E-mail From Glenn Part one

Hello - I found your blog very interesting indeed. Just read your entry about "smart people beware" and, not wishing to blow my own trumpet, but I'm extremely technically minded (software engineer of some distinction, writing a rather complex bespoke database from scratch for example), and I'm a Unix admin for some very high profile clients (involving massive throughput,extremely high availability etc.) as the final line of support, and deploying same after designing the architecture.

You referenced the ability to think rapidly too - particularly while on the road. As the rider of a 2011 edition superbike, I'd have to say that quick thinking and reacting are necessary qualifications to ride one of them!


*

Anyway - I'm piecing together what happened to me followinga routine visit to the dentist yesterday, during which I experienced

something very akin to how I've heard PTSD being described. A simple filling replacement gave me a ludicrously fearful experience. The dentist was competent, kind, there was no pain at all - and I've never been afraid of the dentist before, or anything even approaching fear on this level, about anything! Yet as he prepared to get to work with the drill, I was in a state of near terror. It was all I could do to hold it together - the dentist probably thought it was a phobia.


My memory is excellent, there's hardly an experience I've forgotten since very early childhood. However, after receiving IV for having wisdom teeth removed (two impacted) in San Fran back in 1998, I recall fleeting moments of terrible pain and suffering. These moments are rather detailed too - they are not some vague, dream- like imagined moments, they were incredibly intense.


Three wisdom teeth, the bottom two impacted, were extracted. I recall pieces of the procedure, and looking into my own mouth at the operation taking place - this was actually the reflection from the dentists' head-gear. I was in a great deal of pain and fear but could not resist. Fragments of memories trouble me - these involved having my jaw drilled deeply in various places accompanied by horrendous pain.


They recommended playing a CD during the procedure. I don't remember hearing it at the time, but now it makes me uneasy to even hear the name of the band - it used to be a favourite.

I don't know what went on in any great detail, but I certainly know there was insufficient local anesthetic (if any) for the procedure. It seemed back then that I must have partially woken up, but that's not what happened. The truth is that I remember just a little of what was a very, very bad experience.


Thank you for your work on this - I aim to do a lot more research too. Only put this whole thing together and realised what was
going on since yesterday afternoon.


Best wishes,

Glenn.