Good news, bad news

Yes, I know it’s been pretty quiet recently. I’ve been trying to learn my lines for the play and haven’t had much to say on any other subject.

There is one piece of delightful news to report.

Yesterday I got to go for my first walk in months with Georgie (and Joe). She’s still recovering from her surgery, so it’s short walks and definitely no ball play involved. (The ball is probably now a thing of the past.) But I cannot think of anything better to do on a crisp, sunny autumn afternoon than get into the forest with my pals.

In other news, I must once again sing the praises of the manly men who recently helped me do in an hour and a half a job that would have taken me days.

It is definitely getting chilly in the evenings. For a few days the heat pump was enough, but the other night I just couldn’t get warm, so I decided to get the first fire of the season going.

Stella was very pleased, although, truth be told, it did eventually get too hot, so for now methinks I will stick to the annoying heat pump (and jumpers and a blanket).

Now for the bad news. It started last night and by this morning I knew the first thing I had to do (after taking some Tylenol) was sit dow and write the following email.

To Whom It May Concern:

When I first came to the island dental clinic in 2020, it was to identify the cause of an oral abscess which had just been cleared up by antibiotics. After x-rays I was told that the cause was my right front tooth which would have to be extracted. I was also told that there were various options to replace it, ranging up to $5000 for an implant. Although I am someone who lives on a small fixed income and does not have the luxury of a dental plan, because it was my front tooth I decided to max out a credit card in order to get the implant. This process took over a year and involved multiple visits to both your clinic and your parent clinic in town. Multiple tests were done and x-rays taken.

Having spent so much money I wanted to ensure I took better care of my oral health than I had previously. But when I attempted to book another cleaning earlier this year I was informed that my previous cleaning had been a clerical error and that I could not book another one until I made a trip to town to complete a new patient exam, which I was told would cost, if memory serves, $270 (no doubt plus tax). 

I could not understand why this was necessary, given all the appointments I’d already had. Nor could I really afford the cost over and above the cost of a cleaning. I am still slowly paying off the original credit card debt while also attempting to put a bit of money aside each month towards paying my property tax and buying firewood for the winter. And so, regretfully, I decided I would have to forgo cleanings.

Well, last night before I went to bed my jaw started to feel a bit strange. This morning I woke up to pain beside my eyes, in my sinuses and at the side of my mouth. I’ve been here before so I know another abscess cannot be far behind. 

So I am asking if you could please give me an appointment for an exam without forcing me to go to Nanaimo first as a “new patient”. I don’t know how far up the practice management chain this needs to go before someone hopefully agrees to take pity on me and my circumstances (thus “to whom it may concern”), but I do hope such a person exists.

Please help me.

Yes, that’s right. Another dental dilemma. Sheesh. Let’s hope there is someone at the parent practice who will take pity and bend a ridiculous rule. ‘Coz as I said, I know an abscess can’t be far behind.

Now back to trying to learn my lines.