Let me back up. It's been a year since I knew that I needed gum surgery, but always had an excuse not to do it. Writing my thesis. Involved in an internship. You know, stuff. So when I finally passed the Registered Dietitian's exam and got a job, I ran out of excuses. Time to get that darn surgery out of the way and get on the road to a better life with better teeth. And gums.
But it's really not that easy when you have a blood disease called polycythemia vera and you take two baby aspirin a day because you produce too many red blood cells and platelets. It's a genetic mutation, faced by a tiny percentage of the population who hit the 50 year old wall. It other words, a heavy bummer.
Besides the occasional optical migraines, I fare pretty well, taking two baby aspirin a day and trying to exercise every morning. But neither the dentist nor I thought twice about the baby aspirin, or the implications of my disorder when he went about performing surgery on the right side of my mouth on Monday.
Afterwards, I was a bloody mess, which was to be expected. What was not expected was that the blood did not stop flowing. I thought I was going to need a transfusion, pretty ironic for someone who can't donate blood. I wrote my hematologist in a panic yesterday and told him what happened. Equally panicked, he called and told me to get into his office ASAP (well, he didn't order me quite like that. He's really sweet and soft spoken - unlike me). He had me intravenously pumped full of coagulant, and then I purchased another massive bottle of the same ($575 - suspiciously not covered by insurance) which I am to take for the next 7 days.
Listen, it was worth every penny. Not to be bleeding and be able to get to work, where I can make that kinda of money in a few days, was worth it. But the problem is, I need to do the left side of my mouth in a few weeks. I'm scared.
My hematologist and I are working out a strategy to prevent this from happening again (guess who isn't eating baby aspirin for a while?). Still, I'm hard pressed to have this happen again even if I bleed just a little. Maybe I'll feel different when my mouth heals and I can eat hard food again. Like Jelly Bellies.
Just a day in my life. Oy vey to the 10th power!
I'm glad your hematologist was able to help you right away. Congratulations on getting more hours at work, and having Motti come home. I;m happy that Shlomo is doing well in Australia. How are the others?
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