Can I hire a professional escort to drive me to the dentist and back?

I think a taxi will be cheaper.

@ragingloli My dentist won’t release me to a taxi.

@reddeer Why?

@chyna I have to be released to someone who is responsible for making sure that I make it inside. The dentist said no to the taxi.

I will be having intervienous sedation, from a root cannal, and a crown. Not at the same time.

This must be a Canadian thing.

Is it actually surgery?

@MrGrimm888 Is a root cannal, and in a separate time a crown.

We do not release people to taxis or Ubers after sedation as they need somone who will be responsible for the patient.

Interesting. The time I was put under, the doctor’s themselves called the taxi to drive me home.

@ragingloli It may be an institutioinal thing, I don’t know. All I know is that I’ve had procedures on patients cancelled at the last minute because they didn’t have a ride home. I said, “Get them an Uber”, and I was told it was against policy. So I did crosswords instead.

If it were me, the hospital has volunteers that do drive people to, and from appointments.
That should be something that someone can arrange. I would talk with them about that. That would be free. More trustworthy than a escort. (No offense.)

If I’m not mistaken, are you not part of some type of Healthcare program? I know you have doctors.
It would be great, if you had a social worker, or outpatient advocate.

@MrGrimm888 My mentor took me to and from the dentist two weeks ago. I left him a message on his voice-mail. I have until October to find someone.

When I had a colonoscopy a month or so ago, I could not take Uber or a taxi home.

See if your mentor can do it.

Could you have a neighbor drive you? A friend? A shirt-tale relation? I mean, yeah, you could hire an escort, but only if they have them in your area. And of course they will cost money. Look for medical escorts or medical concierge services to see if they can help you and how much they cost.

@all Update I found a medical transport. Is $375 each way
I don’t need them to go to the dentist, only back.

I will keep them in mind.

@all thanks.

Strange that you needed to be completely anesthetized just for a root canal and crown. I’ve had periodontal surgery where the gums in all four quadrants were cut back and the bone scraped clean, 3 root canals, 2 implants, several crowns and just 3 weeks ago had a molar removed piecemeal (chipped away bit by bit down to the 3 roots which were each removed one by one). All with just local gum numbing.

@gondwanalon Hour and half long root cannal.

In my area we have a transport van that takes people to and from doctor appointments. My SIL uses it to transport her dad to kidney dialysis 3 times a week, but it can be a one time thing or an occasional thing.
The cost is 2.00 per trip. That is 4.00 a day.
375.00 is totally unreasonable. Ask someone in your area to help you find AFFORDABLE transportation. The people at your doctors office, your mentor, the people at your apartment complex should be able to help you.
Maybe even @squeeky knows of a service in Canada. Please do not pay that kind of money for a ride home. I’ve paid that for a plane ticket across the country!

@RedDeerGuy1 3 weeks ago it took 1½ hours to remove my abscessed molar. The one that had to be chipped away peace meal. Fun stuff. HA!

Anyway I would insist on not being completely knocked out.

@gondwanalon I have panic attacks at the dentist. One was so bad that they canceled most of my appointments pending a doctor’s note. Else I have to be knocked out. Edit with iv sedation I will be awake, just not being able to feel anything.

@RedDeerGuy1 I’m sorry that you have panic attacks. That must by terrible for you. I can’t imagine. If I lived near you then I’d help you. I’m in Tacoma, WA.

<———Much experience on this topic with over 20 surgeries. Times have changed. They let me take a taxi after open heart. Course, I was in the hospital for 8 days, but was still on pain meds, which is the reason they say they don’t let you take a taxi or Uber anymore. I used to be able to take a taxi home from out-patient surgery after staying several hours in the hospital. Nowadays I can’t. They even take you in a wheelchair to your driver (friend or family) to be sure you’re not driving yourself. Some places make your driver come in and sign a paper saying they will be responsible. That happened just 2 years ago. I’ve had iv sedation at the dentist and had to have a ride home, and that was at least 25 years ago.

@RedDeerGuy1 Don’t necessarily count on being awake. When I had my wisdom teeth removed I was completely out with iv sedation. When I woke up, the iv was even in a different location than they originally inserted it. Ha!

@all Update The mentor will drive me on October 25th @ 2:30pm – 4pm for my root cannal.

I’m glad you found someone. If you need help again, find “adult caregivers” online.
They can even sit with your grandma while you go out to dinner.

Happy for you reddeerguy!

@RedDeerGuy1 When you first asked this, I didn’t think the escort service was the answer to your Q. Then I had several problems of my own to resolve. I woke up this morning & remembered your problem, had an idea & came back to respond. Yarnlady had the same idea. Here in he US we have adult sitters who will sit by the day, take you to the store or doctor’s appointments & get you home. They would then sit with you until you come completely out from under the sedative making sure you were OK. They’d be a LOT cheaper than $375 per trip & way cheaper than an escort service which can run into the thousands. I see that you now have options so far which gives me some peace. If both of those fall through, you’ll have a few other options to check out. The sitter is an employee at least during the time that you hire them for

@RedDeerGuy1 I’m in this boat with you. My family live 4–8 hours away. I am in the boonies, so so medical procedures can be a 3–5 hours away. My friend all work, so that means asking them to take the day off, and if the procedure is scheduled early, getting up in the wee hours of the morning. It is very awkward. Glad you found a solution.

^^ I’m in a similar situation except I have no family here and friends either work or are retired. I ask the retired ones for rides but hate imposing on anyone. It’s frustrating because some docs begin their procedures/surgeries at 6am, and they want you there an hour beforehand!

Knowing more details, I actually like this. I would have prostituted myself, if that would have meant I would be out for some of my dental work.

It’s fucking crazy, what they make people endure in dentist offices. Like some real torture the POW shit.

I’m glad, you’ll be out for the procedure RDG, and I’m glad your mentor got back to you. Hopefully, everything will go well big guy.

Peace and love

Dental offices and procedures are not torture. They’re not even all that bad if you have a reputable dentist, which most are. smh

^I can only speak, from experience, and observation.

And unfortunately, dental mutilation, is a maybe top 5 worst types of torture.
I know Saddam Hussein had places called “fingernail factories,” and there were guys who specialized in mouth stuff.

Oh yeah. There was a movie, with Dustin Hoffman in it. These people thought he knew something, and they went dental.
I can’t remember the name of the movie but there’s a scene that I saw first as a little boy, that will curl your toes.

I got a discount wisdom teeth removal, from a dental school student. I had multiple infections for years, until I had a competent dentist fix the back of my gums.

I’m not a person who has had to go to the dentist often.
All of my nieces and nephews, had insane dental problems.
LOTS of cavities, and other problems. I felt bad for them.
I KNOW they brushed, but I guess they weren’t good brushers. OR. They had woke/soft bristles, that didn’t work.

Well yes they do that kind of torture in movies and war! I was talking about real life, and you were too.

The secret to not having tortuous dental work is to find a very competent dentist who is careful about pain management. I had Dr Demento when I was a kid but as an adult have chosen dentists who are very compassionate and caring.

^I think that the secret, is part genetics, a proper diet, and personal maintenance.

Update A friend took a taxi home with me. I made it home safely.