Sleepless in Douthat

By morning Bernie was tired and almost in tears. Mar, sleep deprived, said we should pull camp and find a dentist who will take care of that toothache today. We had already paid for one more night at the campground, but the office said we would not get a refund.

We packed up Bella and put the awning up. Word spread fast, by this time the girls heard of Bernie’s toothache and everyone tried to be helpful. Bobbie, who is a nurse, brought Bernie some gel for her toothache, which really helped.

We drove down the mountain and once we had phone reception we pulled over and started making phone calls. Finding a dentist proved harder than we expected. Using our road atlas and both laptops, we started calling the dentists closest to the campground, and kept extending the search area for more dentists to call.

Almost an hour later we found a dentist in West Virginia who had an opening at 2:30. This dentist was two hours away and it was almost 12:30 pm by then. Mar put pedal to the metal and we drove to Summersville WV. The drive from VA to WV was breathtaking, the trees have started to change colors and the views were beautiful. We boogied up and down mountains, and curves, and more curves, to make it to Bernie's appointment on time. We got there at 2:29 pm.

Once there we got more bad news. Bernie needed a root canal. The dentist recommended a specialist located forty-five minutes away who could see Bernie today. So we got back in Bella and headed down to Beckley WV.

Bernie was so worked up and nervous before even getting there. She hasn’t had good experiences with dentists in the past. But everyone was so nice and friendly there, from the moment we went in we were greeted warmly and made to feel welcome. Dr. Winkler and his wife have just recently opened this practice. He was extremely compassionate and caring with Bernie. The dentist and his assistant took extra time and explained everything that was happening. They did everything they could to help Bernie feel at ease.

If you are ever in WV and need a dentist, go see Fletcher and Fletcher in Summersville. If you are ever in WV and need a root canal, go see Dr. Winkler in Beckley.

Without having had any sleep in over 24 hours, Mar just couldn’t drive any more. After her root canal, Bernie needed some rest. Lucky for us there was a Walmart right across the street. We were tired and starving. We got some Taco Bell and ate so quick we were surprised when the bag emptied. We then found a spot to park for the night. Bernie is recovering and we hope to get some much needed rest tonight.