This journey deserves a story simple because of it's appalling nature. Last week Dgeleck told me she had a hole in her tooth and showed me the gaping hole in the center of her back tooth. She said she needed some $ for medicine. Dgeleck is my good friend and comes to the Wednesday Bible study. She is Harriette's eldest daughter. From time to time we help her out with medicine or clothing. So she started on the medicine and told me the dentist said to come back Monday morning to have the tooth pulled.
I hate the dentist. I hate it more than any other kind of medical appointment! I absolutely hate the dentist and have a huge fear of going to the dentist for work. So I offered to go with Dgeleck out of my own desire and need to have friends with me at the dentists in America. I had a sack full of supplies to help us when we left her house together this morning. Anti bacterial cream, books, the Bible, my cell phone for emergencies. I don't know what I was thinking but mostly that we were going to be there all day waiting in a line and she would be as scared as I am and need things to keep her occupied. However, Dgeleck has no experience with having a tooth pulled so she is happy and chipper and we walk to the hospital. Listening to my MP 3 player, of which I added Eric Terlizzi to help calm her nerves. She was quite content to listen to Akon and Celine Dion.
We waited only a half an hour for the dentist to show up. I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to sit with her or not but when the dentist called her in she handed me the things from her pockets and went on it. I took this to be her way of saying, "You wait here." I am not sure I could have handled being in the room anyways. I was shaking like a leaf. Lot's of noises commence. Then I start hearing blood curling screams and the snapping and cutting of taking out a tooth. I cringe now even thinking of it. The doctor comes and closes the door, which of course didn't help at all, I could here everything. But instead of that soothing dentists voice saying, "it's ok, just one more." "you'll be all right, everythings going to be fine." I hear shouting and yelling from the dentist, for her to be quiet and sit down. The screaming continued for a few minutes and then it was all over. Out comes my beloved Dgeleck with tears running down her cheek. She gives me a hug and we take hands and head home.
I had asked someone before the event if they give them novicane. They told me yes, normally one on each side to numb the tooth. I didn't ask afterwards because it seemed obvious to me, that whatever they did give her apparently didn't work at all.
She is sleeping in my bed now, exhausted I am sure. Poor Dgeleck. I wondered what to say afterwards. How do you be encouraging after such a horrible event. She had told me previously that she had to have two teeth pulled but she surely only had one done. So I didn't want to ask just after the excruciating show of pain she had just been through. I only knew to hug and love and get her bed ready, let her sleep off the pain.
Oh man, I am going to brush my teeth more, floss more and pray I never have to go to the dentist in Senegal, EVER!!!!!! Pray for my dear girl Dgeleck that she would heal up well and strong, having no fear of going to the dentists in the future.
2 comments:
If you have to go to the dentist, come to Dakar and see Dr. Farhat Yayaha He is in the same building as the Indian Embassy downtown and is fantastic! He is better and more high tech than my dentist in the USA. Even my children see him and don't fuss. My littlest one is five and she has no problem with him!
If you have to go to the dentist, come to Dakar and see Dr. Farhat Yayaha He is in the same building as the Indian Embassy downtown and is fantastic! He is better and more high tech than my dentist in the USA. Even my children see him and don't fuss. My littlest one is five and she has no problem with him!
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