Grabbing Surgeon's Arm; MD/Reflexologist Jesus Manzanares Method

Thank God: Unused Antibiotics

Arriving in Boston

Waking up with the rising sun..

I finally decided to undergo oral surgery, namely the extraction of tooth 17 in the very back of the lower left; the decision was made rather spontaneously.   I liked one of the options offered by the oral surgeon I was referred to; previous alternatives just sounded too daunting so I had been postponing a decision.  My initial intention was to save this tooth at all costs but taking the big picture into consideration and what the surgeon suggested made a lot of sense thus I reconsidered, and opted to sacrifice the tooth to improve overall dental function.  

While I was sitting in the chair waiting for the surgeon to begin, I did the usual DC Basic Session and some hand reflexology*, in addition to tuning into my breath to be more relaxed.  I even did a light forward bend - the dentist's chair was inviting me to do so:-)  As usual I wanted to go easy on the anesthesia and being as balanced, as relaxed as possible would support this.   
As per the surgeon three doses of anaesthesia were the minimum.  I suggested to start with one; I was joking that I held the old fashioned view that a visit to the dentist "had to hurt", when in actuality I thought I just did not need that much to be relatively pain free - my relaxation techniques including working with the breath can help alleviate pain, and I could deal with a little pain, no problem.  To make a long story short, ultimately I ended up with three doses of anesthesia.  Six was the norm.  What?  Six anesthesias?  I am still speechless.

I heard at least two patients screaming, which made me wonder about their dosages.  Between anesthesia one and two I lifted my hand, between two and three I moaned expecting the surgeon to stop and add another one; when he did not, I just grabbed his arm - oops, sorry!  And you bet, it was still painful, but at that point I endured the pain - focusing on the continuous flow of breath, not holding it as we are inclined to do in situations like this.  It all just lasted a few minutes; I was handed a prescription for antibiotics and was urged to take them.  When I said that I would deal with the post-surgery care holistically, the surgeon said that he could not give me this advise but that it was up to me.     The bleeding stopped after about four hours I think - during which time a gauze had to be on the wound.  

My face was quite swollen; I iced it a bit but should have iced more.  However, I had a lot of things to do getting ready for a trip to Boston the next day.  At one point I used Young Living Deep Relief Oil on the cheek to cool the area.  I figured it could not hurt, and I could continue to do the preparations.  (As I said ultimately the decision was made quickly as Dr. S. was only the first one of three referrals, I wanted to see at least two surgeons.  If I had been more prepared I would have set some time aside so I could take it easy.)  

At one point the next day I was developing a sore throat and some ear ache, and I could not tell whether there was blood or mucous collecting in my throat so I worked some DC throat and ear reflexes on the face.  Was I developing cold symptoms?  Then I was on my way to Boston with a buddy of mine to participate in a Reflexology workshop with Dr. Jesus Manzanares, based in Barcelona - I slept for at least an hour in the car.  My face at that point was still very swollen.  The antibiotics prescription was filled for emergency measure, but I was hoping to not have to use them.  I did issue-related self care on the face every day multiple times (for a minute or less) but if I had been at home I would have been able to do much more including a bit resting.  A photo of the DC teeth protocol was taken with my iPhone, but I rarely had a chance to do all the points.
The reflex on the feet for tooth 17 as per the Dr. Jesus Manzanares method was extremely painful, I had told him what happened, but there was a shift immediately after he reflexed it for less than a minute.  I continued to work this reflex from time to time as well as the appropriate reflex on the hands* which was sensitive as well.  In addition I did light yoga stretches every day and some qui gong; there was time for short walks.  The headache I had at one point (on day 2) disappeared rather quickly but the cheek remained a bit swollen for a few days.  The wound itself was rinsed with a baking soda/salt/water mix to keep it clean.  This was part of the surgeon's instructions.  Other than that I felt a bit off during to the two and a half days, but my buddy/room mate was very understanding - despite feeling off a bit herself which helped me immensely.  She even drove me to a store at 7am in the morning to avoid additional stress (long story). 

A week later I returned to the surgeon's office.  The wound looked good and was healing quickly, in another week it would be completely healed, the work will continue in four to six weeks.  You may read about it in future posts.  I was very relieved.  Many thanks to my travel companion/colleague/friend, Dr. Jesus Manzanares of Barcelona and of course my oral surgeon for bearing with me.  Again, apologies  for grabbing his forearm.

*I am nationally ARCB certified in hand reflexology as well as foot reflexology and have advanced certifications in face reflexology (Wendy Coad).