It has been an interesting week medically for me. I chipped a tooth last week and after procrastinating for two and a half years (this is to make my brother and sister procrastinators know they have company) about going to the dentist, first thinking I would establish myself with a Liberty dentist and then after moving back to the city, I found other excuses and anyway I finally HAD to go, and I went back to Dr. Karen Rethmeyer, with whom I had a several year-good relationship, due to a shared faith (hers more of the conservative kind...we can see her church, Colonial Pres, outside her dental office window) and the fact she always takes time for me and even if it took months, I always paid my bill. Four crowns, two fillings and a bridge will either make a relationship or break it. And she has been known to pray with me when I have been anxious about the fact that I tend to need LOTS of Novocaine to get numbed. A long description, but probably helpful to what comes next. Dr. Karen was great on Wednesday. I do have to have some work done, but, after she took my blood pressure, and saw how high it was (I will not say how high) she said she wanted me to get to my doc ASAP and get some help. Then she'd see me again. I called my doctor's nurse yesterday, and she called back today, after hearing my blood pressure reading (and I had been in for my yearly check up two weeks ago and the bp was a little high) my doctor wanted to see me tout suite. Which she did today. And I now am on bp medication. Joy.
Dr. Rethmeyer, the dentist (and me to0) think the chipped tooth thing was a God thing. She advised me to get an inexpensive blood pressure measurer for home, which I did Wed and between then and today, the pressure kept going up a little. I developed a headache and ringing ears, and whether that was because I was worrying myself into it or what, it still was a very good thing I got to my doctor today.
Does God work like this? Some would say that my subconscious somehow knew I had a problem and my tooth chipped so that I would go see my dentist who would help identify the high blood pressure. To that, I say, "bull hockey"...as Philip C-J has been known to utter. I know there are so many other major concerns in this world that my blood pressure might not seem the greatest problem---I have been thinking plenty also this week about the homeless on the streets in Westport, or those moms who are in class with Cana who bring their babies with them, or the thousands of others in the city who do not have healthcare insurance and for whom these two appointments this week would seem a terrible luxury.
But I guess deep down, I do believe that God loves all of us like there is just one of us. And I am thankful, for a dentist who prays and invited me to go on the Guatemala mission trip next year that she takes every year and for a family practitioner who knew I needed help and worked me in today. I am feeling better already, as my doc said I would, and I am grateful.
1 comment:
It's great that you have such a good relationship with a caring dentist. The high BP is a scary thing, especially once I learned that mine had me hovering in "stroke territory." Fortunately, the meds are controlling that. It took three visits to my doc to properly adjust the meds, and I see him for monitoring every 4 months.
It's easy to say and hard to do, but 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking is good) each day will also help to control the BP.
By the way, I've got a great dentist, too...I'm married to him!
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