Dealing With Pain
Our neighbors know that James is a doctor, and so every now and then, amid language lessons, and daily tasks, James gets to wear his doctor hat. Usually it's just a consult, writing down something they need to buy at the pharmacy, or sometimes it's sorting through all the things they have bought at the pharmacy, and telling them not to take them all.
A couple weeks ago, one of the neighbor boys was over, and his cheek was swollen on one side so large that it looked like he had somehow stored away a grapefruit in there. It was huge and painful looking. I asked him about it, and he showed me a black rotten tooth in the back of his mouth. He said he had already taken two rounds of medicine for it, but it hadn't changed. I told him that James would be happy to look at it for him if he hung around. When James saw him, he told him that he needed to have the tooth pulled. He only shook his head in fear, and said he couldn't do that. We asked if he was taking anything for the pain, he said no. James then decided to follow him home to see if he could talk with his parents. When he got there, he was only able to speak to an uncle, who demanded James give him medicine to make him better. James tried to explain that the boy needed the tooth pulled, but was only declined again.
Later that week, I was able to talk with his older sister about the situation, and she was able to shed some light. She said her father refused to have his tooth pulled because when he himself was younger, he needed a tooth pulled, and so went to have it done. Just days after having the tooth pulled, he was told that he needed to wear glasses, and so he blamed his need for glasses on the fact that he had the tooth pulled. Therefore he concludes that if his son has a tooth pulled, he will also need to have glasses to see properly as well. I could totally follow the logic, but what could I say to convince this girl, much less her entire family, that there was no connection between the two.
I saw the boy once again this week. He was sitting outside our gate, but this time his 'grapefruit cheek' was sweating. His family had given him some tiger balm to put on the outside to help him with the pain. I could not imagine even trying to sleep one night with that kind of pain. I gave him some ibuprofen before he went home, and I am praying the the tooth will fall out on it's own despite his family's thoughts on the matter. All he is left to do now, is deal with the pain.
A couple weeks ago, one of the neighbor boys was over, and his cheek was swollen on one side so large that it looked like he had somehow stored away a grapefruit in there. It was huge and painful looking. I asked him about it, and he showed me a black rotten tooth in the back of his mouth. He said he had already taken two rounds of medicine for it, but it hadn't changed. I told him that James would be happy to look at it for him if he hung around. When James saw him, he told him that he needed to have the tooth pulled. He only shook his head in fear, and said he couldn't do that. We asked if he was taking anything for the pain, he said no. James then decided to follow him home to see if he could talk with his parents. When he got there, he was only able to speak to an uncle, who demanded James give him medicine to make him better. James tried to explain that the boy needed the tooth pulled, but was only declined again.
Later that week, I was able to talk with his older sister about the situation, and she was able to shed some light. She said her father refused to have his tooth pulled because when he himself was younger, he needed a tooth pulled, and so went to have it done. Just days after having the tooth pulled, he was told that he needed to wear glasses, and so he blamed his need for glasses on the fact that he had the tooth pulled. Therefore he concludes that if his son has a tooth pulled, he will also need to have glasses to see properly as well. I could totally follow the logic, but what could I say to convince this girl, much less her entire family, that there was no connection between the two.
I saw the boy once again this week. He was sitting outside our gate, but this time his 'grapefruit cheek' was sweating. His family had given him some tiger balm to put on the outside to help him with the pain. I could not imagine even trying to sleep one night with that kind of pain. I gave him some ibuprofen before he went home, and I am praying the the tooth will fall out on it's own despite his family's thoughts on the matter. All he is left to do now, is deal with the pain.
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