A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Dentist

I got a call the other day, from my Dentist. (hmmmm, your Dentist called YOU?) "We would like you to come in and discuss something. (hmmm, WE ?) "How is Friday Afternoon for you ?" Works for me... 1:00 on Friday. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS COULD BE ABOUT ! I've gone through every conceivable scenario in my head to try to figure this out. They want money? - no, the VA covers it. There's been some mix-up and they gave me a wrong medication? - no, it's been a month since I was there last, and I'm fine. W H A T ?

So I get there today and Dr. so-&-so, the Senior Dentist in charge of the office takes me down the hall, through a door, another hall and into an office with a Oak meeting table, Oak Desk, Oak bookshelves and a $500.00 suit and tie guy sitting there (Dr. whats-his-name, MD - Chief of Staff). Also seated is the VA Patient Advocate and the VA Social Services representative. At this point they have me completely confused ! (not hard to do) They introduce themselves and the Chief of Staff says "Dr. so-&-so is going to read something about your case and then we'll discuss it.

To put this, briefly, (hard to do) when they extracted one of my teeth, that was supposed to be bad, they "accidentally" took the wrong one. In boot camp, back in 1980, they pulled my wisdom teeth, but, because of an earlier bicuspid extraction, they left one wisdom tooth so my teeth would shift forward. Well, they didn't shift, they tilted forward. If you LOOK in my mouth you see one thing, and if you look at an X-RAY you see the truth. Got That ?

Well, my current dentist WROTE that he was going to pull teeth x & y, then looked and the pulled y & z. Well they had to go back in the following month and pull x. This means that they made a mistake that could lead to a malpractice suite. They were falling all over themselves, giving me, by law, all of my options. 1) Fix the problems with a partial or bridge. 2) Let me go to a regular dentist for second opinion and pay to have them fix it. 3) Sue the VA and the US Government for Malpractice. I could practically see them sweating. This went on for a good 10 minutes. "Full Disclosure..." "We're sorry !" "... honest mistake", "anything we can do..."

Now comes the weird part. Guess which Doug stepped forward? The SOBER Doug... The Karma Doug... The Christian Doug ! And it was good ! The VA had admitted their mistake, apologized for it and offered to make it right. What more could I possibly want. The Drinking & Drugging and Vengeful Doug never had the chance to stand up and be counted. I said "First, get off your tiptoes and un-clench your butt cheeks" (we actually SAID that). "you've owned up to a non-life-threatening mistake, and offered to make it right... I forgive you - Draft up a plan for indemnity, conditional to your repairing the issue to my satisfaction, and I'll sign it today. It was an honest mistake !" The group then took a collective breath, and everyone smiled.

In retrospect, not only was it the right thing to do, I will benefit in the long run, which was never the point. So remember to always "Do unto others..." and "Pay it Forward" "What's done is done - and for a greater reason that we can comprehend" God truly works in strange and mysterious ways... don't question them, just do what's put in front of you whats put in you and trust, trust, trust"

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

No Reason... I just like the Poem

Try to Remember...

(He's gonna sing again)

Try to remember the kind of September,
When life was slow and oh so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September,
When grass was green and grain was yellow.

Try to remember the kind of September,
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow ( follow ) follow ( follow ) follow . . .

Try to remember when life was so tender,
That no one wept except the willow,
Try to remember when life was so tender,
That dreams were kept beside your pillow. . . .

I just got through watching Mel Gibson & Danny Glover in the original "Lethal Weapon" movie. It takes place around the Christmas holidays and the music for the closing credits was "Jingle Bell Rock".

For those few who have known me since my "Karen's Kids" days (a children's song and dance group I worked with for 13 years), I remember EVERY step of the Choreography... Every kick-ball-change... every shimmy-shake... every Pas de bourrée! Do You ?

Just a fleeting memory that made me smile. Take Care, All - Douggie

Perhaps me speaketh in haste...

Well, it appears I may have spoken too soon about this Gastro/Hepatitis thing (See previous blog entry) The bullet I dodged may have ricocheted (Ping, ping ping). I called my Gastro Dr's office to verify my appointment for tomorrow, and they are closed and referring patients to the Health Department for testing... "You will be contacted with further information as appropriate".

As I said before, all of my procedures have been done at UMC Hospital because of my condition, so extra care would have been taken. I, also, just gave 15 vials of blood for my final "Transplant Qualification" to be sent to Washington, so I assume it would have been checked, again, just last month. I feel fairly confident I'm not at risk, but you never know.

P.S. If you can name this Hanna Barberra cartoon character, you are "Toon-Master" and I will send your your certificate when you tell me his name

Finally, I got a break...

For those following the news in Vegas, one of the companies that does medical procedures (endoscopies to be exact, in this case) has been shut down because of a Hepatitis/HIV scare. It seems that, when administering the anesthetic through the IV to sedate the patients, they were not changing the syringe in between patients, and using the "economy-size" bottles of anesthesia. The medication is injected through an IV in the back of your hand, so the possibilities of cross-contamination should be negligible, but this IS Vegas, where everything is a "Crap-Shoot".

Well, someone got caught holding the dice and is looking at a multi-million dollar class action law suit, and one company, with three facilities is responsible. I have already seen 4 Law firms advertising ON TV to represent patients in this suit, and the news only broke on Friday (Today's Monday).

Well Guess What . . . ? NOT MY DOCTOR ! My Gastro Dr. works from the same building, but does all of his procedures as a "Fee Based Procedure" at UMC Hospital, and NOT at his building ! None of his associate Doctor's are involved. FINALLY, Something has NOT gone wrong !

Now I'm frightened ! I never get to dodge the bullet. Is there a shotgun waiting around the corner waiting for me ? I Sure Hope and Pray NOT !