This lifestyle is getting to be addictive. I awoke after my Siesta and stopped at the Scandinavian Bar to collect my free Heineken. I get one a day for booking through HostelWorld. There I met a Russian Merchant Marine. He has been traveling the world for over 20 years and visited almost every country. He is 42 years old and speaks good English. His job allows him 10 weeks on then 10 weeks off. He is a Boiler man or as he calls it..an Engineer. We had a nice chat and met a Norwegian that worked for British Petroleum on the North Sea Oil Rigs. ...I left for dinner with a German. His food looked so good I ordered a Chang Beer and whatever he is having. We talked a bit. It was a quiet little place on the Street where we could have a conversation and watch the world go by. My total bill: $2 including a tip. I bought a half a pineapple to put in the fridge for breakfast , an energy drink M150, and lo dee which was a banana and egg pancake of sorts...very good.
I took Monday like a man of leisure. Leisurely Thai breakfast, leisurely read the news with coffee, leisurely walk on the beach, and a leisurely soak up the sun by the pool. Now it is time for the Dentist. I arrived on time and he was ready. Best Radial X Rays of my mouth ever. Then...the dentist asked if I take medication and I replied Plavix. It is a serious blood thinner unlike others and you can't stop taking it especially if you have had two stents with anti inflammatory and blood thinning medicine already in them on time release. Which I have. Thank God the dentist in Tijuana didn't have to do any surgical work. He had my history but I forgot to inform him of my recent stents and Plavix. So I wrote to Dr Bear my cardiologist to request he talk to the dentist. Dr Narin won't do it until he consults with Dr Bear. This trip to Pattaya was wasted...well half of it. I would have only got the posts or implants put in and then a return visit before I left to install the teeth Now I have to wait until I return and maybe I can get it done in the states. I was so happy with the stents and my energy back but now am without two molars for maybe another year! I just want my mouth back! I should be happy I could have bled to death...not really that bad but complications could have put me in the hospital for a week or two. I really wasn't aware that if I needed surgery, I couldn't have it until I'm off of Plavix and I have to stay on Plavix for one year. Even then, the first 3 months off of Plavix can be dangerous but better than the alternative of throwing a clot from a stent.
So I spent yesterday in bed and half of today. I did go out touring some more of Pattaya with Doug last night then dinner before retiring. I finally got up and visited Jombien Beach
and the Buddist Temple today.
Guess which sandals are mine?
Had lunch
Then returned to Pattaya
Now it is Wednesday so I picked up my laundry and packed then checked my email. Dr Narin talked to my Cardiologist and wants to do the operation ASAP. Now I have to change my flight, taxi pick up, stay in Chiang Mai and find a place to stay here for a couple more days...and all this morning. Changes in flight have to be done within 24 hours. Doug wants to meet for dinner at 5 pm...the Dentist wants to see me now...and the lady at the desk, said she can't assist me for at least an hour. Now I get another email from China Air that my return flight has a schedule change and would I call ASAP....also a notice that my computer may be compromised if I don't update Microsoft Explorer immediately. Well I guess I better get busy!
My first call to China Air proved futile. It is 8 pm in L. A. and their office won't be open for another 12 hours or 10 Thai Time. I tried to call NOK Air to change my flight but I couldn't understand anything she said...and I think she was speaking in English? I tipped the Desk Clerk to change my flight to Saturday, change my taxi pick up and extend my room stay, then left for the dentist office.
Doug showed up while I was waiting. The Dr said he is concerned and doesn't want me leaving for a week after. He will do micro surgery and one implant today at 5pm then another tomorrow. He assured me he has done this before but complications have happened where the bleeding didn't subside and the person had to go to the hospital. He was weak but recovered and all was well. I trust him so we changed the flight from his office, returned to the hotel and extended the stay a week then changed the taxi pickup. Now I have to contact China Air about my schedule change on my return flight to the USA and I'll be done. I return to Pattaya to get my new teeth just before I leave for the states. Now I feel like I'm accomplishing something. Doug took me around the corner to the Pattaya International Hospital
so I knew where it was. It is one of three and I was impressed. We walked around a bit, had a drink then I returned to the hotel.
I changed my reservations in Chiang Mai and informed my new Welch friend that was expecting me. The desk clerk was nice enough to call the taxi company for the third time and reschedule. Thai people are very helpful...95% Buddhist. It will be nice when all this is over and I can relax and get back to traveling. Now I'm off again to the Dentist for the first of two implants.
He welcomed me then after putting me in the chair, put a cloth over my face with a hole in it for my mouth. It looked like one of those scenes from ER with the patient on the operating table but all you see is a sheet with their skin all mapped out for the incisions. I liked it better than eye contact or blood splattering. Well we did run into minor complications. The bone graft I had done in Black Canyon City over 6 months ago was soft so he had to angle it into the jaw but the jaw bone was thin so he did another bone graft and installed the implant then sutured it. The problem is it won't be ready for a crown for at least 6 months. Tomorrow we will see how the bleeding went and if OK he will do the other and hopefully with better results so I can get the Crown for one before I return in three months. I suspected something was wrong with the bone graft on that tooth when the sutures that the dentist in Black Canyon did, broke loose and I thought some of the graft fell out. I even returned to Black Canyon to have him look at it and after X Rays he said it was fine. I'm glad I didn't have him do the implants. I like Dr Narin. He is young and talks with a nervous stutter. His voice is high pitched when he gets excited and he giggles but when he is working , he is intense and concentrated.
Tomorrow I will spend the day around the pool and have to move again since I was scheduled to leave anyway. Maybe I'll take some photos. Doug took me to around this afternoon
and showed me some places I would like to photograph.
I also got some brochures and may take a day trip to Chanthaburi, an old city not far away with a nice park and very restful. Maybe I'll go ride the Elephants or Chang's for a day.
I felt great this morning and after a nice restful day by the pool am ready for my second implant. The implant is GREAT and I only hope the other one will be able to have a crown before I leave. I'm off.
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