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14150. Magoseph - 3/14/2005 9:35:13 PM It’s funny that you asked about my broken tooth, Arky, I just came back from the dentist and it turns out that I have a bit of work to be done quickly--I won’t get into that much, since that type of thing depresses me to no end, the work to be done and the cost of it--it will be $2,000 minimum, I was told. Well, I am going to take a nap now and try to forget about what’s going to happen starting tomorrow at 8:30 am. 14151. arkymalarky - 3/14/2005 10:35:46 PM Speaking of which, do you think you will be over the sinus attack by then?
Nonono! I'll be good to go. He put me on a 6 day prednisone pack. I had this stuff so much for years that I just got to where I worked around it, but now that I've gotten it under control, I'm determined to keep it that way. Even in AR in springtime.
Ooh, sorry about the cold, Wabbit. Must be from sharing threads. ;-) 14152. arkymalarky - 3/14/2005 10:39:57 PM Sorry to hear that, Mags. Tooth work is expensive. I had one pulled at the very back a year or so ago. I wasn't on insurance and he gave me the cost comparison of root canal ($1000) or pulling ($125) and it was a no-brainer for me. Now that I have some dental insurance and a bad tooth that's not at the back, I just can't see starting to pull them. It would have been around $1500, but it will be about $500 with insurance. I won't get the second part and the crown until this summer. 14153. Magoseph - 3/15/2005 12:32:59 PM I just made a quick calculation and if I had had dental insurance since my last check-up, it would have cost us more than what I have to pay now for what must be done, Arky. 14154. Macnas - 3/15/2005 12:39:04 PM Insurance, everybodys burden. 14155. alistairconnor - 3/15/2005 12:44:23 PM What would I do with $120?...hmmm......I could use them as beer vouchers I suppose.
That'd be about four pints at modern Irish prices eh? 14156. Magoseph - 3/15/2005 1:02:51 PM Mac--it seems to me that the French have a better deal of medical care than most countries—it certainly surprised me to learn that a couple like my brother and his wife, people who live very well with summerhouse, winter condominium, and frequent travel, pay so little for all their medical or dental care. 14157. alistairconnor - 3/15/2005 1:14:35 PM Hey, caught you saying somethin good about France!
Actually, if you look at the compulsory deductions from earnings to pay for health care, it isn't all that cheap.
But it is pretty nearly universal. People on the minimum wage have affordable access to the same quality of medical care as your brother's family. 14158. thoughtful - 3/15/2005 3:15:36 PM Article in today's NYT about sinus infections. 14159. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 4:18:39 PM How timely, Thoughtful! Thanks!
I'm still home sick. This one really hit me hard. 14160. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 4:24:29 PM Dang, Mags. I've never thought having dental insurance was worth it compared to the cost and what it covers, but we have a good plan provided through Bob's work (mine doesn't have it). His is free and mine isn't much. I can't remember exactly, but I've definitely gotten our money's worth. We only got it this year. I had to have a lot of work done, refilling cavities I'd had since getting my braces off in 7th grade. It's part of the reason I had to have a tooth pulled and a root canal. I let it go too long because I was so busy the last couple of years and I was getting more cavities under the fillings because they were leaking. 14161. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 4:32:07 PM That article was very good. I'm printing it.
I've gone from chronic to recurrent, apparently. Some allergies you just can't shield yourself from. Of the 50 things they tested me for I was "highly allergic" with the highest measurable reaction to 37 of them. The allergist did say that aome of his patients end up leaving Arkansas, but I hope it never comes to that.
One thing he did tell me, was NEVER open my windows, and I persuaded Bob to open them Friday. I don't know that it has anything to do with this, though, since I think it was already starting up by then. 14162. thoughtful - 3/15/2005 4:40:17 PM Glad you found it helpful. Hope you feel better soon. And keep drinking water! 14163. thoughtful - 3/15/2005 4:41:49 PM There was a show on one time about a woman who had severe allergies and how she designed her house to accommodate them...things like no rugs...or anti-allergen rugs...no window treatments that could collect dust...even special fume-free paints on the walls. Not easy.
Or you can install an electro-static precipitator which will clean the air. 14164. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 4:45:12 PM I have a dehumidifier and two air purifiers, but I've never heard of an electro-static precipitator.
I still don't see how people protect themselves from reactions unless they just never open their doors or leave the house. And once you react, it can start a chain of events leading to infections. I had one all of last year, literally, but it was chronic and I endured it until I just couldn't take it any more.
(gross alert)
I think the clincher was when I woke up in the middle of the night more than once last spring with blood gushing from my nose and mouth. 14165. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 4:46:14 PM And thanks for the well wishes and the advice. I've got a sports jug full of water right by me. 14166. thoughtful - 3/15/2005 4:51:37 PM Maybe this will help 14167. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 5:00:42 PM Thanks! That's a handy site. Looks like the allergy business is a real money maker. I didn't realize that until I went to an allergist. I had no idea of the variety of allergy-related products on the market. 14168. judithathome - 3/15/2005 6:11:36 PM Gosh, Arky, do you think we should be going to that festival? Won't that aggravate your sinuses? 14169. arkymalarky - 3/15/2005 7:32:10 PM I really truly think I will be fine by then. I'll take medicine with me if I need it, but I think what happened this time was that a headcold morphed into an infection, as opposed to the general allergy stuff staying aggravated and becoming infected like usual.
I've done better this year, really, than I ever have since I've lived in AR, almost 35 years, and I've never let it stop me from doing what I wanted. If I reacted I just reacted. The infections have been the big problem, but I think I can keep from getting future infections if I will just not let symptoms persist without addressing them. That's where I messed up this time.
What I've been on is a preventative program except for the nasal steroid, and now I have OTC medicine that I can take with what I already have to deal with the symptoms. I was afraid to mix it with what I was already taking, and now I know what I can take and what I can't. In fact, I'm anxious to get out there and see how it does, because I'm hoping to be more active this summer since I'm so much less busy than I have been for the past two summers.
I'm already feeling better now than I was. The prednisone should really help. It has every time I've taken it.
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