmed life

This worked like a charm.  The side door then opened automatically when I pressed the van button on the remote (actually I had to press the button twice, but this is normal).

Up the ramp

I could then go up the ramp.  This took me two tries.  I haven’t had to do this in a while, and I went too far to the right.  I need to bear to the left to avoid falling off the ramp.  It worked the second time.

In the van

I was in the van.  When I get into the mobility van, I lock into the (EZ) easy lock system, which really isn’t so easy, but it locks me and the power wheelchair into the van.

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Solar powered

I have a solar charger which I disconnect for the duration of my trip to and from the dentist.  See my products page.  It keeps my van charged even though it is not used that often.  Also, twice a week, we have been starting the van and letting it run for half an hour to keep the battery charged.

We have arrived

My new driver and I finally arrive at the dentist office.  The van door and ramp work.  Getting out of the van is easier than getting into the van.  Somehow, going down the ramp and out is easier than going up and into the van.

Talk about the blog

Meanwhile I wait in the waiting room and tell one of the employees at the dentist office about my blog.  Thereafter, I go to the dentist office.  This dentist is very good, because he is willing to work on my teeth while I sit in the power wheelchair.

No transfer

No transfer is needed.  The power wheelchair does not recline, at least it will not recline without removing multiple screws.  It is meant to stay secure in the van.  The idea is that you don’t want movement in case of an accident in the van.

First root canal since Gilenya

I talk to the dentist and discover that he will put in the permanent bridge on the left side of my mouth (lower side), and he plans on doing a root canal on my right side of my mouth (lower side).  This will be the first root canal I’ve had since I started taking Gilenya for Multiple Sclerosis in 2007.  I was part of the clinical study.

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The factory

In this dentist office, they do root canals as a matter of routine.  They work on multiple patients at the same time and have multiple dental offices at this location.  Some might consider it a factory. But this system seems to work well in today’s world of dental plans and insurance.

Grind the bridge

He put on the bridge, it has been so long that my teeth moved a little, and he had to grind the bridge some so it would fit.

Permanent bridge

He gets the bridge to fit and in my mouth it goes with the permanent adhesive.

One root canal to go

Now, it is time for the root canal.   He gives me a couple of injections.  We wait for the area to numb. He performs the root canal.

No pain

After the root canal, he tells me that it was infected. Anyway, now it is all cleaned out.  He tells me that it may not be so good that I had hardly have any pain, because then I don’t know how bad the infection was.  I have to admit that I thought something funky was going on in that area, but I thought it was the cracked tooth I have there.  However, I really had no pain.

Next time

I made an appointment for three weeks, and then we’ll see about extracting the cracked tooth.

Homeward bound

The return home was uneventful and the van door and ramp worked well.

Mother-in-law

I have to apologize for neglecting the website recently.  My mother-in-law recently passed away.  She was 95 years old, and we regretfully have had to deal with various related issues.  I would like to get back into the full swing of things, but this may take a little while.  Anyway, I feel better that I was able to do this blog post.

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