Page created 16 Jan 2004 by Cinnamongirl
This is the first entree I've ever created, and I don't know if it'll catch on, but here's a place to discuss medical woes--those of your own, your family, etc. I'm sure everyone is sick (no pun intended) of reading my woeful diary entries lately on the state of my health, so here's a place to discuss it, suggest remedies, and simply garner sympathy if you so desire. I'm no scientific sort myself, but I know some of you here are, and any advice you have to suggest would be most welcome.
I've always harbored a secret dream of being a doctor, or nurse. In fact, I went into North Park as a Nursing major and left with a B.A. in English. What the hell does that say? The amount of science and math classes scared me off. I think I would have been okay with the bio. Anyway, biology still does fascinate me.Coincidentally, this week's theme of a site I subscribe to (yes, I'm a tool), "A Word A Day," was "Medical Termonology." The word the very day of my dental appointment was "counterindicative." It defines one medication being harmful/ineffective due to the use of another, or just harmful in general due to an exisiting condition (like pregnancy, or liver disease).
So when I had my appointment I went in and the dentist was going to give me novacaine, and I said, "I have a very bad cold right now and took NyQuil last night. Would the NyQuil in any way counterindicate the novacaine?" In addition to being a tool, I was trying to appear all learned. I DO NOT trust dentists, or doctors in general, because some of them think they know it all, and I don't want this guy thinking I'm a dumbass or that he can rip me off. He stared at me like I was a freak: either because I knew the word or used it wrong, which I probably did. He said, "No, I don't think that should affect it unless you're allergic to either medication."
When I go in on Monday for D-Day, as I am referring to it, I am to take two Halcion which they gave me (medical name: Trizolam) an hour before the appointment. I was assuming and hoping this is some kind of pain med. They told me to make sure I had a ride "to and from the appointment." The aftermath I can understand, but I had planned on walking to the office. It's only 2 miles from my work. Today one of my student workers was in, a Pre-Med student, and I said, "Do you know anything about Halcion?" She answered that she thinks it's a sleeping pill of some kind. So I looked it up online, and what I read freaked the hell out of me. Yes, it is a sleeping pill, a powerful one, and frequently causes "amnesia" after it wears off. Is he trying to knock me out so I don't remember the experience at all and consequently return to him, unlike the previous five or so years when I didn't see a dentist once due to mortal fear? (I told him how much I fear dentists, so maybe he wants me to be completely unconscious). Maybe this dude thinks he's some sort of Prospero who will return me back to the mainland of normalcy and never recall my hours spent on the Island of Dental Hell. Like benevolent aliens abducted me for a few hours, then took me back to earth with repaired teeth but conveniently deducted $2200 from my credit card. In short, I am a bit pissed off. And I AM walking to that appointment, come hell or high water.
Sorry about this longest and most boring post in Diner history, but I had to get that off my chest.
he just wants you to be comfortable and relaxed.
Halcion is one of those sleeping pills that are death on celebrities . . .
After dental surgeon consultation--again, I believe I've mentioned I'm just happy not to be in the hands of Army dentists--I too will post the Dental Experience.
as I've said, I'm just really afraid and non-trusting of dentists in general.Lt., Maybe I should stop whining, as I can imagine an Army dentist would NOT be my friend. But what do you mean about Halcion being "death on celebrities?" Is it like when they found River Pheonix outside the club dead from the 8 ball? That there are common reports of death from this drug? In that case, I'm not sure about taking it...especially combined with laughing gas, novacaine, vicodin (for the aftermath) and whatever else they give me.
Highly recommends Halcion for air travel. I am *petrified* of airplanes. He, for long overseas flights, takes one pill. He sleeps the whole flight and has no ill effects afterwards. I will take it next time I HAVE to fly, which I hope is never. From now on if I can't get there by boat, train and car... I dunno if it's worth going.
But I believe in the '50's that Halcion--or a derivative--was the addictive sleeping pill of choice.
I did said it can become addictive. And the dentist seemed really adamant about letting me know that if I "lost" them he would not replace them, because they have a high street value. He truly said that. Do I look like a drug-pusher, I wonder? Due to the amount of money I'll be paying for the procedure, maybe I would have been better off selling them. (Kidding).Dex, it is commonly prescribed for overseas flights (as I found out in my limted research). If you can sleep on one for a whole transcontenential flight, I don't why the hell he's giving me two right before the appointment. But if I'm unconscious the whole time, so much the better. I just don't see how they'll keep my mouth propped open.
oh and Cinn I would recommend trying to find a ride if you can, walking might not be that bad since you will be keeping moving, but when I was done with my wisdom teeth I was in no condition to be operating a moving vehicle.
My friend Shannon and a few other people I've spoken to re: the Halcion, the nitrous oxide, etc. said, "Cool!", or, "I envy you!" I don't know what they're thinking. I guess the drugs are THAT good! Fortunately the appt. starts right in time for my sister to pick me up and drive me to after her school day ends, then taking me home after her 3-6 after-school center job ends. I just found that out yesterday & I am very grateful. I would have been happy to walk, albeit tipsily, but it's so cold out. Tonight is her boyfriend's birthday and they're going to be celebrating et. al. I feel bad missing it, but at the moment don't think I'll be in the condition to whoop it up.
but yes the drugs are that good, you will be in a very happy place regardless of what is going on around you, and that's why it's good to have someone pick you up. I am a big fan of drugs, that's why I don't do them.
I'm doing the IV cocktail for the ole wisdom teeth on Jan 30th. The wife is jealous because hers were impacted and she was in a great deal of pain for a week afterward . .Same anesthieisiaiasisiasisi (I can't spell drugged unconsciousness properly) as my tailbone surgery in Nov 1999 minus the nice spinal that made me the world's best puppet for a while in the recovery room.
and it hurt for days after the other ones. I was just on novacaine, and I could hear the doctor ripping it out of my head in little pieces, which was not a pleasant sound.
The one weird thing about having my wisdom teeth out, which I did not realize until later, was that I didn't listed to the tape I had in my walkman during the surgery for about 5 years afterward. My oral surgeon had told me to bring a walkman with soothing music, so I brought Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park. It was very soothing, and I had gas and an IV, so I was pretty much out (they say "twilight sleep") for the procedure. I remember nothing after the IV was put into my arm, until I woke up. However, I must've unconsiously connected the surgery with that album, because before that day, I listened to it all the time, and after, I'd pick it up, or look at it, and think, "nah, I don't want to hear that." For YEARS! It wasn't until much later that I realized that's what I had playing during the extraction.....
No, actually, besides being in mucho pain as the novacaine wears off, I'm doing alright. The dentist said he was surprised at my stoic demeanor under all of the laughing gas & Halcion. Honestly the Halcion didn't do much besides make me feel sleepy. I think I was too scared even then to be merry. The wisdom tooth came out without a hitch--it was a weird sensation to feel it being wrenched from my mouth--and I mumbled, "Cammum seet?" "You want to SEE it?'" They seemed surprised. DAMN! Teeth are BIG! With the root & all it was like twice as big as I'd expect a touth to really look. The root's about twice as big as the tooth itself. The rest was a mess. He was visibly agitated at extracting the rotten molar, because it kept breaking off in pieces (due to its decay I guess). The root canal was no picnic, either. I noticed on his wall, as I was leaving, that he was certified for dentistry in the Navy, though 1-800-Dentist told me he had his degree from Loyola. So maybe we have more in common there than I thought, Gunch. Still, he seems like a very good dentist. Now that the ordeal is over I feel good about things. Waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain and having nightmares of my teeth falling out--as they inevitably would have--was not cool.Ha ha, Elise. I couldn't listen to Led Zeppelin for a few weeks after I broke up with my ex, because he was obsessed with them, but c'mon, it was Zeppelin. No one keeps me away. They have nothing to do with the rat bastard. I also had bought him the neat 4 disc set and we broke up right before Christmas, or Chanukah in his case, so I had a great gift for my dad. (Just don't tell my dad who the intended recipient was...). Simon and Garfunkel are a good idea, though. Maybe for my next appointment...walkman never occured to me.
Vicodin, here I come.
Three days after I had them out (I paid for full sedation - I had to be put to sleep. I couldn't take it otherwise, wuss that I am) I flew to my parents house. We stopped at O'Hare and went through the magical mystery tunnel between the United terminals. You know, the one with the neon lights on the ceiling and the new age music playing as you stand on a peoplemover and watch. While on vicodin - it was AWESOME. That tunnel was so pretty!! I actually don't know what it looks like not drugged up, so I could be remembering it funny.I had spinal anesthesia for my cesarians, both of them. They were good, as in I felt no pain. The first time I was allergic to them though and I puked for 9 hours after. The second time they knew that and I had a nice zofran shot in my IV every 4 hours for 24 hours afterwards to avoid that - MUCH better. The creepiest thing about the spinal was they wouldn't let Jay be in the room, and you're frickin freezing sitting on the operating table. But I got to see my babies the moment they were born - very cool! Jay accidentally saw the actual cesarian being performed. They have to put some of your organs and stuff on top of your stomach - or at least they did for me. It smelled like singed bacon in the room as they cauterized as they went along. I should stop rambling about it before I scare people off of ever having kids!
that's pretty heavy stuff, Dex! I vividly remember--and the doctors corroborate this story--that I woke up in the middle of my open-heart surgery. Apparently, their anastheseologist (and I have no idea how to spell that word) sucked.It does make me cringe to hear "organs lying on top of you," but I'll get over it. As I said, my mortal fear is of dentists. Most medical procedures I am okay with. Thank God this one gave me plenty of nitrous oxide and novacaine. I want to have children, and no C-section is scaring me off! But that is creepy. I'm glad you have two beautiful, healthy girls to show for it. I hope Julia gets over her cold soon, AND that you get some rest tonight.
during the tailbone surgery---saw the anesthesiologist's beard about 1/4 inch from my eyes--and went back to sleep. They had the twilight sleep going on, and it's a good thing all my military knowledge can also be downloaded from pedro's right-wing militia extremist group's survival and bomb kit Web Site, because apparently one can be talked to and answer questions which they have no memory of later, and that's what they're going to do for the ole wisdom teeth.(My wife already has revealed her plans to implement subliminal conditioning to correct some of my more annoying tendencies to not match up to her standard of cleanliness. I suspect after Friday the 30th I'll have a sudden liking to do the dishes.)
Vicodin was nice though with the fifteen industrial-strength fiber-optic cables, instead of stitches, because of the stress on the location-- holding my ass together--the top of the incision was just at the bottom of the triangular muscle in the small of your back which literally holds everything together, and is vital to just about every movement in the human body---you haven't lived until you have to figure out a new way to crawl out of bed.
so glad to see that you are still alive and kickin. it sounds like you pulled through and were very brave, which is good. i wish i was there to bring you soft things to eat and watch movies. it sounds like you have a lot of people looking out for you, and i think that's fantastic.
Last night was Act II of the dental drama. I had to go in for ``Stage 2'' of the root canal, whatever that means. It meant much drilling and pain and a temporary crown. It felt like a wasted night, since the crown is only temporary and it all took over an hour and was pretty awful, but I DID make it through with no nitrous (novacaine shots, many. Goes without saying). My dentist is cool, man. Besides being a very good dentist, he's this total hard-ass. He's about 50, was in the Navy, and has that sort of military demeanor about him. At one point during the procedure--he had told me to put my left hand up if I felt any pain--I was in pain, real pain, for a bit. I put up my hand and was obviously grimacing and panic-stricken, but he said, in this very matter-of-fact way, ``Are you in pain, or are you being a baby?'' Right that second the pain stopped, so maybe it was psychological. He's also just really nice and funny (despite being a hard-ass). And a really good dentist, which is most important. My last dentist was TERRIBLE, so I was paranoid of the ilk, but am glad I found someone I can trust.Anyway, after I leave, I'm at about 5700 N. Lincoln (right where California & Lincoln meet), where the dentist's office is located, and planned on walking home. It didn't feel too cold, and my face was so numb I didn't feel the cold anyway. The par-tay is this weekend is at 5652 N. Western, so I thought, ``I'll go check this place out, as I've never seen it. It can't be far.'' I start walking East (so I thought), expecting to hit Western any second. I kept walking, and walking, and WALKING. Where I live, around Lincoln & Balmoral, Western is the next major street. Apparently, the streets CHANGE THEIR MIND about where they are if they feel like it. After about 20 minutes of walking, I hit Peterson. WTF?! I was so irritated. Right about then I slip on a patch of ice and fall completely down on my hands. Although I usually think people falling, including myself, is hilarious, I was PISSED. It took me about an hour total to walk home after this excursion, and it should've taken 15 minutes.
I'm not whining (REALLY!), but I'm very confused. Directions aren't my strong point, and I know Lincoln curves at some point, but what happened to Western??? (Sorry this makes little sense to Non-Chicagoans).
Heidi, what an icky story! That Lincoln / Western thing is insane. It's my understanding that Western runs straight north / south (at 2400W). Lincoln is the weird one; it runs on a diagonal, and kind of joins with Western for about 2 blocks around Lawrence.Oh, and your dentist sounds like way too much of a hard-ass for me. If someone had said that to me, I'm sure I would have instantly slipped into complete baby mode & started crying like a little bitch. I'm way too sensitive about that sort of thing.
Here's my contribution to the Mushroom Marinara (which sounds incredibly tasty). My mom called me last night to tell me that my grandma is in the hospital with heart problems and was having "a procedure" done today. I HATE it when she does that, she gets vague medical information from my aunt & it leaves all kinds of questions in my mind, and since I'm planning on leaving for vacation tomorrow, it's even more upsetting because there's the guilt-inducing selfish feelings that creep in there. (Would anyone like a run-on sentence in their sauce?) But my mom called about 1/2 hour ago & grandma came out of it fine. They did an angiogram & found some blockage but not enough to do anything, so she's going home tomorrow. And my mom said I could go on vacation without feeling like a giant turd. Yay!
did you walk? and on what street? Because if you came out of the dentist and walked north on Lincoln you were already past Western and heading Northwest, and that would lead you away from Western. Lincoln runs northwest and from there you would have needed to get to an east-west street and go east to hit western, going on Lincoln though you could have stopped and gotten some KFC, mmmmmmmmmm.
Hyde, you must have just gone the wrong way. Peterson is west of there, western is east. :<
but I know which KFC you mean. My sister read some horrendous articles about KFC & how they raise their chickens, so we can't eat there anymore. Which is very sad because it's one of the few fast food places I like. I can still get the potatoes and biscuits, though, which are my favorite things there anyway.Pedro, I'm *sure* I was walking East, but Lincoln curves so I got all confused. I'm not to be trusted with directions, as I mentioned. In any case, it was an inconvenient excursion.
yeah. Lincoln is a bitch. from California and Lincoln, however, you must have walked Northwest to hit Peterson. If you drove you'd know that. Sorry about your sucky night. I hope your teeth magically heal themselves and you won't have to worry about that nonsense anymore.
What a coincidence. I also visited the doctor around the same time as all this stuff. Long story coming:
So on Jan. 27, my big molar starts aching. It's not 100% real, but a root canal with a crown. So Im kinda pissed because I never get toothaches or anything, and i just want it to go away. On the morning of the 29th its beginning to upgrade into real unpleasantness, so Im thinking that maybe i should make an appointment with my dentist sooner or later. After work I feel real, real, real achy. I can feel it throbbing in my head, so Im not too happy. By 9pm, Im starting to go into the fetal position with pain. I take a couple shots of vodka and goto sleep.
I woke up around 2, realizing that my tooth woke me up, because it feels like Im soaking a cavity in a slushy. My g/f, who has witnessed my metamorphosis into a quivering baby, suggests that i find an all-night emergency line thingy. By 2:30 I realized that there was nowhere to go. I knew i had to work in about 5 hours, and I was hoping the pain would go away long enough to be functional. It got a lot worse as the morning wore on. By 3:30, i took a stashed vicodin and 3 shots of vodka to fall asleep.
So I wake up at 7am and start to get ready for work. Im feeling great, probably due to the alcohol and drugs in my system. I take a couple more vicodin and down two shots of alcohol (I do not enjoy doing this kind of stuff, by the way), and head off to work.
By the time i get to work at 8, i realize that vicodin and vodka aren't gangbusters when it comes to a real fucked up tooth, so I call my dentist's office begging them to see me. They say the best they can do is have me come in at 9 to get a nice shot of novocaine, and then come in later at 12 or so to get things fixed. I tell the other manager there that Ive got to split, and I split.
On the way to the office (clybourn/fullerton), Im singing in the car at the top of my lungs and banging my fists on my steering wheel because I want to cry and cry and cry because of my tooth.
At the office, i wait in a fetal-like position for 20 minutes until the dentist sees me. He shoots me up with his most powerful novocaine and tells me, like a doctor to his terminal patient, that novocaine in such a part of the mouth is unpredictable due to the quickness and volume of blood flow in the area. Ive got 3 hours, tops, until the jackhammers start again.
The novocaine is The Shit
My dentist tells me that Im one of the 3% of patients that get infected root canals. He can try to do something with it, but he'd feel much better letting a specialist see it. He calls someone at Washington and Wabash, and finds a specialist who can meet my emergency case, though there's no way of knowing how long Ill have to wait until I'm seen. Since my slack, drooling maw is feeling 100% better, Im all for it.
On the way to the dentist, I stop by CVS to fill an antibiotic treatment the dentist prescribed me. After waiting about 5 minutes for it to be filled, I figure out that the novocaine is stopping. 5 minutes later, a very concerned pharmacist hands me my prescription while Im rubbing my jaw with tears in my eyes.
I drive downtown, banging the wheel even harder and whimpering, wishing for death. Fifteen minutes later, Im in the waiting room, moaning. Thirty minutes after that, the specialist's assistant sits me in a dentist's chair. To figure out what's wrong with my tooth, she gives me an x-ray. of course, to have your teeth x-rayd, you have to clench a big-ass metal rod thingy with your teeth. For the past day and i half, if i even tapped my tongue against my tooth, Id wince.
Guess what? For brevity's sake, dude tells me that i should get my tooth pulled asap. My clybourn dentist gets on the phone and tells me that that costs thousands of $'s, and doesnt always end up too good anyways. I tell him that id sell my soul for relief, but he tells me to hang on. he wants a second opinion from an oral surgeon. I sit back in the waiting room for another 15 minutes until i get a call back saying that i should see another dude some 2 blocks away.
back in the feudal days, my ancestors would have committed hara-kiri as an alternative by now
So Im fucking walking in 10 degree weather to another office on randolph or something. I sit in THEIR waiting room for I dont know how long. After 6 or 7 other people go in, Im called. Dude says he wants ANOTHER x-ray, so i get to clench another piece of metal. Dude says that he can probably save the tooth and save me thousands of bucks. Says he'll fit me in the next day because I look dead. Laughs when he reminisces about a big, burly, judge was once on the floor of him office crying because of a similar problem. I want to stick one of those plaque scrapers into his nose. He tells me that I can get a prescription for percoset for the pain, and I immediately become his friend again. I leave the office about 6 hours after I had visited my first dentist, got my prescription for percoset, popped one in on my drive back home, and felt perfect, ecstasy-filled, narcotic relief. Had a screwdriver for the hell of it, smoked a couple of cigarettes, and fell asleep for 5 hours.
Since it was bowling night, I even felt good enough to drive over to marigold (DUI, but i didnt care), and bowled a few 200 games, doped up on opiates. The surgery itself was fine. Ive never feared dentists, probably because I have a real good one. Never felt pain with wisdom teeth, didnt feel much discomfort this time either. They drilled a hole in my gum, drained the infection in the root canal, did some other junk, and sewed it up with 8 stitches. Just got the stitches out yesterday...and I still have 10 percoset for rainy days.
end.
Fook, that's insane. I'm just glad you're better now. There is nothin' like tooth pain. Believe me, it took pain, REAL PAIN, to finally get me to the dentist. The molar they extracted was about half gone and just raw nerves, and the adjoining one which they did the root canal on was all rotted too...I am a dumbass for letting my teeth get to that point. In your case it wasn't really something you could have prevented, so I feel all the more bad for you.Public Service Announcement--alcohol and pain meds don't mix (trust me). I got two wisdom teeth out in college, one was impacted--and my dentist was a BUTCHER, which is why I am so afraid of dentists now--and I rode the city bus home. And then I had to walk a mile home from the bus stop (Denver does not have a great public trans. system). People were staring at me strangely. I realized when I got home and looked in a mirror that blood was streaming out of my mouth like in a horror moive, and my shirt was soaked with blood. You think the bastard could have given me some gauze. I was too out of it to walk to the pharmacy and fill my pain med prescription, so I called my dad (who would be at work for several more hours), sobbing (and incoherent b/c I couldn't speak due to the novacaine and mouth butchery). He advised I have a glass of wine if I wanted (yes, I was underage, but desperate times...). My sister came home earlier than we were expecting her and she rushed to the pharmacy to get the Vics. After slugging some wine, I popped two of those guys. The prescription said ONE, but I figured I was in twice as much pain as other people. STUPID. Within half an hour my blood pressure was so low that I was crouched in the tub, hiding from my sister (who would have freaked), white as a sheet, hardly breathing and could feel my heart beating about 15 BPM. I am lucky to be okay. I don't think I've ever told anyone that story because I felt so stupid. Anyway, Fook, not criticizing your pain management strategy--I feel your desperation; I wanted to die rather than deal with the pain I had been in last month before current awesome dentist fixed me up--but mixing alcohol with/taking more pain meds than is recommened can be very dangerous, as I learned first-hand.
Yeah...mixing the stuff can be real bad. I, personally, couldnt care less when Im taking vicodin. Vicodin doesnt do much to me at all. I was confident enough to take the pills and the alcohol an hour before i had to work, after all. Percoset kicks vicodin's butt. I took a quick view on a medical website after i got home from the dentist and felt confident enough to take another drink. It was more celebratory than anything else.
Im quite cautious with these things. Once, I was taking sudafed and some antibiotic cream for a thingy on my finger, and i had a mild heart attack on a plane because of it. I still cant fly because of it...i freak out. It was the only time Ive ever felt like I was maybe about to die. It was all because of a chemical interaction. So yeah, know what your body can take before it takes. And try not driving on anything, of course.
don't take claritin-d and benadryl at the same time.
why the hell does my dentist give me Vicodin? Bring on the Percocet!
My friend in the hospitol right now apparently has quite a tolerance for pain killers. One nurse told him that if they took that much morphine, they'd be dead. There was also a comment about a horse. He's a large mammal, but it's making me wonder about the amount of codine and vitimin I that I take. Playing hard takes it's toll, but I saw the amount of perks they were giving him in the hospitol, wow.
I think its always a good idea to act as in-pain as you possibly can when seeing professionals for ailments, especially if you're scared of the types of pain in the first place. I didn't have to act in the percoset instance, but if i were in less pain, Id probably overexaggerate a bit to get myself a free upgrade. Especially since vicodin sucks and all.
this dental shiznit is getting out of control. I had an appt. Monday in which nothing was really "done," yet I wasted more hours of my work sick time and money. Oh yes, lots of money. Apparently that's what this guy's game is, and what the pointless appts. are for--to get more money! My insurance has maxed out--i.e. paid everything it could, which is $1500, I have paid over $1500 out of pocket (already) and then with the upcoming operation on March 20, which is a tooth implant op and a simple fricking crown, they say I will owe them $6500 more. Or rather that I already owe them $2500, and the op will be an additional $4000.WTF?
I went home crying. I am so upset...I am trying to save for a wedding, and already owe them $2500 more? That, people, is $5500 for what I've had done (a root canal, a molar extraction, and a wisdom tooth. And then several pointless follow-up appts. in which NOTHING was done, save a cleaning). For $5500? This is CLEARLY not kosher. I called yesterday morning to cancel ANY upcoming appts. with this clown, which I'm hoping will save me the $4000 (they'll probably say they've already done lab work or something which I'll owe them for), I'll make a payment plan to clear the $2500, and hopefully never ever have to deal with them again. They were out yesterday or in any case wouldn't return my calls. I am SO mad. I know I said I liked him, and I do think he's a good dentist, but obviously a crook. So now I'm a turncoat. I had no reason to be suspicious until I started receiving my insurance statements, which asked me to bring them to the dentist's attention b/c several procedures were priced far higger than is typical. (And you know if an insurance company is saying that, something is REALLY wrong). Rat bastards. I should have asked more questions, been more proactive, etc., but apparently my gullibility has gotten me into big trouble this time. I spoke to the dentist across from NPU yesterday (who comes highly recommended to me by several people) and they were very sympathetic (and also shocked) at the story and the costs I listed for what I've had done. And the fact that he didn't even tell me a bridge was a possibility, but that I HAD to have an implant. Man. My dad also told me that I need to report them to the ADA or BBB or whoever regulates this sort of thing, so if anyone knows how I'd go about that, advice would be appreciated.
Enough on that. I needed to vent. This is bad, bad news.
Hernando and I had officially and publicly decided on eloping, partially in light of all of this when we were already on a very tight budget, but I talked to Merc yesterday and I think the wedding may be saved. She is a genius.
the dentist near NPU also told me that this is not a dire situation since I have a temporary crown and the other tooth on the side of the empty space is healthy. That I can wait until NEXT JANUARY when my benefits come back, and that they can do it then (the bridge, that is, for less than half of what the implant would have costed), and all will be well. Aren't they nice?
finally got ahold of the dentist. apparently i only owe $2000, as they are still waiting on $500 from insurance (on monday they told me insurance had been maxed out; everything they say is contradictory). they were amicable about cancelling all future appts., but even being the wimp i was i told them i felt i had been overcharged and that they had misinformed me and not given me my options. we agreed that i will pay $200 a month--i.e. 10% a month--until it's paid off. and then it'll be done, over with--whoo-hoo!
i found it ironic that somebody who is scamming you out of a good deal of cash is also guilty of not trying to sell you a bridge. I hope at least one other person finds that funny.
That is funny, Baggins. If only I hadn't already wasted over $5000, I'd really be laughing.At least I learned a lesson. Sometimes bridges AREN'T a bad deal!
I'm so sorry, that stinks. But, When I had two root canals and a crown done in grad school, I only paid around $2000 total- without insurance. But, I think that the dentist that I went to was a saint...
Cinn, I'd be borderline homicidal if I were you. Seriously. Rage. Anyway, if the dentist across from NP doesn't work out, I have a good one too. In fact, I have a good eye doctor, and an excellent internist, and a fantastic ob/gyn as well, if anyone in Chicago needs a recommendation.
That's HORRIBLE Cinnamon! I can't believe you're being taken advantage of like that. Definitely raise the issue with the BBB and report them for misinforming you.
Thank you all for your sympathy (and also for agreeing with me that these charges are outrageous. I was starting to wonder if I was losing it or just didn't fully comprehend how much these things should cost).As I had mentioned, I "amicably" settled things with Dr. Evil's assistant yesterday. So I get home last night and there's a message on my (home) phone from the dentist himself. They've always called me at work prior to this, to remind me of appts. or whatever, so I guess they're pulling out the big guns. I am afraid to call back...I'm afraid of him to begin with--he's this tough military guy--and I'm scared of dentists in general. I called my dad today and told him about it, and he said, "Tell him that your father handles all of your business affairs and that he can deal with me from now on." I feel like a wimp doing it, but I think that's what I'll do. I know he's just calling to try and get me back there. No way. My dad is no one to fool with.
I'm off to the dentist!
I'm really sorry about all that crap. Is the doctor across from NP Dr. TTeeiitzzeerr (like the double letters for obscurity's sake?)? I went to him for a long time and he's good. I'd trust him.
I talked to his asst. Cindy for a while, and she was awesome. And totally sympathetic (and agreed that from the procedures and prices I listed that I'd really been ripped off). In fact, she told me she didn't even want to tell me what THEY would have charged for these same services b/c the price difference would make me "sick to my stomach." She was cool. And everyone else I've heard from really likes him. So thanks for the thumbs up, Chester!
HAVE FUN!
No cavities.
would you like a few of mine? I still have over a dozen unfilled ones (at least according to Dr. Moneybags).I'm just kidding. I wouldn't wish my teeth on anyone, least of all Pedro.
I lost a filling back in November... I finally went to the dentist today. It's been three years since I was at a dentist (that summer I spent over $2000 on my teeth without insurance- good times). Anyway, my gums are nice and healthy and my bones are doing ok (dentists love to tell me this letting me know that they appreciate the fact that I obviously try to care for my teeth). But, I have to have my wisdoms removed (I've been expecting this surgery since I was 12, but putting it off until I got insurance. Well, the joke is on me because my insurance- the best I can get from my work, mind you- doesn't cover wisdom teeth extraction at all. Funny.) I also have seven cavaties that need to be filled... They broke it down into a seven step process until my mouth reaches dental perfection-- all for the bargain price of 3,200 (after insurance) which, of course, I don't really have. Sherri, the woman doing the financial break-down with me suggested that I spread the treatments out over the year; she was nice. So, I ask myself, why do I even try to pay off debt? Every time I feel like I'm starting to make a dent, I have some sort of terrific expense again.... Oh well, all will be well. I go in for a cleaning tomorrow and will then schedule the big day when they rip the impacted wisdoms from my jaw with pliers... I am looking forward to the nitrous oxide, though, so everything's coming up roses.
Dentist stuff can be so frustrating. Who wants to blow $500 or more on a tooth? One of my two crowns broke and I haven't gone in to get it checked yet. Once it hurts I'll probably go in.
Man...did anyone read this? This is kind of scary. Anyone know what precautions to take, besides not using a computer?---------------------------------------------
Heavy computer use linked to glaucoma: studyMon Nov 15, 6:11 PM ET
PARIS (AFP) - Heavy users of computers, especially those who are short-sighted, may be at risk from glaucoma, a disease that can cause blindness, a study published in a specialist journal on Tuesday says.Japanese doctors assessed the sight of more than 10,200 Japanese workers, measuring them for visual acuity and signs of glaucoma.
The volunteers were also asked to fill in questionnaires about their computer use, at home or in the office, and any history of eye disease.
A total of 165 workers, or 1.6 percent, turned out to have suspected glaucoma, characterised by tunnel vision or blind spots.
Those who were heavy computer users -- defined as working onscreen more than eight hours a day -- were twice as likely to have glaucoma than light or medium users.
In addition, of the 165 with glaucoma, 136 had myopia.
The study appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, published by the British Medical Association (BMA).
Glaucoma is a slow, gradual disease of the optic nerve that often goes undetected. Among the identified risk factors are smoking and high blood pressure.
The authors speculate that the optic nerve in short-sighted people may be more vulnerable to computer stress than in normal-sighted people.
If so, that would be dramatic news, given that so many hundreds of millions of people around the world now work at computer terminals, at work and at home.
They stress though that the study has limitations, notably in that most of the volunteers were male and this may have skewed the outcome. Further work is needed to probe the suspected link, they say.
maybe japanese people just have weird eyes. does any other ethnicity's children go into epileptic fits during crazy-techno anime shows and nintendo games? come to think of it, almost every middle-aged and up japanese person i know has glasses or contacts. Im the only one in my family who doesn't have them, even though i need them.
i guess a lot of people procrastinate about the doctor. i think i get it from my mom. the thing is, i'm really good about yearly checkups. i get them almost a year to the day. but when it comes to anything "special" i put it off and put it off.the last time i was at the doctor [june] she recommended that i have an echocardiogram to check on the status of my heart murmur. i know it's something i should have done right away, and that i should do before my next dental appointment [they always ask if i need an antibiotic before having my teeth cleaned - i always tell them no, but if my murmur is strong enough, not having an antibiotic could actually kill me]. but i still haven't scheduled one.
maybe now that i admitted that in a public space, i'll just fucking do it.
every time i see the name for this entree i think it says "medical mushroom marijuana"wonder what that says about my subconcious...
i keep thinking that too. probably because we associate mushrooms with marijuana. and the medical part probably links to the idea of medicinal use of marijuana that has become a soundbite these days, specially to people like us who know lots of cats all up and down the recreational drug use spectrum.
since I named this entree. Heh. Better to keep my past in the past...
I'll tell everyone for you... :-)
when I say I know what they're up to.I do like my job at NPU you know. Try to keep a lid on it. Ha!
she said 'lid'.