Our detal saga continues

Eshiva went this morning and had two crowns put on her front teeth. She is an angel at the dentist.

We spoke to the dentist about Malachai (again) and I explained to her that our speech pathologist (who can’t call her directly as she is a student, but she is amazing) said that simply removing the teeth would be detrimental to any progress he has made. I explained that he was 100% unintelligible and not having the two front teeth would send us right back to square one.

She explained our options, but it boiled down to the fact that since he will not tolerate having x-rays done, they just have no clue what to expect. She said they could go in, expecting to do crowns, but if the cavities are to the nerve, they have to pull. Because he already has crowns on all the molars they cannot cement a bridge in place and she is worried that using a temp bridge (one that comes out) would be more trouble than it’s worth (he could swallow it, it could get lodged in his throat, he could lose it…)

I said I hate to Benadryl him up just for x-rays, but if we do them and find out the cavity isn’t as bad as all that and they can do the crowns or just leave the teeth until they fall out on their own, I’ll do it. She sent us home with the x-ray tab to get him used to it being in his mouth, so maybe they can do the pictures without the Benadryl. I doubt it, but maybe!

Michael is taking him in next Thursday.

30 June 2003

Erin probably has pneumonia.

It’s bold faced, because it’s a bold statement for me to make. It?s a hard one. It is a signal of the end. Kids like Erin usually due of pneumonia, they just do it long before the age of 21. They do it before 16, some before 10.

Her blood gases were down, all her levels were down, actually. They are taking chest x rays now, and more labs. But she hasn’t been right for a few days, and I had my mom turn her oxygen up a couple of litres the other day b/c her breathing was laboured again. She knew. She knows. Maybe now the rest of us will as well.

Well, I suppose I am a bit dramatic. They wont know for sure till 7 tonight, but given the signs…. I know pneumonia. We have a history together. So maybe she can beat it. Maybe she doesn’t want to.

But god help her, whatever form that help might come in.