Toothache, headache

There's nothing to get me riled up about healthcare like dental care. I only have dental insurance until the 29th. For those of you outside the US, dental insurance is not as exciting as it sounds. Common plans pay 50-80% of "covered" expenses, and there's an annual maximum they will pay, like $1000 or $2000 (that's for your whole family). Consider that one root canal and crown costs $1200-$2000.

Anyway, I've been having this excruciating pain in my mouth (top and bottom) for two days. It's unclear where the pain is coming from, if it's related to the surgery I had in December, what. Then yesterday a crown broke off and fell out of my mouth, all by itself. It's not even near the painful area! So I did what any American is supposed to do - I went to see my dentist as soon as he could get me in. (Woe to those who don't have a regular dentist.) He said the crown took too much with it and can't be put back, so I'm looking at another $2500 implant in addition to the one I already have to get.* What about the pain? Well, he didn't even want to do an exam. He said that as a general dentist, he doesn't feel comfortable treating me, and I need to see a specialist. The specialist can't get me in until next week, when I won't have dental insurance, and like most dental professionals they expect to be paid the day of service or they won't perform it.

What this means is that I don't know how long I'm going to be living with this kind of pain. I can't afford to see a specialist and pay all of it out of pocket. Once again, I can't chew, and even when I can, my chewing is impaired by all the holes and other things in my mouth. It's not surprising the tooth with the crown broke when you look at my teeth - they're extremely soft and they've always been. So I have these problems.

What gets me about this sitation is that 1. dental work is so expensive and there's not really any facility to help. (Don't even get me started on how Medicaid "covers" dental work). I can't go to a dental school or low income clinic, although in other places for other people that may be an option. The care you receive there may not be the same, though. Then there's 2. why is the mouth not considered part of the body? This pain won't let me eat or sleep and makes it difficult to drink. I have ketones, which yesterday were moderate. My bg is acting really stubborn. I woke up at 3 am really nauseated and had to throw up (no, not low). If I didn't stay on top of the ketones, I could end up in the ER, which I'm sure my health insurance would tell me isn't covered because it's my teeth.

Someone from Australia asked me why I didn't just go to the dental clinic and tell them it was an emergency. Do you really have those there? I wish we had them.

* Getting an implant is a long process - they have to remove the remaining tooth, seat the implant, wait 6-8 months, and then put the crown on it. I can't get a bridge or anything else due to the condition of the other teeth in my mouth. Both of the problem teeth are in the front of my mouth.

So...

Who's going to the CWD Focus on Pumping next weekend?

Meme time

I don't think I got tagged by anyone, but here you go!
8 Things I’m Passionate About.

1. Real food
2. Diabetes advocacy
3. Trying to help people on the internet
4. Learning
5. ADA restoration
6. Cheese
7. Software that works
8. Civil liberties

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die.

1. Finish learning Mandarin, German, Latin, Japanese, and Hebrew
2. Learn how to program (the real way)
3. Get a passport
4. Get out of the US
5. Go outside
6. Visit Israel
7. Build my own hobbit house
8. Pat a bunny

8 Things I Say Often.
1. WTF
2. What the hell?
3. Are they on crack?
4. What in the crap?
5. Who's my little brattywatty? (to cat)
6. WHAT?! (to meter)
7. Why am I so tired?
8. Oh noes!

8 Books I’ve Read Recently. (or not so recently)

1. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
2. The Liar by Stephen Fry
3. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
4. The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss
5. Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: Joheved by Maggie Anton
6. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz
7. The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred Kolatch
8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over.

1. Fleetwood Mac - Beautiful Child
2. Violent Femmes - Color Me Once
3. Ednaswap - 74 Willow
4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
5. Duran Duran - Ordinary World
6. Jonathan Coulton - Mandelbrot Set
7. Elton John - Wake Up Wendy
8. The Gap Band - I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends.

1. Humor
2. Sensitivity
3. Fun
4. Understanding
5. Listening
6. Helping out
7. Having a good time
8. Exchanging ideas

What's in my bag?

13 February 2008 Day 128
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

Endo shortage

Today I came across this interesting article about the shortage of endocrinologists in the US. Conspicuously absent is the reason for the shortage - compensation.