An Orchid for my Dentist

Last fall, I was eating some nuts, when all of a sudden I felt something in my mouth that wasn't a nut.  It was my crown that suddenly fell from a left back molar.  Oh, no.  It was night.  There was nothing I could do because the right back teeth were also missing. I stopped eating and went to sleep.

The next morning I called my dentist, but some of his machinery wasn't working so his office was closed.  A friend, Sharon, called, and when I told her my troubles she gave me the name of her dentist.  I called and Dr. Chen told me to come in immediately.

I drove to her office, expecting to get a temporary, but received terrible news.  Another crown was broken and I had an infection.  Of course, the financial news was worse.  She wanted payment before all of the permanent crowns could be replaced.  (We're talking thousands, not hundreds.)  I looked at her and said, no way.  Good-bye.

I live only 10 minutes away and she had called my house before I got home and told me to get my little narrow behind right back to her office.  She would work something out.  She did the work and against all of her rules allowed me to make monthly payments so I could get my new teeth.

This painting was my thanks to her.  She didn't know me but trusted me.  It's all paid off now and I'm eating away.  Another good thing that happened is I lost 15 pounds because it was so difficult eating some foods while I waiting for her to complete the work.