We're moving along through January. The weather here is relatively mild and the days are noticeably longer. Yesterday we met with our garden club to make plans for another year. Then in the afternoon, Tom and I spent several hours in the yard doing some pruning and clean up. It felt good.
I wrote in my last post about having a not so fun trip to the dentist, for two extractions. Well, the not much fun continued, as I couldn't get the bleeding to stop from one of the craters. Dealing with a mouth full of blood as I changed the gauze pads was nasty. Finally, hours later, I called the dental clinic to get help. I was instructed to use a thickly folded pad right over the crater, lay down with head elevated, and bite down has hard as I could for ten minutes. That worked. I moved on.
However I don't handle blood well, especially my own, and I made the mistake the next morning of thinking about it while in the shower. Just as I was ready to turn off the water, I got that feeling. Head starting to swim, eyes blurred, body weak, blood rushing to my midsection. I was going to faint. I tried to shake it off, but knew I had to get out of the shower before I went down. I eventually ended up on the bathroom floor in a cold sweat, where I had Tom just leave me until I could get my legs to work again.
Recovering from those episodes is hard, but finally by about 11:30 I could proceed to doing my exercises, and eventually my ten miles on the stationary bike. Moving on.
I'm trying hard to do all of the right things to prevent dry socket, which happened with an extraction a year ago. I am keeping track of the political events and Tom and I have seen six of the Oscar nominated movies. Maybe I'll write about that next time.
For now, I'll be moving along.
So glad you managed to get out of the shower and down to the floor without fainting. I know that feeling well, I don't handle blood well either. I've only fainted completely once in my life, and fortunately Nigel was right there to catch me and lower me to the floor. Hope the rest of the tooth extraction healing period goes well.
ReplyDeleteHow scary! Glad you are now better. I also had a major scare last week. My blood pressure sky rocketed to 220/110 after I went to bed much too late after eating packaged ramen noodles, junk food, and sewing while listening to a lousy audiobook. I dosed with herbs and therapies that I had and said a prayer before I lay down. My blood pressure was much better when I awoke a few hours later. It was a wake up call for me to eat and do healthy things for my body.
ReplyDeleteI admire your regimen of walking and keeping active. I love your garden and especially how you grow what you eat. I am beginning to do that, and have a Zaaz machine now that vibrates me because I am too lazy to exercise.
For your problem with dry socket, may I suggest salt water as a gargle and rinse? I used to think that it was a weak therapy but I now believe in it for any infection that presents on the skin and body cavities. I had one infected ear piercing that would get better and worse but remained stubbornly. I used many different preparations from the drug store as well as herbal concoctions such as tea tree oil, manuka honey, CBD cream, witch hazel, and others. This went on for years and I finally tried saline solution from the drug store on a cotton pad several times a day. It took at least 3 days of drenching my ear lobe, and then it healed - completely! I also have had vaginal itch (sorry if too much info) for years. Sometimes terrible, most times tolerable. I tried what my OB/Gyn prescribed with warnings that it would thin the skin, other remedies over the counter, and herbal tonics.
I must be a slow learner but I just recently decided to try saline solution for it. I bought a bottle from CVS - Sterile Saline Nasal Mist and spray it where it itches in the morning, during the day, and at night. After 3 days, my itch/rash is so much better - I am continuing until I am itch free. If that happens, I will post about it, even though it is a rather sensitive subject. On second thought, maybe I won't. We'll see.
Sorry for such a long comment. I feel some kinship with you because of your wonderful blog.
I have been using a salt water rinse just as a precaution.
DeleteThey gave you good advice on stopping the bleeding. It just needed time to form another clot. Dry socks are the pits, my husband gets them nearly every extraction...finally they have learned to put some goop in there and stitch him up. Glad you are okay after the near faint. Sometimes the floor is the best place to be as you cannot fall far! Hope you are having a better week this week:)
ReplyDeleteTough when things go wrong with dental treatments. Look after yourself and I hope you heal rapidly.
ReplyDeleteGood that you didn't fall in the shower and injure yourself. I hope your mouth heals quickly and you are back to feeling like yourself again,
ReplyDeleteYour Amaryllis is lovely. My second one has a big bud now and I'm pretty sure that will be a red one.
I was able to get outside today and cut the old Hellebore foliage off. There's some nice buds waiting to open.
I'm sorry to hear you've had to deal with the tooth problems. I had one pulled a year ago and I had a terrible time with it. It sounds like you are doing a great job fighting back from it, even getting those miles in!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh... you went from the gorgeous red Amaryllis to your awful time with that bloody tooth socket. Yikes! I’m so sorry for everything you went through, but thank goodness it’s better now. You were really smart to get out of the shower quickly and getting yourself down on the floor so you could be safe.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I understand your fainting...loss of blood or psychlogical? So glad it was a safe recovering! Getting old is NOT for the weak of spirit. I hate being sick and while not fond of blood I can handle that better than infections and fevers. You have a marvelous exercise plan and I am super impressed. Do some meditation and music when you find some time.
ReplyDeleteAt least your not so fun (and scary!) experiences are tempered by beauty around you and a wonderful family. Be well.
ReplyDeleteThat problem with your extractions sound awful, Linda. Moving on, indeed. It's so hard to deal with all this stuff but what choice do we have? I would be interested in hearing what you think of the movies. I still think Little Women is the best one I've seen so far. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, that was scary. I am glad you have recovered in good shape.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a beautiful Amaryllis like yours I think, why didn't I do that? Totally understand "your own blood" reaction. I use to have it but for some reason out grew it. Hope you do too. Do beware of that dry socket. Only had one and NEVER want it again.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear of the tooth trauma-not fun. On Friday my hip started hurting and I could barely walk around-always scary as your mind wanders into all the things that could be wrong-think it was related to some two story chairs I clilmbed too fast. At least I hope so, feeling better now and able to walk about. Get well soon.
ReplyDeleteI had a dry socket the last time I had a tooth pulled...no fun at all. Good that you didn't fall and hurt yourself. Take care. I know if the sun comes out you start to feel better. These gloomy cold days are wearing.
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