I wrote this in the blog on my website of useful resources for folks who need them, and it made sense to post here too. Mostly, I'm focused on how very quickly I have to figure out moving out, but I'm also sick from all the yucky stuff in that flood, and having a dental emergency on top of it. I start to rant a bit mor than is usually ladylike, but please understand, I have this awful toothache.... though somehow, I see the humor in some of this.
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Dear God!
For anyone veiwing this page for reasearch, or for people who maybe haven't had this experience- do you have any idea what the "urban poor" have to go through to get any kind of dental care if they can't afford to pay for it out of pocket?
Six months I have had state insurance thaat will cover some emergencies.... but you have to basically wait until your gums are about to exploede and you have a real good fever. Seriously. I -finally had a dentist who was willing to give me an actul appointmnt ttoday, and then, hopelink ( an organiation that provides transportation to and from medical appointments for those who qualify ) refused service. You see, they have to now in advance that it's going to be an etraction- but the dentist can't setermine that without seeing th patient.
I am however perfctly ellegible to get ride to the hospital, where they will shoot me up with novacane, give me pain killers, and send me home. I've done that twice already; and they referr you to -immediately- see an oral surgeon. Of couse, in this partcularl loop you can't get one, until you've seen a dentist, who then evaluates the proper course of action. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I've had an on again off again fever that randomly spikes to HIGH temperatures. For months.
Have these people heard of brain damage and the dangers of persistant fever?
Like, I'm not a rocket scientist, or a Doctor, or a Dentist, or a Social Worker-- but as an adult citizen with the ability to type out my thoughts, I gotta say there is something really wrong with the system. A person could die from complications due to a situation like this, which could be entirely avoided by adressing the actual problem.
Thank God, if it gets really bad tonight, I can hail a cab and go have an er doctor temporarily put me out of my misery, -- at a high cost the state will happily pay. Why won't they just as happily let me go get a root canal and a couple of fillings where proper medical care can be given for dental issues, at a -much- lower cost?
Maybe I'm somehow going about all of this all wrong, and should call my social worker. Oh, wait, I did that twice last week. A clerk on a third line explained that they're not taking calls at all, as they have ONE person doing what FOUR used to do. You'd think maybe laying off social workers at a time when a greater portion of the population is under ecconomic stress would seem like a bad idea, wouldn't you?
So, a friend of mine filled out an application for a different local service called Donated Dental Care. Technically, it has a 12 month wait....and I sure can't wait another 12 months. However, I added a little note, and who knows, maybe there's a way to expidite things.
Thank the Gods I'm a very stubborn and mildly crazy redhead. Any sane person would have probably jumed of a bridge by now.
I on the other hand have resolved myself to somehow ignore it entirely until tomorrow, in whatever fashion works. I have to continue packing my stuff and figuring out exactly how I'm approaching several other things.
-breathe-
WALK IT OFF.
You can see the rest of that reated blog here:
http://poor-folks-helping-poor-folks.webs.com/apps/blog/