1:30pm – Mary’s Market, Rockford, IL

I woke up this morning, (well, perhaps I should qualify the term “wake up” — since my transplant, the term has come to mean, my eyes beging to open, I’m aware that the sun has already been up for a few hours, and, probably the only real reason I’m awake, is because I have to go to the bathroom — AGAIN!  But, my blood sugar is usually at such a low level that, I’m afraid that if I get up, I might pass out. — Maybe I’ll stumble out to the kitchen afterwards, and grab a big glass of milk, and then back to whatever spot in my parents’ house I happen to be sleeping that night.  This cycle will likely continue for the next couple to few hours.  I often hear my mother walking around, getting things from the kitchen, letting the cat outside in her little portable kennel.  — She loves to just sit out on the porch in her “cage” and watch all the little critters and people that happen to in wander into her line of sight.)  In any event, usually somewhere between 10 and 12, (sometimes earlier, sometimes later), I’ll finally and officially GET UP, turn the fan off, take my laptop with me — shame on me for bringing it to bed with me in the first place — and go into the family room where my mom is sitting curled up in the chair closest to the fireplace, watching TV.)  — Today, this scenario occurred played out until 10:30.  I felt proud of myself, somewhat, for forcing myself to get up when I did.  (I was even lucky enough to catch the 10:30 episode of Frasier and pieces of Judge Judy.)

In any event, my mom reminded me that I had a dentist’s appointment at noon.  Since it was snowing fairly heavily, I was debating if I should cancel it, since she didn’t think my dad would want to drive me there.  But, by 11:05, it had totally stopped snowing, and, there wasn’t very much on the driveway at all. And, sicne I had another appointment with Tim at 4:00, who is at Edgebrook, and right next to (practically) the dentist’s office, AND since I was going to be going to Ralph’s Bible Study later, he would only have to make one trip.  He agree to do it, and so, he dropped me off.

The rest of what happened is summed up here in my latest Facebook post:

“The wierdest thing just happened to me a couple hours ago. I went in to my dentist today at noon for a deep cleaning, (since it hasn’t happened in at LEAST a decade  But, she, (the dentist), refused to do it because she was afraid that the bacteria that is lodged between and on my teeth (in the form of plaque/calculus), would be released and could possibly cause an infection. And, since I’m on the anti-rejection meds, and NOT taking any anti-biotics, she didn’t feel comfortable doing it.

She DID try calling my cardiologist’s office, but, like I knew, she wouldn’t be able to get through to anyone. I personally felt like she was going a little over-board. Has anyone else been turned away by your DENTIST because of your anti-rejection meds???”

— Now, I’m sitting at Mary’s Market waiting for next appointment with Tim at 4:00.