Day 62 - Tuesday February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day to everyone!  Bridgett had an appointment to see the dentist today for a panoramic.  When we got there he examined her mouth and determined that it would be OK to just get x-rays of the front teeth.  Everything else was looking fine and although she has pain in another tooth besides the front four, he thinks it is referred pain.  So, apparently the latest in x-ray is a "gun" type thing.  He just held a shield thing around the teeth he was x-raying (she didn't even have to bite down) and used the gun thing and got the x-ray directly on his computer screen.  Cool!  He said the two front teeth will need root canals for sure.  He will plan enough time to get a third if necessary, but he's not sure until he removes the composite placed by the other dentist.  So, right off the bat he said that he had talked to many different people and they all advised against sedating her during the process.  They said that the risks to her are too great. So he advised doing them right there in his office.   He said that he would block out a whole morning just for her and see no other patients so she would never be waiting for him.  Of course, he won't be able to work the whole time.  But he will work, then break for 10 minutes, etc until he is done.  On the breaks he will be making the temporary crowns so that when she leaves, he will have the temporaries on and she will be set to go.  He will crown all four teeth.  The permanent crowns will take 2-3 weeks to be finished. Then he will pop off the temporary crowns and put in the permanent crowns.  As a side note--since we got her to the apartment and Bridgett is in a more normal setting--one night after brushing her teeth Bridgett asked for her "something (her word)" and I said what is it.  She said that thing that holds my teeth in place.  Oh, her retainer.  So, the habit is strong to wear the retainer!  I said we aren't using it right now.  I did ask the dentist if she will be able to wear a retainer later on and he said yes.  He knows Dr. Peacock who came up to the hospital.  After leaving there I thought that I would call Dr. Peacock.  I was calling Bridgett's dentist because he was going to do it surgically.  Perhaps Dr. Peacock will be able to do just the same thing at his office.  I will check it out.  He was REALLY nice.  I got a call from trauma Leslie about bringing Bridgett up to the Provo hospital for a follow-up next week.  She was calling because she heard Bridgett is coming to get the peg removed.  She said it sounds like she's doing great so they don't need to examine her in that case, but they would like to just see her.  I said go ahead and cancel the appointment and I will bring her up some time to visit.  I was actually going to cancel the appointment anyway, because the other appointments she is having will be checking on the same issues.  So, no sense is spending the time or money for the same thing we will already be doing.  I did get a call from the neurosurgeon.  They want to do neck x-rays but not a CT.  I said that's fine to do the neck x-rays; she needs a follow-up there for sure.  But, we also want to know what's happening in the brain.  The nurse said, she's already had so much radiation, if the last one looked OK they won't do another unless she clinically starts to do poorly.  Yes, she's had lots of radiation.  Remembering that she had CT's every night for quite sometime and then every other night plus the MRI.  Lots of radiation.   Anyway, they will call us tomorrow and let us know the final word on the CT.  Tonight we took Bridgett down to her old apartment.  We asked if she remembered it and she said yes (who knows!).  She talked to both of her old roommates.  She went in her room and Arrianne's.  We have moved a few things out of Bridgett's room, but it's mostly intact right now.  We were only there for a short time and then left.  Soon we will have to remove everything.  I asked Arrianne to get a hold of a few of Bridgett's friends and ask them to come and visit, just for a few minutes each.  We will have to space the visits out, but she is starting to ask about her friends.  Living here is really great for us, but she is surrounded by college kids that are all busy doing things and she's not.  More and more she will be realizing it.  Yesterday she asked Arrianne about institute--when they were going to go.  She also asked Arrianne if she would be driving her to school now.  She apparently thinks she will be going back to school soon.  This apparently is normal at her level of rancho.  Arrianne has been careful to not discuss her social plans in front of Bridgett, like the fact that she was going to a Valentine's party last night.  I really appreciate her doing that.