Last Day of Ratchaburi

Today’s highlight was the visit to the Vet by the pet porcupine! Yes, there was a 3 year old porcupine on a leash. And since I had learned my lesson last night about approaching wildlife, I naturally avoided any interaction with this little girl. (The Vet and owner argued a bit about the gender. It looked female to me, but what do I know.)

Well, I didn’t exactly leave her alone: I did pet her and then feed her some Doritos.

(The picture will have to suffice, I've been trying to upload the video for hours now! But that Dorito was in my mouth first! She took it right out of my lips!) Good Times!!

We had a good day of steady patients. One was behaviorally pretty tough. He was a large 6 year old who was just sobbing and didn’t want any of his BOMBED-out teeth pulled. I wasn’t able to calm him and knew he was too large and strong for me to safely “force” him to do it. He really needed general anesthesia, as do most of the kids I’ve been treating. So I pretty much gave up, which is rare for me, and told the mother I couldn’t safely do anything. Then Pim, my interpreter, asks if she can try with him outside for 5 minutes (not sure if she was going to talk to him or rough him up). So they come back in and he is only sobbing a little and I was then able to talk him through each step, showing him all the things I was going to do. So I finished with out any problems. Thank you Pim! Nice work.

On the van ride back to the hotel (we drive out to each site from our central hotel, usually about 1-2 hours), I asked Pim what she said to him. She to him he had a worm in his tooth. That if the American doctor didn’t take it out it would go into his stomach and make him very sick. Also, that the American doctor is a foreigner and is the best (that part was true) and wouldn’t hurt him, but some other dentist might. Oh my! It worked I guess. A worm. Really! Into his stomach!!

Here are the cows outside my window: They smell...nice. Good morning, Ratchaburi!