Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Why My Day Sucked, And How I Gained Perspective on that Suckage

Like a good girl, I went to get my teeth cleaned today. Not long after I sat in THE CHAIR, the technician said to me, "We took an x-ray last time that shows decay under a crown, so we'll need to take another x-ray to check that."

I said, "Okay."

Then, I found out that I need two crowns. But my insurance only covers the equivalence of one crown per year. So. I must get one of them done before year's end.

Problem. We're supposed to leave town two weeks from yesterday, but it takes two weeks for the crown process.

Two things upset me about this. I have had PLENTY O' TIME in the past six months to get a crown done. Why did they not tell me about this six months ago? So now, I must interrupt my Christmas spirit with dental torture (they said that if I come in tomorrow for the prep and the temporary crown, they could rush the order on the permanent one. I'll get the permanent one seated the very morning we plan to leave on our trip).

Second, had I gotten the work done after the last visit, I doubt I would have had to pay for the second set of x-rays I had done today. Granted, the insurance paid for them, but, because of that charge, I won't have enough insurance money to cover the full crown expense, for which I will owe about $280 out of pocket.

Okay, that's the dental suckage. Then, when I picked my son up from school, he was non-compliant, and his non-compliance involved another kid that likes to get my kid in trouble. I was annoyed.

Then, when I was gathering my three-year-old from pre-school, another three-year-old came up to me, pointed at my stomach and said, "What's in there?" I said, "What?" And to clarify, she said, "Why are you fat?"

Now for the Perspective.

Later, when we were at the park, I saw someone pushing a severely disabled teenager in a wheelchair. Then, at the libary, I saw a kid with dwarfism.

Now, I don't want to assume that their lives are consumed with sadness, but I would guess that their problems are more complex and chronic than my dental woes, my slightly non-compliant son, my flabby belly, or even my static debt from expenses like dentists and veterinarians.

So, with that gift of perspective and a glass of wine with dinner, I'm trying to take it in stride. Wonder how I'll feel tomorrow at 8:45am with a drill in my mouth.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awwww, wow! I am sending you BIG HUGS to counter that wave of yuckies. (Though, honestly, I'm so impressed that you had the whole gaining-perspective moment. Very mature.) Hoping that your dental work is painless and/or that you get some good painkillers.

Anonymous said...

After my double-crown nightmare situation, I now get a pre-appointment Valium and gassed during. It's AWESOME. I actually started laughing during the procedure at one point (well, it IS laughing gas) and just had a grand time getting crowned. My dentist loved that I wasn't clenched to the ceiling. However, this situation might not best best for mothering two children afterwards. Hm.

Petunia Face said...

If it helps any I read somewhere the women who gain their weight in the mid-section first are less likely to get breast cancer.

Now I don't remember where I read this, if it was legitimate or if I'm even remembering it correctly. But as someone who has been congratulated on my pregnancy since I was 25--keep in mind I have only been pregnant once in the last 11 years--I am holding onto this factoid for dear life. You know what they say! A moment on the lips and I get to keep my healthy tits!

xo,
S