Magnolia and Tooth Both Gone

My friend with a great barn came and picked up Magnolia today.  She'll be happy there, after she settles in.  She is shy, certainly, but not completely feral.

I'm glad I caught her when I did.  It's been a hard thing at the park this winter.  The snow destroyed so much of the cats hide aways and berry vine tunnels.  Not long after the snow, came the heavy rain and flood, that closed the park.  I kept feeding through the snow and through the flooding and then tried to trap again last week when the flooding left and the park was open again.  I was there late and caught Magnolia.  I saw Paws, but not Cumi.  I haven't seen him since before the snow.  I don't even know if he is still alive.

Now they have yet another threat.  Two or three nights ago, a cougar was seen near the entrance of the park a block from that trail I used to access the park during the flood.  A block from a large residential area colony, all of whom are fixed.   This is if the guy who allegedly saw the cougar really did see a cougar.  I never know if these cougar sightings are real, made up, or imagined.

It will be a miracle if I get the boys out alive, if they're even still alive.

Yesterday I returned the six cats to the Lebanon colony and with filthy traps still in the back of my car, drove home, showered, at least, in five minutes and headed off for my 11:00 a.m. appointment to have that tooth pulled.

I shouldn't have rushed.  I waited over an hour after checking in, in the waiting room, then longer.  I was nervous to begin with.  I don't like going to the dentist.  I was also told at check in maybe I wouldn't get it pulled today, that usually they do Xrays and a consultation the first appointment.  What? I said, I wasn't told that when I made the appointment.  And this is a direct referral from another dental office of same chain where I had an exam of the tooth and Xrays.   Oh shoot, I thought, more medical run around and draw out.

I chatted with a woman who was also waiting, with her daughter and told her how long I had been waiting. She said that wasn't normal and I should ask the receptionists what is going on.  I said they seem sort of hostile and not open to questions.  She said, Yeah but you have to.  They were not friendly.  The woman at the desk ignored me at first.  Then as if I was causing her terrible inconvenience, answered finally, after I stood there awhile, as she talked on the phone and clicked away at the computer,  and told me they were cleaning the room now I'd be going into.

But then more and more minutes ticked away.   I joked with the other woman I should offer to clean that room myself for them.  She said they are booking more people than they can actually handle.   It was nonstop, them booking patients and promoting their Smile Plan, whatever that was.

An hour and a half after arrival I was escorted to a room.  Then I had to have panoramic Xrays done.  Oh gosh.  I tell the assistant I just want the tooth pulled, no consultation needed, just do it.  I tell her I get horribly nervous going to the dentist, then to wait an hour and half, before even going into a room, only made it worse.  Plus the TV in the wait area, constantly replayed a clip of a nature series, animals attacking animals, over and over and over again.  Like torture I said.   I said I'm not coming back, so either tell me you'll pull it or tell me you're not going to, but if you're not going to pull it today, I am leaving now and not coming back.

Finally she said the doctor said he'd pull it and not make me come back after the "consultation" for yet another appointment where I could wait an hour or two hours, just to be seen.

Pulling the tooth took took only a few minutes. Again I was forced to have even more panoramic Xrays.  I cringed over all the Xrays sent through my jaw and mouth over one tooth.  This is overkill.

 Over and done with I wanted to cheer as I raced out of there .  And no, I'm never going back.

I refused the pain meds and antibiotics offered.

It's not really been painful at all.  I took one aleve last night, not wanting to wake up with it throbbing.  But that was it.  The tooth was not infected but I'd been told it had to go.  The old filling had crumbled out and half the tooth was gone.   I didn't have money for a crown.

So the tooth is gone and so is Magnolia.  At least she is safe from snowstorms, floods and from falling into the jaws of a cougar.