April 13, 2007 by SUM.

Before Dr. G. started with her examination, we chatted a little bit about personal matters. She asked me in which area I was born in Germany, and she told me that her husband had gone to a German High-School in Marburg. I had visited Marburg a few times when I lived and studied in Giessen at the Justus-Liebig University.

After the initial chitchat she asked me a lot of questions, which pertained to the questions that I had already answered on the questionnaire. As I had stated previously I didn’t understand why I was compelled to answer questions about ‘pains for different aches.’ But that may have been her specialty. I just knew that I didn’t consult the UW dental clinic for being questioned about ‘pains for different aches.’ I always said to anyone I had met there that I needed to have the damage to my teeth examined and confirmed that Crest Night Effects had caused the damage.

I told her that I had my teeth examined and x-rayed at the LWTC a few months before I used Crest Night Effects. I gave her the info from Dr. R. from Vancouver and the time-frame when using Crest Night Effects. But I forgot to tell her that I had my teeth cleaned and partially x-rayed at a dental office in Bellevue a couple weeks before I consulted with the UW dental clinic.

I had visited the dentist office in Bellevue only one time and that was a couple weeks before I had my appointment at the UW dental clinic. When I visited this dental office, I had brought with me the x-rays from the LWTC. The dentist in Bellevue compared the x-rays taken on that day at his office to the ones taken last year at the LWTC, and he said to me that he sees a difference between the x-rays taken in February 2004 and January 2005. He also suggested that I consult with a physician at the UW dental clinic to examine the damage and cause to my teeth.

Dr. G. examination was mostly conducted in an oral way, but she looked briefly at my teeth and asked me to grind my teeth on blue tape so that she could determine my grinding pattern. After I had grinded my teeth and moved them forth and back in a very forceful way (actually overdoing the grinding) on the blue tape she took a picture of my teeth that were now covered with blue stains. Dr. G. didn’t inquire about any x-rays. She didn’t ask me whether my teeth had been recently x-rayed, she didn’t ask for the x-rays from the LWTC nor did she wanted to have my teeth x-rayed, again.

Her questions were focused solely on what I ate and drank. So, I told her about my eating and drinking habits, which are very healthy and are neither unusual nor damaging to my stomach. Afterwards she said that she felt that having stomach acid, eating a Vitamin C tablet every 4 hours (I chew three Vitamin C tablets a day), and the age had caused the damage.

After she had told me her reasoning for the damage to my teeth I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had mentioned that I have had an esophagus reflux problem in the past, but that had been in 1996 and it wasn’t an issue anymore. After I had taken medication at that time and having changed my eating habits thereafter including not smoking anymore I didn’t have this problem anymore. But I told her that I had sometimes a little bit of stomach acid, which I was able to control with just taking one Tums tablet. And that was not a major problem because it didn’t happen often.

I found her reasoning unbelievable and everything what followed thereafter, too.

She also acted like that the damage had existed before I used Crest Night Effects. I told her that I wanted more tests done therefore I offered to be a guinea pig so that they do tests on my teeth while applying the Crest Night Effects under supervised conditions. Her reply was that she had to talk to someone who is more knowledgeable and she’d let me know. When I left her she told me that she’ll contact me and she asked for my phone number, which I gave her.

When we parted on that day, I told her that I didn’t accept her explanation and that I wanted a supervised test done. On my way out the desk clerk told me that they would bill my insurance company.

Afterwards I just knew that this had not been the right place to visit. I was very unsatisfied not only with this encounter, but with everything that followed thereafter. However, I had no idea what would follow. Therefore in my next posts I’ll describe the other events that are part of this case and are additionally very unpleasant and alarming.

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April 12, 2007 by SUM.

Yesterday, I decided to drive by two large antique malls in my area: Seattle and Edmonds. The one in Seattle was South of Safeco Field and the one in Edmonds on the waterfront. I wanted to check out what kind of merchandise the mall’s dealers offer at the moment.

A couple years ago when I had been more active in buying and selling antiques, I visited quite frequently different antique malls in this area. And I pretty much enjoyed my trips. The antique malls were stocked with quality items, and I always found something that I decided to buy because it fitted to my collection.

But my trip yesterday was quite disappointing and an eye opener. The goods in the malls were of much lower quality than a couple years ago. I felt like I walked through upscale thrift stores. The real good quality collectibles weren’t there anymore.

I have to point out here that I just started to become more active again in buying and selling antiques & collectibles, but it seems like that the shift has been to the Internet. Gas prices, renting a booth at a mall, and paying commissions to antique malls are all contributing factors to consider when selling your items in a brick store or online.

I just noticed that the merchandise on the Internet is fabulous in contrast to the stuff that I saw yesterday in these large antique malls.

In a way I’m disappointed that the malls have changed dramatically, but I’ll have to visit a few more malls to see how others are doing.

Posted in Antiques&Collectibles, General | No Comments »

April 9, 2007 by SUM.

On Tuesday, 22nd February, I drove at around 10 AM to Seattle for my appointment at the UW dental clinic. In the early morning I had talked to my sister Christiane. She had given me some information that I had asked her to research for me. I’ll come back to this research at a later time when I’ll talk about troublesome or unsettling experiences at medical clinics here in the Seattle area. That morning my conversation with her was brief because I had to get ready for the appointment at the UW dental clinic.

When I arrived at the oral medicine department, I was asked to fill out a lot of paperwork including a questionnaire about ‘pain for different aches.’ It not only took a long time to fill out the questionnaire of about 10 pages, I actually was astonished why I was obligated to fill out this questionnaire. But I answered the questions because I wasn’t correctly informed by the reception clerk and in my opinion transferred to the wrong department within the dental clinic, but I shall find this out at a later time.

Before the desk employee handed me the questionnaire she told me that my medical insurance covers the cost, but I would have to pay my deductible of $250.00. At that time I had insurance, again, therfore I presented her my insurance card.

While filling out the questionnaire I had an interesting conversation with an elderly man who was accompanied by a younger man and/or sat next to him. He reminded my of a person I knew because of his name. He told me that he had a daughter who did some volunteer work with her husband in Honduras, and he was pretty proud of her.

After I had finished filling out my questionnaire I was led into an area where patients are examined. A Chinese woman showed up with a digital camera and she, too, asked me some questions. I told her that Crest Night Effects had damaged my teeth and I had been told to consult with a UW physician who should examine the case to confirm that Crest Night Effects had caused the damage to my teeth.

After I had answered her questions she insisted on taking a picture of me. She stated that they needed it for their file. I actually didn’t like how she acted while taking the picture. She acted in a condescending way towards me.

After she had taken one picture of me I asked her to let me review it. She showed me the picture and I didn’t like it. Therefore I asked her to take another shot. After I had reviewed the second one I asked her to delete the first picture while I was present. And her reply was “I don’t know how to do that. I don’t want to screw it up.” And she told me that she’d do it later.

At this moment my alarm bells should have gone off telling me that something was seriously wrong here. In a way they went off because I felt very uncomfortable being treated this way and how she handled this situation. Additionally, later I felt violated in my rights to be treated with respect. I know I didn’t deserve this kind of treatment and anything what followed thereafter because I had acted properly.

I’ll describe the encounter with the UW physician, Dr. G., and other important matters relating to this story in other posts to maintain transparency and not to confuse the different issues.

Posted in Crest Night Effects, Personal care, Doctor's visits | No Comments »

April 8, 2007 by SUM.

Finally I joined an online store so that I’m able to continue with my passion for antiques & collectibles. Though I have only a few items listed momentarily I’ll continuously add to my selection.

If you have any questions concerning the antiques & collectibles, please inquire about these items through my web site at the online store Trocadero.

I hope you’ll enjoy visiting my store and all the others, too.

Posted in Antiques&Collectibles, General | No Comments »

April 5, 2007 by SUM.

We all have a passion that we enjoy for years to come. I enjoy antiques & collectibles. For some years I sold antiques & collectibles in antique malls in the Seattle area. Though I haven’t been in this business for quite some time, I still have goods left that I would like to sell.

In the next few days I’ll concentrate on starting an antiques & collectibles business on the Internet. After I created the web pages, I’ll add the link for my antiques & collectibles to the blogroll on this site.

Thereafter I’ll concentrate again on the tooth whitening experience.

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April 3, 2007 by SUM.

It’s said that we all have a body double. A couple years ago I saw the body double of Leah Remini who plays the main role in King of Queens. I met her at the Longs drug store in Bellevue on 156th St. This woman not only looked like Leah but she also acted and spoke like her. I was stunned when I saw her. The apparent resemblance was enormous. Leah’s look-alike worked as a cashier at the drug store. We briefly exchanged some words and I said to her that she could work as Leah’s stuntwoman.

While living here I’m constantly mistaken for someone else. In a way we all have a double, but we just aren’t aware of it.

The first time that I became aware of being mistaken for someone else was in Portland, Oregon in 1995. While I visited an antique fair at the Portland Expo show an antique dealer at the show mistook me for someone else who had previously looked at her antiques. I personally didn’t see the person who supposed to be my look-alike.

The next time I was mistaken for someone else was at the ProClub where I worked out for a few years. An employee told me that someone who looks just like me works out there, too, but early in the morning. Since I never came in early, I always worked out in the afternoon or in the evening, I never saw this person. Without looking at my notes now that must have been in 2000/2001.

The next time I actually saw a person who resembled me a little bit. In 2005 I attended the PNWA writer’s conference at SeaTac and towards the end of the conference I noticed a woman who had the same hairstyle and color like me, her facial features were similar, but she was bigger than me and her body type was stocky. I just thought when I saw her that she could be mistaken for me from a distance.

Yesterday, 2nd April 2005, an employee at my bank asked me whether I have a sister living in Magnolia. So here again, someone mistook me for someone else or her sister. It couldn’t have been myself who she saw because I don’t live in Magnolia and I don’t walk around in this neighborhood.

© March 2007

It seems like my body double lives here in this area, and I’m not only curious to find out more information about her, but I also would like to meet her.

Posted in Stage, General | No Comments »