Those teeth

Dental gratitude.

Here's my before shot...
and before the shot of novocaine (or whatever wonder drugs are used to numb half my head).

There's one amalgam filling left, the silver one on the bottom.  It was about 50% mercury.  Glad to get it out of there.  I must have had it about 25 years.

Stick of local anesthetic, prior to the big needle of the strong stuff.

The view that I had while all the work happened in my mouth.  Of course this was the sitting up view. When I lay back, and had to hold my poor jaw open and push with my neck against the pressures of the dentist pushing this and that...I only saw the ceiling and the bright light.

And after...

Of course I couldn't feel much about the time the last pic was taken, at least on my right side.

I share this mundane episode in my senior life, because it is a big affair for me.

I, and all other Medicare seniors, have no dental insurance.  We could purchase private plans, but the cost is about as much as this procedure cost.  We are up the creek without a paddle, so to speak.

I may not have sterling teeth, because when I was a teen my parents didn't invest in braces for me.  In the 50's it was still an optional thing to do for kids, and my parents said getting a good education was worth more than a pretty smile (and nobody knew about dental health which went along with braces).  I now don't worry about that attitude, because I went on to become a stewardess who made her living with her smile, crooked teeth and all.

But I do worry that many elders haven't got a way to save up for 4 months to have a procedure done, like I have.  And I worry about how my catching up on dental care finally has really cost me.  I doubt that I'll be able to save that fifteen hundred dollars or so and put it back into savings.  This year I have had three costly visits, and changed dentists after the first one gave me an estimate of a minimum of three thousand dollars.

In case you still haven't retired, or are considering living with Medicare insurance, there is no dental care, there is no eye glass coverage, and there is nothing for you if you need a hearing aid.

So I'm grateful that my teeth can again chomp.  I hope I can continue to see, though I will be given an exam through Medicare, I have to pay for the glasses themselves.  And I hope I can continue to hear what people say, and what music and birds sound like.

I'm truly grateful for what I have today.

Quote for today:

The little things? The little moments? They aren't little. 

Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

Last Tuesday of the month

These months with 31 days just get to me.  Why oh why is May so darn long?
OK, let's look at it another way.  Look, May is still here!

I thought up a new calendar system.  Why do we have to follow such an archaic one, with names of gods from ancient mythology, and a seven day week, where people in most of today's world work 5 on and 2 off?

Shelly and Baxter at the Tailgate

Us retired people don't think in those terms on a daily basis quite as much.  Monday is no longer the drudge it once was, and taking day trips during the week means avoiding the tourist traffic on weekends.

So why not have weeks of 10 days each? That's the way us humans have been counting many things forever...on our fingers and thumbs.  Actually the solar year of 365 days works well with 30 weeks of 10 days, and one of 5 days.  The leap year could still be added every 4 years too.

Months? Well, I'd sure even them out so there isn't the silly 28 day one, and those with 31 days.
Any ideas?  I haven't thought that far yet.

I get these crazy inspirations when in the dentist chair getting drilled.  It's something to do with the horrible vibrations of that drill.  I swear he had one that was synched to a vibration that drove me bonkers.

The other thought I came up with was to write a letter to my future self...say to be opened in 10 years (should I live so long.) I think it would be interesting for anyone to read how this May 2016 is full of such craziness, from politics to legal bathroom useage.  I can coin a new term for this interest... genitalmania. 

Outside the office at Blue Ridge Apartments