Dentistry - green not pink
This morning we went to the medical centre. Firstly, I saw the dentist. A filling that I had had put in in England in December came out just before my admission to hospital and there had been no opportunity in the midst of the other emergency to attend to it. Being at the dentist here was a rather different experience from England. The surgery had a less cluttered appearance. The rinse water was green, not pink. There was no nurse or dental assistant. The dentist herself fetched me from the waiting room and did the whole procedure. There was no general review of my teeth, simply direct focus on the problem. No X-rays were taken. I was not given anaesthetic. In fact, there was no need, but if I had had the same procedure in UK anaesthetic would have been given as a matter of course. I emerged with a newly filled tooth. The whole procedure had been swifter yet seemed to have been carefully done and it was cheaper. I was impressed.
Medicin Sans Frontiers
Then we saw the doctor. Elja needs a test done prior to admission to hospital in Germany. However, it appears that this test is not normal in France, so, after some discussion, the doctor agreed to make some enquiries and come back to us with information which she did later in the day. Between her broken English and our imperfect French we had a pleasant conversation.
Reassurance & Anxiety
Then it was my turn. I showed the doctor my record of blood test results and she also had the discharge information from the hospital. She kindly gave me a copy of the latter which contained some information that i had not had in detail before. She explained that the treatment does not actually cure the blood clots, it prevents them getting worse. Cure depends upon the body’s natural processes and these take time - at least six months. She gave me a general examination, especially focussed on blood and heart, wrote a prescription for continuing blood tests and advised me to contact the teaching hospital in Clermont Ferrand to see a heart surgeon for an opinion about the dilation of my aorta that was detected incidentally while i was in hospital. I am glad that this has been picked up, though it raises some anxiety. Both my father and grandfather died of this condition. It is also interesting that here in France you choose which hospital and which surgeon or specialist you want to approach.
Transferring Merit
We came home. I find car journeys, even this twenty minutes, a bit of a challenge at the moment so was glad to get back and out into the fresh air. We had had some distressing news from a friend about her partner who gavely ill. In the afternoon Elja made a collage in honour and we had a merit transference ceremony with chanting in front to the Quan Shi Yin shrine. It was good to do this together and send our love and good wishes.
Fresh Air
Then I went out in the woods for a short while and cut some wood for the fire which Adam will bring back and cut up in due course. Somehow I seem to be a lot fitter when I am outdoors than when i am in confined spaces. I speculate that this is something to do with the oxygen, though the doctor said this is not normal.
So, until sitting down to compose this Daily, it has been a day more or less without writing - unusual for me at the moment.
Replies
Many thanks, Nati, Carol and Annette.
Thank you Dharmavidya
Good wishes and blessings
Namo Amida Bu
Dharmavidya, I hope you will visit the heart surgeon soon and not wait and worry.
Namo Amida Bu
There are times when you feel in the most poignant way how fragile and therefore how precious our life is. I feel touched by this honest and simple account of your feelings of gratitude, happiness and also anxiety. This is in itself a wonderful teaching! Thank you Dharmavidya.I am joining you in expressing my love and good wishes.NAB