Tooth Saved, Almost Golf, Pre-Op Pre-Bleeding

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

6/7/25

 

Aloha Everybody!

 

Geez, June already. I see that things have warmed up a tad on the mainland -- Ohio was hitting near 90d a few days ago.  We're still getting a lot of rainy and cloudy weather, and it is getting very, very old.  An example of how we are suffering tragically is that I haven't been able to play golf since we returned from our mainland trip. Each time we've had a day free it has rained by late morning, a deal-breaker for a fair-weather golfer like me.  Finally, on Wednesday this week Karen and I decided to go to the Makalei driving/putting range and at least hit some balls. It was cloudy but dry when we got there about 10:30, but by noon it started to rain as we were getting to the bottom of our bucket of balls.  I ran to the shelter of the golf-cart but Karen just kept whacking.  Like I said, I'm a fair-weather golfer. We consoled ourselves with a burger and a beer at one of our favorite restaurants that overlooks the small boat harbor, a very picturesque spot. We'll watch the forecast and try to get in at least part of a round next week. I sure would like to play before my hernia repair recovery puts golf off limits for 4-6 weeks.

 

That leads to the Geezer Gazette news for the week.  On Tuesday I finally got in to see an endodontist about my broken tooth (it's now six weeks since I broke it).  Of course, I had to fill out the new patient forms which ask for medical history, insurance, promise to pay anything not covered, etc., etc.  I was particularly amused by the question on the medical history which asked "Are you under the care of a physician? If so, for what condition?" The answer space was tiny, evidence that no one ever looks at this form.  I was tempted to write "Dr. Zook, leprosy & scurvy" to test my assertion.  Instead, I put the name of my internist and listed just Afib and Emphysema.  Both true, but hardly a thorough answer.  Which physician, exactly?  My internist, my cardiologist, my ophthalmologist, my dermatologist, my dentist?  Which condition?  My Afib, my hypertension, my retina vein occlusions, my glaucoma, my osteopenia,  my cancerous skin lesions, etc., etc.?  When I returned the form I tried to joke with the 20-something receptionist that they needed a longer form if they were going to ask that question of someone my age.  She gave me a blank, somewhat puzzled look.

 

Anyway, after yet another x-ray of the tooth, the endodontist examined me and confidently informed me that I had broken a tooth. I countered this startling news by saying I would really like to save the tooth, if possible.  He did some more examining of my tooth and the x-ray, had me do a full jaw CT scan

The Plan

(fortunately on the spot) and concluded that it might be possible to do a procedure where the nerve is removed and a metal post is cemented into the vacated channel that would provide a support for restoring the missing part of the tooth. I agreed.  The plan is that he will remove the nerve and put in a temporary filling where it was located.  I will then go back to my dentist, who will drill out the temporary material and insert the post and ultimately restore the tooth, hopefully sometime before I die of old age.  Great.  The next step was to schedule my return to the endodontist for the nerve removal.  I was pleased that the first available slot was only two weeks out -- unfortunately, though,  it was on the same day as my hernia surgery!  I joked with the receptionist that maybe my surgeon and the endodontist could team up and do both at once.  I got the same blank, puzzled look as before.  I took the next available slot after that, which will be the following week, a bit close to my surgery perhaps, but I'm motivated to get both of these things done!

 

If I sound somewhat snarky it's because I think this process has been ludicrously inefficient, has involved unnecessary costs in terms of time and money,  and has exposed me to unnecessary, duplicitous x-rays.  Why couldn't my dentist have forwarded the initial x-ray to the endodontist along with my relevant history and then the two of them conferred on the best course of treatment?  I could have then scheduled just one visit to the endodontist who would have done the root canal (perhaps contingent on his in-person examination), and sent me back to the dentist for the restoration work. As reasonable as this sounds, it would have required coordination and sharing of information, two things that are sorely lacking in our medical system and that contribute to our country having the most expensive health care system in the world. Grrrrrrr.

 

I also had some of my blood sucked this week as part of my hernia pre-op preparations.  I can understand why it would be important for the surgeon and the hospital to have a recent blood analysis in case a patient has some unusual issues that might require special handling.  However, here again there is duplication, because I had just had blood work done in April for my internist and my cardiologist -- same tests on factors that don't change quickly.  However,  the hospital requires the tests to have been performed within a month of surgery, so the April results were considered too old.  Fortunately I was able to get this done quickly and conveniently, so it wasn't a big deal.

 

That's about it for the week.  Off to market and our usual beach breakfast picnic.  Take care. Stay away from the medical establishment if you can.  Carpe vitam.