Come Saturday Morning and It Still Hurts

Sunday morning and it’s cloudy and cool here in the OC — and, had to cancel taking The Wife out for breakfast with friends.

Why?

Last Monday I had some chili and cornbread for supper at Mike’s while watching MNF (Monday Night Football — a ritual we’ve enjoyed for thirty-plus years). Spicy, gringo chili but hot out of the pot.

I thought that I had burned the back of my mouth as it felt sore that evening when I went to bed.

Over the next couple of days it hurt to open my mouth wide enough to eat a decent fork-full of anything — even went to a smaller spoon for soup.

Couldn’t twist my tongue far enough to feel the sore but with a small flashlight and dental mirror I got a look-see — great, an indecently-sized canker sore. Time for regular use of Gly-Oxide.

Thanksgiving dinner was good but I had to cut everything into small pieces before eating. Friday, still sore.

Saturday? Bit the bullet and went to Hoag Urgent Care in HB, the one on Beach Blvd. Almost deserted. Took just a few minutes to be seen by the young doctor and he confirmed what I thought — dirty word, dirty word, dirty word.

The receptionist had already gotten the address of the pharmacy we use (Sav-on) so the doctor said they’d contact the pharmacy with the prescription — all right. Up and back in less than an hour.

Canker Sore Meds

Figured I give the pharmacy time to get the order together and with one thing and another I didn’t get there until after the end of the Alabama-Auburn game. (You know where this story is going, right?)

Yeah. Both the pharmacy and HUC close at 5 pm on Saturday and I made sure I got to the pharmacy before 4:30 pm. Gee, it turns out they know nothing about any prescription for me. Carol re-checks the day’s messages and transmissions — nothing. So, she calls the urgent care clinic.

Yes, I have a prescription. Yes, they sent it to the pharmacy (the correct one) that morning. Oh, of course, they’d be happy to give the prescription to Carol over the phone so she could fill it.

And, Yes — that is exactly why I wanted to get to the pharmacy while both businesses were still open.

Triamcinolone Acetonide USP, 0.1% — Dental Paste — basically medicine in petroleum jelly applied to the sore with a Q-Tip.

Put it on after brushing my teeth last night and it immediately felt better. Woke about 4 am and put some more on and was able to go back to sleep.

It is, however, still there and Di canceled our breakfast with friends.

Know what’s weird? The other thing that stops the sore from hurting — coffee. Ah, time for another cup and, maybe, some soup.


Mist, dozing in Joe's lap.
Mist, dozing in Joe’s lap.