Five weeks ago a new dentist discovered an infected gumline underneath my last tooth with a crown. (Today we discovered that the crown was failing and the tooth itself was also infected.) To remove it and biopsy it was recommended. That was easy to say but tough to accomplish. Dr. L was the 6th dental practitioner I considered who could largely meet my needs. He does complex cases in his office in addition to local hospitals. LH are restricting “elective procedures” unless they are life threatening. So sad when eating even pureed food was increasingly triggering convulsive episodes, multiple times per day. These often arrest my breathing. But that does not meet the criteria for an “emergency.” No prob, same story different day.

The consult and procedure today, all in the same visit, was very tense in the beginning. Finding appropriate pain management for me is complicated. I have screamed in pain for days after relatively minor procedures in the past when presc & OTC pain meds became new triggers of seizure attacks. Today I was scared when Dr. L said he doesn’t prescribe the one med (I found out and last had in an ER visit over a year ago) that works for me. I cried. What am I going to do? I grieved the trauma I had of those prior procedures and did not know what to do today. (Hubby Steve was unavailable to consult as he couldn’t come into the office due to COVID19 procedures.)

We figured out that it might be well into May before I could get this toorh safely extracted by any oral surgeon in an Indiana hospital. Wait another month? 2 months from diagnosis? Endure dozens and dozens more convulsive episodes already damaging my neck and back at a time when I can’t safely get that treated either? This is hell.

Perhaps it was the Lord who spoke to me as I sat there, to trust Him. Through tears I signed the rest of the consent forms. Later I woke up in very little discomfort; the “extra numbing” should carry me through the day. We picked up the 4 meds they gave to manage post oral surgery risks, the office having had Steve run to take the orders to the pharmacy when I was still “under.” This served to shorten the start of aftercare. (Delays were a nightmare in the past.) But the pain med was not the one of the two lesser alternatives I had selected today! Ugh. The med the Doc prescribed had triggered seizures in the past so I could not use it past the first dose. For the second time today, I felt trapped. I am pleased to report that the med has not resulted in an episode after 3 doses.  Trying OTC pain meds hereafter.

So to answer the question of our dear friend Deb, “what did I have done?” is witness the faithfulness of our Lord, Jesus Christ to lead and care for the weary and sick. We have witnessed His power that is helping me endure this new complication of 8 years battling a serious illness. We were able to follow up with a Dental professional and skilled surgeon (equipped with the right office equipment) who I would have never met if Jane had not recommended him very recently; I only called Dr. L for the first time this past Thursday and the procedure was done today! We can testify to the blind faith and trust we believers must continue to exercise when weary from a long and difficult journey. We can submit to His plan and profess that our God will never leave us or forsake us and, in due time, will restore the years the locusts have eaten. Good things do come in due time. (The episodes that followed eating are gone!) We can profess at a time when our nation, our world is in crisis that the confusion, heartache, and seemingly lost time will not be wasted if we just keep our eyes fixed on Him. We can know that joy will come in the morning even when the day is cloudy, not suitable for take-off in the direction we thought we wanted to go. His flight plan will always be the best one when our Lord Jesus Christ is the pilot-in-command AND control tower. I hope I have done an adequate job at key stopovers to give Him the glory. He deserves it. He is so good!

And so is this crazy VitaMixed coconut cream, aronia berry, whey powder, mixed seed, and pinch-of-cocoa concoction I made last night, enjoyed just now. Ice cream anyone? 😉