64 degrees this morning. I am somewhat amazed by the low morning temperatures, I’m not sure if this is normal or if Memphis had higher morning temperatures due to the low altitude.
Appointment today for getting the molds for the final teeth implant procedure. Then one more visit to get them installed and it will be complete. The real pain will be in my wallet! Fortunately, a large part of the procedure was paid by dental insurance, although since I no longer have dental insurance, it is on me now.
Health and dental insurance is one of those “wheel of fortune” items. If you have it and need it, the Wheel of Fortune stopped in the right place. If you don’t need it and have it, at least you don’t have to worry about it. if you don’t have it and need it, well…..tough! Fortunately, I have some medical reimbursement funds set aside that will help, but it also means my balance will decrease for future medical expenses!
Dental visits are always somewhat difficult for me. Over the year, I have learned to deal with it, but I always wonder about the high rate of “crowns” that are installed. I saw one dentist for almost ten years and then finally quit going to him when it seemed that he had gotten money hungry, trying to prescribe all kinds of procedures and crowns. The first few years he was pretty good, but then something must have happened. The final “straw that broke the camels back” for me was when he charged me $53 for a replacement brush for a electronic toothbrush he had sold me. (I should have known better than to buy it from him, I”ll never do that again.). I never returned after being charged that and I never used the toothbrush again.
I hate to give up the dentist I am seeing now, it is so hard to find a new dentist you can trust not to try to “goldplate” everything and recommend high cost procedures like crowns. You really think about it, dentists have no oversight. Dental Insurance limits are so low and are really prepaid dental costs, not insurance, and they will approve almost anything recommended by the dentist, I have found.
I emphasized that I have found most dentists are professionals and I trust their judgement. It is just that one bad one can do so much damage and undermine your faith in dentists when they prescribe too many crowns, or super expensive procedure etc.
We are finally getting into the phase of moving I dislike the most, which is having to change to all new Doctors and other service professionals (I include barbers etc. among these.) We have appointments next week with a potential new main doctor and then I have a slew of specialists (Dermatologist, foot doctor etc.) I need to establish a new relationship with.
Probably the worst part is when they feel they have to run all the basic tests again (not just the normal physicals etc.). I am going to make sure I like the Doctor before I get involved in that.
Oddly enough for me (and those of you who know me will know what i mean), a new barber can be the hardest fo me. I tried a new barber and got an absolutely horrible haircut. It was right before the family reunion. One thing about a bad haircut is that it will grow out. It isn’t like a an unneeded dental appointment or unnecessary medical procedure!
On to another subject, my favorite, the passage of time. As I wrote in the date “August 14”, it just hit me how fast time has gone. I also realized that I had missed the August 13 deadline for getting the free dessert at Firebirds! (Those of you who have eaten at Firebirds will know what I mean!) However, 2015 will soon be here.
I think it is especially (difficult isn’t the right word) when you are “in transition” and know that your entire world will change at some point, as I wait to see where the Wheel of Fortune stops.
That’s it for now, Thursday, August 14, 2014.
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