basilmemories (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
basilmemories) wrote2009-09-19 12:01 pm
basilmemories) wrote2009-09-19 12:01 pm
Entry tags:
These antibiotics are knocking my ass out
-And leaving a nasty taste in my mouth, but it's 100% better then not dying.
So! I did manage to get seen on Thursday, and they prescribed antibiotics, the strange thing is that the visual inspection didn't show any decay or abscess. She says it might be in the tooth, but she'll need to see about that with x-rays.
-in November. The upside is that because I went to the screening, I'm going to get a major discount and they're able to squeeze me in for November instead of December. The care I got at the two places (both times being supplied by the health center that turned me away) spread from one side of the scale to the other. At the free screening the care was gentle, understanding, and more then willing to answer any questions I had. That dentist there and her assistant? awesome. When I called on Friday to make the appointment, I apparently got the callous girl who I keep getting on Tuesdays, and it took a lot of hammering on her just to bring up the "wait a damn long time, but be seen earlier" option.
So while this isn't the end of my dental issues by a long shot (if I need more then a filling I'll be trying to get the Native American dental place to sign me up and put me on a payment plan, as they do root canals in-house), it's a temporary fix of the infection in my mouth.
So what is there to learn from this? Well, you CAN get dental care in California, but you'll have to hit the pavement quite a bit if you don't live in SF. For other people who are having these troubles right now, here's a bit of help:
- If somehow you can get preventive care, do so: This is important. Many charities and free/low cost clinics cover the small stuff, but when it's dire, you don't have many options. If you can, take advantage of the preventive care before it gets bad.
- Look at the larger city: If your town doesn't have decent health centers, check the nearest city. While some places require you to be a resident to be seen, many are willing to talk with you if you're in an area without care.
- Be nice to the good ones, bug the hell out of the callous ones: The people in the medical and dental field who aren't jaded will, in most cases, be glad to point you in a good direction if you state your case honestly, and calmly (or as much as you can, if you're faced with something life-threatening). The ones that don't give a shit can be forced to cough up leads by just not going away, they hate that. Don't yell, but tell them what does/doesn't work and they'll get fed up and point you in a good direction too. Don't use waterworks or let yourself get upset, they often disconnect further from your case at that point.
- Be prepared to wait: Most likely at some point you will be put on "standby". This means that you'll get seen if someone flakes on an appointment. If you have the time, do this. Some places will unlikely ever have an opening (like anything other then a screening), but in my case it opened a door to lower rates and at least a month off the time I'd get for an appointment.
- Don't shut up about it: A lot of dental and medical staff are surprised when I tell them just what most places do and don't provide for a client. This also applies for normal people who just tell you to to go to X location and then brush your problems off. The more people who know about the difficulties within the field, the more we can change the perceptions about the dental industry and what we really should be expecting out of it, the more pressure there is on the government and individuals to make sure that people receive the treatment they need.
- Make a lot of calls: I can't tell you how much the low-cost clinics and schools don't say up front. Keep asking questions, and when you think something might be too good to be true, ask more questions. Call everywhere. The place that people keep recommending you to might charge double or even triple as another place, and for the same type of care. You know all that price comparing that you do everywhere else? It applies even more so here.
- Use the special interest card: I hate to say this, I really do, but if you are in any of the special interest groups (minority, lgbt, female, exc), there's a good chance you will be able to find some organizations or loopholes that will help you get treatment/information. I hatehateHATE saying "because I'm a woman and/or Bi, I need more assistance then other people" and that is true most of the time, but these places are there for that 1% of the time when you do need help.
- Confide in your friends: Trying to muck through the system can be exhausting, where you're denied care and people inform you that your quality of life isn't important to them, or rather that it is, but the slots are already filled. Some of your friends may distance themselves because they don't want to have that sort of weight on their shoulders, but you know what? Fuck 'em. Even if your friends can't provide information or other direct help, many, many of them will be glad to be there while you try and get through the system.
On that note, I want to give a very large thank you to everybody who I personally know who helped. Levade, Rufustehshinra, Qara_isuke, Sarraceniaceae, you all went beyond anything I could have asked for (also sorry for bawwwing on your shoulders). To the person who donated, and all the people who participated in Qara's sale? You're complete dolls, I can't thank you enough. The same goes for the people who helped by sending along information.
While I'm still thinking of putting these posts up in a off-lj blog (any suggestions guys?) Hopefully I won't need to use this tag until November. I hope this has helped a few people.
So! I did manage to get seen on Thursday, and they prescribed antibiotics, the strange thing is that the visual inspection didn't show any decay or abscess. She says it might be in the tooth, but she'll need to see about that with x-rays.
-in November. The upside is that because I went to the screening, I'm going to get a major discount and they're able to squeeze me in for November instead of December. The care I got at the two places (both times being supplied by the health center that turned me away) spread from one side of the scale to the other. At the free screening the care was gentle, understanding, and more then willing to answer any questions I had. That dentist there and her assistant? awesome. When I called on Friday to make the appointment, I apparently got the callous girl who I keep getting on Tuesdays, and it took a lot of hammering on her just to bring up the "wait a damn long time, but be seen earlier" option.
So while this isn't the end of my dental issues by a long shot (if I need more then a filling I'll be trying to get the Native American dental place to sign me up and put me on a payment plan, as they do root canals in-house), it's a temporary fix of the infection in my mouth.
So what is there to learn from this? Well, you CAN get dental care in California, but you'll have to hit the pavement quite a bit if you don't live in SF. For other people who are having these troubles right now, here's a bit of help:
- If somehow you can get preventive care, do so: This is important. Many charities and free/low cost clinics cover the small stuff, but when it's dire, you don't have many options. If you can, take advantage of the preventive care before it gets bad.
- Look at the larger city: If your town doesn't have decent health centers, check the nearest city. While some places require you to be a resident to be seen, many are willing to talk with you if you're in an area without care.
- Be nice to the good ones, bug the hell out of the callous ones: The people in the medical and dental field who aren't jaded will, in most cases, be glad to point you in a good direction if you state your case honestly, and calmly (or as much as you can, if you're faced with something life-threatening). The ones that don't give a shit can be forced to cough up leads by just not going away, they hate that. Don't yell, but tell them what does/doesn't work and they'll get fed up and point you in a good direction too. Don't use waterworks or let yourself get upset, they often disconnect further from your case at that point.
- Be prepared to wait: Most likely at some point you will be put on "standby". This means that you'll get seen if someone flakes on an appointment. If you have the time, do this. Some places will unlikely ever have an opening (like anything other then a screening), but in my case it opened a door to lower rates and at least a month off the time I'd get for an appointment.
- Don't shut up about it: A lot of dental and medical staff are surprised when I tell them just what most places do and don't provide for a client. This also applies for normal people who just tell you to to go to X location and then brush your problems off. The more people who know about the difficulties within the field, the more we can change the perceptions about the dental industry and what we really should be expecting out of it, the more pressure there is on the government and individuals to make sure that people receive the treatment they need.
- Make a lot of calls: I can't tell you how much the low-cost clinics and schools don't say up front. Keep asking questions, and when you think something might be too good to be true, ask more questions. Call everywhere. The place that people keep recommending you to might charge double or even triple as another place, and for the same type of care. You know all that price comparing that you do everywhere else? It applies even more so here.
- Use the special interest card: I hate to say this, I really do, but if you are in any of the special interest groups (minority, lgbt, female, exc), there's a good chance you will be able to find some organizations or loopholes that will help you get treatment/information. I hatehateHATE saying "because I'm a woman and/or Bi, I need more assistance then other people" and that is true most of the time, but these places are there for that 1% of the time when you do need help.
- Confide in your friends: Trying to muck through the system can be exhausting, where you're denied care and people inform you that your quality of life isn't important to them, or rather that it is, but the slots are already filled. Some of your friends may distance themselves because they don't want to have that sort of weight on their shoulders, but you know what? Fuck 'em. Even if your friends can't provide information or other direct help, many, many of them will be glad to be there while you try and get through the system.
On that note, I want to give a very large thank you to everybody who I personally know who helped. Levade, Rufustehshinra, Qara_isuke, Sarraceniaceae, you all went beyond anything I could have asked for (also sorry for bawwwing on your shoulders). To the person who donated, and all the people who participated in Qara's sale? You're complete dolls, I can't thank you enough. The same goes for the people who helped by sending along information.
While I'm still thinking of putting these posts up in a off-lj blog (any suggestions guys?) Hopefully I won't need to use this tag until November. I hope this has helped a few people.