John and Chelsy 9: Title Update: Baby Madeline Is Here 10 Weeks Early

[IsmeWeatherwax]

@CaptainFunderpants thank you for the tip! My sister and friend have been suffering with dental issues lately so I've passed it on to them to try 😊

[Dominionatrix]

On 3/27/2022 at 4:53 PM, SPHASH said:

I know this has been mentioned before but worth repeating...while Steve and Teri have spoken their appreciation for the medical staff handling Melanie's pregnancies and NR Anna's cancer and tend to take real medical advice from non-woo doctors they still denied Chris an opportunity to be an EMT because he might have had to work with a woman or see a boob.

Steve’s reversal also resulted in Teri having five extra pregnancies even though they knew pregnancy was a big factor in her debilitating depression. 
 

Then again, I can see the Maxwells possibly seeing a big distinction between depression (which they seem to think can be fixed by scheduling and more piety) and a life-threatening heart condition. 
 

The bigger hurdle will probably be Chelsy herself. She seems to be a true believer in quiverfull, and with the Bell’s palsy and dental issues likely undermining her confidence, she might double down on beliefs that bolster her sense of self. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Dominionatrix
Accidental triple post

[Howl]

On 3/27/2022 at 5:33 PM, HereticHick said:

My father got ZERO dental care growing up, then had to have all teeth pulled in his 30s (he was in the military then & got dental care) and has dentures.

Ditto for my dad.  He was career military and had all of his teeth pulled in late 30s due to untreated gingivitis: "The disease is bacterial in nature and a consequence of untreated gingivitis. Also called periodontitis, pyorrhea is a multi-factorial disease that directly affects the gum tissues and the bones in the mouth."   

[eljayem]

I bet Mother Bont sent her some herbal tea from Mexico, with advice on when to take it (with prayer) and that will be her motherly duty taken care of. Leave and cleave Chels - she has to support her husband and their ridiculous "tour" with their 4 youngest.

Feel so sorry for Chelsy so much going on so quickly, the heart issues is obvs the biggest BUT I can imagine having teeth just snap must be terrifying ESPECIALLY if you aren't used to going to a dentist or even have one. I can also imagine her doing a quick google search since and having a total avalanche of information bear down on her about dental health + pregnancy and feel totally blindsided as being around pregnant women all her life it's something she still hadn't been told - like is it a secret?

Also depending on where you live, how many lockdowns, how long they were, how strict, a lot of people haven't been for years because of the pandemic. I last went in May 2020, I was supposed to go in 2021 but my booking was one week after a lockdown started that lasted months, lifted just before Christmas, then Omicron arrived. So this story was the boost I needed and I have now just booked - the earliest I could get (for routine clean and full check - not urgent) is 6 weeks away - so much backlog and still seeing fewer people than usual. If you are having gum issues, i.e. bleeding after flossing/brushing it never hurts to start doing salt water mouth rinses. Can't say it will FIX the problem but like I said it won't hurt and salt is an old fashioned antibacterial method.

Salt Water Rinses Help with Treating Gum Disease

[neurogirl]

Someone mentioned rheumatic fever a few pages ago and I just had to share - my BIL has had rheumatic fever from strep...twice! This was an affluent family in the 00s who was up-to-date on medical care. There's just something about his body that as soon as he gets Strep (from school both times) it turns into full-blown rheumatic fever pretty immediately. One time it was really bad and he missed months of school. He is now otherwise fine and in his words, has a great contribution to "two truths and a lie."

I'm sure Chelsy had terrible medical coverage. I also just needed to share that in the year of Our Lord 2005 people can still get rheumatic fever in developed countries without neglect.

[usedbicycle]

All this dental talk is very convicting. I have legit dentist trauma (medical trauma in general) and avoid going at all costs. I believe the last time I went was in 2014 and I had 2 kids since then. I brush and floss religiously to avoid any need to go. This thread was what I needed to pick up the phone and make an appointment, so thanks. 

[SassyPants]

14 hours ago, eljayem said:

I bet Mother Bont sent her some herbal tea from Mexico, with advice on when to take it (with prayer) and that will be her motherly duty taken care of. Leave and cleave Chels - she has to support her husband and their ridiculous "tour" with their 4 youngest.

Feel so sorry for Chelsy so much going on so quickly, the heart issues is obvs the biggest BUT I can imagine having teeth just snap must be terrifying ESPECIALLY if you aren't used to going to a dentist or even have one. I can also imagine her doing a quick google search since and having a total avalanche of information bear down on her about dental health + pregnancy and feel totally blindsided as being around pregnant women all her life it's something she still hadn't been told - like is it a secret?

Also depending on where you live, how many lockdowns, how long they were, how strict, a lot of people haven't been for years because of the pandemic. I last went in May 2020, I was supposed to go in 2021 but my booking was one week after a lockdown started that lasted months, lifted just before Christmas, then Omicron arrived. So this story was the boost I needed and I have now just booked - the earliest I could get (for routine clean and full check - not urgent) is 6 weeks away - so much backlog and still seeing fewer people than usual. If you are having gum issues, i.e. bleeding after flossing/brushing it never hurts to start doing salt water mouth rinses. Can't say it will FIX the problem but like I said it won't hurt and salt is an old fashioned antibacterial method.

Salt Water Rinses Help with Treating Gum Disease

When I was getting my teeth cleaned 2 weeks ago, the receptionist handled a call from someone who wanted a first time appointment. The first availability was 10/1/22. The person declined. 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, usedbicycle said:

All this dental talk is very convicting. I have legit dentist trauma (medical trauma in general) and avoid going at all costs. I believe the last time I went was in 2014 and I had 2 kids since then. I brush and floss religiously to avoid any need to go. This thread was what I needed to pick up the phone and make an appointment, so thanks.

You know you have to go , so what might make it easier? Do you go to a full sedation dentist? Maybe knowing you will be out like a light minutes after arriving at the office would help with the anxiety. Aside from that, maybe the dentist or your family doctor would prescribe a Valium or two and also something to help you sleep the night before. If marijuana is legal where you are, maybe a toke or two would be just the thing.  Hypnosis might work for you—you’d be shown how to hypnotize yourself to let you relax.
  When my anxious sister was a teenager, she preferred that my mother not tell her about the appointment and just shove her into the car at the last minute. A friend or family member might be willing to help out here if this appeals to you. (I’ve got to say this would not work for me—I’d wake up every morning wondering if that was the day I’d be abducted by my own mother and brought to the jail cell of Hannibal Lector.)

Good luck! 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Bastet

[usedbicycle]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

You know you have to go , so what might make it easier? Do you go to a full sedation dentist? Maybe knowing you will be out like a light minutes after arriving at the office would help with the anxiety. Aside from that, maybe the dentist or your family doctor would prescribe a Valium or two and also something to help you sleep the night before. If marijuana is legal where you are, maybe a toke or two would be just the thing.  Hypnosis might work for you—you’d be shown how to hypnotize yourself to let you relax.
  When my anxious sister was a teenager, she preferred that my mother not tell her about the appointment and just shove her into the car at the last minute. A friend or family member might be willing to help out here if this appeals to you. (I’ve got to say this would not work for me—I’d wake up every morning wondering if that was the day I’d be abducted by my own mother and brought to the jail cell of Hannibal Lector.)

Good luck! 

Haha the last suggestion would drive me completely crazy as well! Thanks for the great ideas, I might rope in my friend with the medical marijuana prescription to have lunch with me first .  I don't think I need sedation for just a cleaning but I will definitely consider it for any more extensive work, even a cavity fill. I'm telling myself it's just a cleaning and xrays. If they find something bad, I'll make another appointment and mentally prepare for that later. No need to worry about hypothetical scenarios now. 

[JoyfulSel]

7 hours ago, usedbicycle said:

All this dental talk is very convicting. I have legit dentist trauma (medical trauma in general) and avoid going at all costs. I believe the last time I went was in 2014 and I had 2 kids since then. I brush and floss religiously to avoid any need to go. This thread was what I needed to pick up the phone and make an appointment, so thanks. 

Ditto for me. Last time I went was 2019 and then the pandemic hit and I just haven't gone back. I will make my appointment now too.

[Howl]

I think some dentists still do nitrous oxide for a more enjoyable experience, but you'd have to ask.  

The dentist I went to in Colorado in the 1990s automatically offered it as an option.  However, that was before it was understood that long term exposure to nitrous oxide wasn't good for the dentist or assistants.  

[Smash!]

I last went to the dentist in summer 2020 and then a few weeks ago for the first time since then. Unfortunately in those 2 years the small preventive crack fillings I have in some teeth fell out and I have now cavities in exactly those spots. So yeah pandemics are not good for teeth health.

[ElizaB]

Weren’t chelsy’s  parents raised Amish or something similar? If that is the case even basic check ups would be something completely new to her parents and going for “natural” cures would have been the standard. I’m not using this as an excuse - I am just trying to really see what their “normal” is. 

[ifosterkittens]

1 hour ago, ElizaB said:

Weren’t chelsy’s  parents raised Amish or something similar?

I'll link the article from 2014 but it says "Both Becky and Marlin's parents left Amish communities. The family used to be Mennonite. Today, when they're not on tour, the Bontragers attend the Marion Avenue Baptist Church in Washington. Sharing their faith, they say, is their inspiration to tour."

https://www.thegazette.com/article/eastern-iowa-life-bontrager-family-singers/

The article said Becky and Marlin were told by doctors they may not be able to have children (no reason given), but Becky has ten kids, and had six miscarriages. 

From Tumbler: " The Bontragers’ Amish and Mennonite heritage is something they reference fairly frequently. The Bontrager-Chupp side of the family has been stated to be of Amish heritage, while Elmer Stoltzfus was mentioned to have left the Amish, seemingly at the time the family moved to New York. It seems that both sets of grandparents were raised Amish and the Stoltzfuses became Mennonite, and either the Bontragers or just Marlin also became Mennonite at some point as Marlin and Becky were practicing Mennonites until around 2006."

https://funknowndies.tumblr.com/post/187803863709/the-bontrager-family

If you go to the link, go to page 2 and Becky has an article under the Career Focus Keepers at Home. It was written in 2000, and list their church as a Mennonite church. https://rosedale.edu/docs/mirrors/mirror27_1.pdf

[ifosterkittens]

They don't elaborate but I thought this was interesting: 

"Cheryl:  What is the hardest thing God has ever asked you to do?

Marlin and Becky:  About 15 years ago, God led us to leave a church we were fully plugged into." 

https://www.homespundevotions.com/2018/04/the-inner-views-of-marlin-becky.html Article from 2018. 

[danvillebelle]

14 hours ago, usedbicycle said:

 I don't think I need sedation for just a cleaning but I will definitely consider it for any more extensive work, even a cavity fill. I'm telling myself it's just a cleaning and xrays.

Be sure and tell the dentist and staff that you have extreme dental anxiety.  I did this when I had to go to a new one here last year and they absolutely bent over backwards to make sure I was comfortable, including regularly asking "are you ok?" and "do you need to take a break?"  I was able to go through a cleaning and an extraction without nitrous, which is HUGE for me.

[JermajestyDuggar]

That makes sense around their background because if you look at Wedding pictures, Becky was wearing Mennonite clothing. I’m guessing when they left the church, they also decided to start touring not long after. 

[Howl]

11 hours ago, ifosterkittens said:

but Becky has ten kids, and had six miscarriages

My uterus just cringed.  Please, Rufus, let Chelsea take a few years off from having babies. 

I had my 6-month dentist visit yesterday.  The hygienist used some kind of laser device with a water cooled tip to clean plaque, so that was new -- no scraping with a tool.  

[Loveday]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

My uterus just cringed.  Please, Rufus, let Chelsea take a few years off from having babies. 

I had my 6-month dentist visit yesterday.  The hygienist used some kind of laser device with a water cooled tip to clean plaque, so that was new -- no scraping with a tool.  

That's what my hygienist uses, too. I sometimes feel like she's not getting my teeth clean enough as I've been so used to having the dentist scrape my teeth and then use a polisher with some sort of pumice paste stuff on it. I guess that's not done much anymore! 

I go to the dentist three times a year, down from four back when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. My dental insurance pays for two basic checkups a year, so I have to pay for the third (and a lot of the rest of my care--dental insurance is never as good as it should be, although I'm grateful to have what I do!). I've had so much done to my teeth and gums throughout my life that nothing bothers me anymore. Even a root canal is kind of relaxing, except for the fact you have to keep your mouth stretched wide open so long.  😆  But I totally understand dental anxiety.

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

My uterus just cringed.  Please, Rufus, let Chelsea take a few years off from having babies. 

I had my 6-month dentist visit yesterday.  The hygienist used some kind of laser device with a water cooled tip to clean plaque, so that was new -- no scraping with a tool.  

Lisa Metzger has claimed 20 something miscarriages. I think she’s done though. She’s around 44 now.

[CaptainFunderpants]

6 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Lisa Metzger has claimed 20 something miscarriages. I think she’s done though. She’s around 44 now.

At least half of those have to be chemical pregnancies, but still thank Rufus for birth control and having a body that responds well to it.

[Bethy]

On 4/1/2022 at 1:40 PM, Loveday said:

I've had so much done to my teeth and gums throughout my life that nothing bothers me anymore. Even a root canal is kind of relaxing, except for the fact you have to keep your mouth stretched wide open so long.  😆  But I totally understand dental anxiety.

I've had a lot of work, including several crowns and root canals. (Root canals get a bad rap, BTW. The procedure by itself isn't that bad, especially with newer technology that isn't a noisy scraping file removing the root. If the tooth is abscessed, the pain beforehand is the worst part of the experience.) For me, the anxiety stems from the fact that I don't always "take" the novocaine and almost always regain feeling sometime during the drilling. So every time I go in, even for simple fillings, I can bank on the fact that there's going to be at least one moment of blinding pain (followed by several more shots of novocaine and being numb for hours and hours) and I have no idea when that moment is going to be.

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, Bethy said:

I've had a lot of work, including several crowns and root canals. (Root canals get a bad rap, BTW. The procedure by itself isn't that bad, especially with newer technology that isn't a noisy scraping file removing the root. If the tooth is abscessed, the pain beforehand is the worst part of the experience.) For me, the anxiety stems from the fact that I don't always "take" the novocaine and almost always regain feeling sometime during the drilling. So every time I go in, even for simple fillings, I can bank on the fact that there's going to be at least one moment of blinding pain (followed by several more shots of novocaine and being numb for hours and hours) and I have no idea when that moment is going to be.

I dealt with a tooth abscessing multiple times a year for at least 5-6 years. I would just deal with it. I was that kind of kid. That’s why I told no one I was have gall bladder attacks for months. I kept so much to myself. I’m glad I’m not like that anymore. And I hope my kids aren’t like that. 

[IsmeWeatherwax]

@Bethy ask for a different anaesthetic, they do have a range of ones you can try out

[Becky]

I have rheumatic mitral stenosis. I was never diagnosed with rheumatic fever, though. Apparently even a case too mild to be noticed can cause valve damage. 
I have also had valvuloplasty and it was successful but I will need a valve replacement eventually. So will Chelsy, I’d wager. I hope they are smart enough to keep good health insurance!

I am sure this has also been mentioned, but mitral stenosis will also make any additional pregnancy quite risky. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Becky