When it comes to getting shots, the first time I remember fainting, I was 12. The hospital was 30 miles away and that gave my vivid imagination time to go into overdrive. Sitting in the back seat of the car, I remember looking up at the looming hospital building; after that, it went dark.
Wake up! Wake up! Nancy!
What! So I can pass out again, when they actually GIVE me the shot.
Waiting for Kristine while she sat in the dental chair, I spend 2 1/2 hours analyzing the location and people. For the first hour, everyone who entered the office only spoke Spanish. They nodded and smiled at me. The only other gringo who came in the office ignored everyone. Yes, it's the Barrio (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbarjo]) is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.. A small plaza of transported Mexican stores that I bravely ventured into alone. The Mexican-Americans or Chicanos eyeing me; as if, this solo gringo, is an illegal alien stepping across the border into Mexico.
But in this tiny Mexican shopping center, the dental office is a multicultural place with workers and clients from many continents: Asia, South America, Europe. I felt rather comfortable after a while; after all, it's a dentist office where families came to have the teeth of their children cleaned and maintained; no matter how poor the area or the people, we all had that in common.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Part Two: Mental Illness in the Dentist Chair
I promised a follow up from my last blog.
On Kristine's second visit to the dentist, she was in a semi-private small room watching a HD screen of the latest Shrek movie and she was able to see the entire movie because the dentist took every precaution to keep Kristine from passing out. His assistant told me that the first and last time Kristine fainted, she was terrified because she could not feel a heart beat.
A few years ago, I was told that fainting from shots was from an automatic response in the body from other than fear. So I googled it:
In Vasovagal Syncope, the heart rate drops or may even stop for several seconds. (bradycardia) and the blood pressure drops sharply (hypotension). This reflex mechanism is present in all of us, but in a more exaggerated form in some individuals. In effect, the reflex has shut down the body's blood circulation. When this happens insufficient oxygenated blood is pumped to the brain leading to dizziness and fainting. This odd reflex can be triggered by many different stimuli. Seeing blood is a common one, but simply standing immobile may also trigger a Syncope. Fainting can also be triggered in situations that make people anxious, stressed or emotional. Being in a overly warm environment, not having eaten or not having drunk sufficient liquids are all factors that increase the chances of setting the reflex in motion. Some patients do not take enough salt in their diet.
Kristine does want the epinephrine drug added to the anesthesia because she doesn't want the pain to come back so quickly. It still makes her dizzy, so the dentist is calling in an anesthesiologist to administer a different anesthetic to relax her, but one that won't put her to sleep; overriding the effects of epinephrine that causes a Syncope (loss of consciousness or fainting). http://www.stars-us.org/medical-information/vasovalgal-syncope.html
It may have been the drug and not fear that caused a Syncope. Although, she doesn't have a problem having blood drawn every month to manage her Clozapine.
And then again, maybe my daughters get their fear from me. I am sure this reflex mechanism is FEAR in my case. I clearly remember some people referring to a Caesarean birth as being "natural birth." I kept screaming (internally) that anyone cutting open a human with a knife is NOT NATURAL and neither is sticking a metal needle in a body.
So how do people get passed Syncope when painful, unnatural human acts occur?
Maybe, I should ask Dexter?
On Kristine's second visit to the dentist, she was in a semi-private small room watching a HD screen of the latest Shrek movie and she was able to see the entire movie because the dentist took every precaution to keep Kristine from passing out. His assistant told me that the first and last time Kristine fainted, she was terrified because she could not feel a heart beat.
A few years ago, I was told that fainting from shots was from an automatic response in the body from other than fear. So I googled it:
In Vasovagal Syncope, the heart rate drops or may even stop for several seconds. (bradycardia) and the blood pressure drops sharply (hypotension). This reflex mechanism is present in all of us, but in a more exaggerated form in some individuals. In effect, the reflex has shut down the body's blood circulation. When this happens insufficient oxygenated blood is pumped to the brain leading to dizziness and fainting. This odd reflex can be triggered by many different stimuli. Seeing blood is a common one, but simply standing immobile may also trigger a Syncope. Fainting can also be triggered in situations that make people anxious, stressed or emotional. Being in a overly warm environment, not having eaten or not having drunk sufficient liquids are all factors that increase the chances of setting the reflex in motion. Some patients do not take enough salt in their diet.
Kristine does want the epinephrine drug added to the anesthesia because she doesn't want the pain to come back so quickly. It still makes her dizzy, so the dentist is calling in an anesthesiologist to administer a different anesthetic to relax her, but one that won't put her to sleep; overriding the effects of epinephrine that causes a Syncope (loss of consciousness or fainting). http://www.stars-us.org/medical-information/vasovalgal-syncope.html
It may have been the drug and not fear that caused a Syncope. Although, she doesn't have a problem having blood drawn every month to manage her Clozapine.
And then again, maybe my daughters get their fear from me. I am sure this reflex mechanism is FEAR in my case. I clearly remember some people referring to a Caesarean birth as being "natural birth." I kept screaming (internally) that anyone cutting open a human with a knife is NOT NATURAL and neither is sticking a metal needle in a body.
So how do people get passed Syncope when painful, unnatural human acts occur?
Maybe, I should ask Dexter?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Dealing with Mental Illness in the Dentist Chair
Just a weekend:
The dentist office called my husband's cell phone to say there is an emergency with Kristine. My husband speeds back to the office while speed dialing me at home.
My youngest daughter is home for the weekend for her birthday.
Our first thought: Kristine wigged out in the dentist chair when they gave her a local anesthetic. My youngest envisioned her sister talking out loud to her friendly voices, freaking out the office staff. It made us laugh, if that's ALL it would be.
When Kristine was seriously ill, she did not want her teeth touched. Her teeth have since deteriorated from lack of care; if not, from the drugs that dissolve in her mouth. Although she had dental insurance a few years ago, I canceled it when she would not go.
Now that her Clozapine is kicking in and she is more aware of her appearance and health, she wants her teeth repaired. I renewed her dental plan within a few days and surprisingly, the same plan was $42 less than it was a few years ago.
Go Figure. Unfortunately, she will have to have veneer and cavity work. Fortunately, I found a dentist that does work on Saturdays, so it will not interfere with her school week.
On her second visit, my husband decides he would go with her since it's on a Saturday. The dentist tells him it will be a 2 hour wait; so he leaves looking for a Starbucks. I figured since I did all the prep work: giving the dentist her list of medications and her psychiatrist's name on the first visit, it should be a piece of cake for my husband.
Upon getting the call from my husband, the first thing my youngest daughter and I think: why was he looking for a Starbucks. The point of going with her to the dentist was to be with her; as if he would find a Starbucks in the barrios of the out skirts of the suburbs.
Although, the dentist was approved by Kristine's insurance with excellent reviews and it was conveniently located on her way to school just off the freeway, I did not know it looked like a truck stop. The office was very clean and so was the bathroom. I checked. I just hope the teeth come out O.K.
Twenty minutes into his Starbucks search, Kristine lost blood pressure. Later, Kristine laughed when she told us that her eyes were rolling back in her head and she felt dizzy. She said that she kept telling the dental staff that she felt she was "dying." They panicked and douched her with water, wetting her shirt. By the time my husband got there, they had a blood pressure gauge on her arm while holding her hands.
The dentist had used "Epinephrine which is added to dental anesthetics to increase their effectiveness. It works by shutting down the small blood vessels (which keeps the freezing in your gums longer). Anesthetics without it wear off much faster and you may feel pain before the procedure is done."
I also had fainted in the dentist chair a few months back. The latest dental anesthesia that my dentist used on me that was different from before was epinephrine which caused me to pass out for a few minutes. My dentist freaked out and would not touch me for half an hour.
THEN she tells me that other patients have told her that they feel a slight surge in their heart rate when she gives them that extra drug.
Well. Duh! Is there a clue here?
Maybe the dentist just thinks it's a roller coaster ride for the patient; until they pass out in their chair. What kind of cat and mice game is That?
I told my husband to tell the dentist not to use epinephrine on Kristine because of the experience I had from it. This same article above stated that it's crucial for dentists to be aware of pre-existing medical conditions such as"anyone who is prone to psychosis," which could easily be a euphemism for "anyone who has high anxiety caused by past negative dental experiences. I found out later that the receptionist never gave the medication information to the dentist because they did not look at the paper work I handed them; but they quickly took the information over the phone this time. I blame myself for not handing it to the doctor myself; I should know by now everything has to be spoon fed.
So while my husband is out of town, I will be going with Kristine next Saturday for another "shot" at it. Stay Tuned....
The dentist office called my husband's cell phone to say there is an emergency with Kristine. My husband speeds back to the office while speed dialing me at home.
My youngest daughter is home for the weekend for her birthday.
Our first thought: Kristine wigged out in the dentist chair when they gave her a local anesthetic. My youngest envisioned her sister talking out loud to her friendly voices, freaking out the office staff. It made us laugh, if that's ALL it would be.
When Kristine was seriously ill, she did not want her teeth touched. Her teeth have since deteriorated from lack of care; if not, from the drugs that dissolve in her mouth. Although she had dental insurance a few years ago, I canceled it when she would not go.
Now that her Clozapine is kicking in and she is more aware of her appearance and health, she wants her teeth repaired. I renewed her dental plan within a few days and surprisingly, the same plan was $42 less than it was a few years ago.
Go Figure. Unfortunately, she will have to have veneer and cavity work. Fortunately, I found a dentist that does work on Saturdays, so it will not interfere with her school week.
On her second visit, my husband decides he would go with her since it's on a Saturday. The dentist tells him it will be a 2 hour wait; so he leaves looking for a Starbucks. I figured since I did all the prep work: giving the dentist her list of medications and her psychiatrist's name on the first visit, it should be a piece of cake for my husband.
Upon getting the call from my husband, the first thing my youngest daughter and I think: why was he looking for a Starbucks. The point of going with her to the dentist was to be with her; as if he would find a Starbucks in the barrios of the out skirts of the suburbs.
Although, the dentist was approved by Kristine's insurance with excellent reviews and it was conveniently located on her way to school just off the freeway, I did not know it looked like a truck stop. The office was very clean and so was the bathroom. I checked. I just hope the teeth come out O.K.
Twenty minutes into his Starbucks search, Kristine lost blood pressure. Later, Kristine laughed when she told us that her eyes were rolling back in her head and she felt dizzy. She said that she kept telling the dental staff that she felt she was "dying." They panicked and douched her with water, wetting her shirt. By the time my husband got there, they had a blood pressure gauge on her arm while holding her hands.
The dentist had used "Epinephrine which is added to dental anesthetics to increase their effectiveness. It works by shutting down the small blood vessels (which keeps the freezing in your gums longer). Anesthetics without it wear off much faster and you may feel pain before the procedure is done."
I also had fainted in the dentist chair a few months back. The latest dental anesthesia that my dentist used on me that was different from before was epinephrine which caused me to pass out for a few minutes. My dentist freaked out and would not touch me for half an hour.
THEN she tells me that other patients have told her that they feel a slight surge in their heart rate when she gives them that extra drug.
Well. Duh! Is there a clue here?
Maybe the dentist just thinks it's a roller coaster ride for the patient; until they pass out in their chair. What kind of cat and mice game is That?
I told my husband to tell the dentist not to use epinephrine on Kristine because of the experience I had from it. This same article above stated that it's crucial for dentists to be aware of pre-existing medical conditions such as"anyone who is prone to psychosis," which could easily be a euphemism for "anyone who has high anxiety caused by past negative dental experiences. I found out later that the receptionist never gave the medication information to the dentist because they did not look at the paper work I handed them; but they quickly took the information over the phone this time. I blame myself for not handing it to the doctor myself; I should know by now everything has to be spoon fed.
So while my husband is out of town, I will be going with Kristine next Saturday for another "shot" at it. Stay Tuned....
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