Tuesday night I didn’t sleep very well. Don’t know why, just couldn’t sleep. I went to bed at 12:30 which is about my usual time. When I go to bed, I put on my headphones and listen to an audiobook, or a DVS movie, and I’m usually ready to go to sleep in no time at all. Last night, I put on my headphones and listened to an entire movie, and I still wasn’t sleepy. I started another movie and got most of the way through that one before I finally started to nod off. Even after all that, I still woke up early, about 6:30 I think. Instead of going right back to sleep like I usually would, I felt pretty awake, so I put my headphones back on and finished the movie I started.
I did go back to sleep for a while, but I couldn’t sleep late because I had a 10:00 dentist appointment Wednesday morning. The dentist made all the final preparations on my tooth to get it ready for a crown. The procedures took a full hour and a half. There was very little pain involved, but it was a long time to sit in that chair. Right now I have a temporary crown, and when I go back on the 29th I get the permanent one. That should be a quick and simple visit and then I’ll be done with dentists for a while.
Now I need to back up for a minute. On Tuesday, I got a call from Lion Lady. She had been talking with my social worker about my Medicaid. Social Worker Lady told Lion Lady about how if I had a private insurance plan costing $277 per month, I would qualify for full Medicaid, instead of the useless kind I have now. It took Lion Lady about 10 seconds to figure out that this would be a much more cost effective way to get me seeing again, and back in the work force, something none of the various government agencies have been able to figure out. So Lion Lady called this outfit in Hastings called Fiddler’s to see if they could help me out with that. Lion Lady is very much on the ball. She said that the Lion’s could pay for six months worth of insurance, which would probably get me well on my way. Good plan!
Anyway, when I was talking to Lion Lady about all this, she said to let her know right away how it went with Fiddler’s because she was meeting with her Lion’s Club that very evening to pitch my case. That came as a surprise to me, because I thought this was a done deal and no pitching would be necessary.
Back to Wednesday. When I got home from the dentist, I had two messages on my phone. One was from Fiddler’s, and the other was from Lion Lady wondering if I had heard from Fiddler’s. Before I could do much of anything, my phone rang and it was Lion Lady again. She said her Lion’s group had declined to help me, except for the $125 she had initially pledged toward my appointment next Monday. She said the problem was that her group is in Ravenna, and they don’t like to help people outside of that small town. Lion Lady was very displeased with her group, I could tell by her voice before she came right out and said it. We talked for several more minutes about other options and possibilities. She made it clear that she wasn’t giving up, and would keep fighting for me.
So after that, Joni and I were talking about possibly approaching other Lion’s chapters in the area, when Joni wondered aloud if Minden had a chapter. Duh! I was looking around the Lion’s website a couple of weeks ago, and I remembered seeing Minden on the list. Since we actually live in Minden, we thought that might be a possibility.
Later that afternoon, Lion Lady came out to the house to deliver the $125 check. I think she offered to bring it out instead of us going to pick it up because she felt so bad about what happened. While she was here, I asked about Minden, and she said yup, Minden has a chapter, and in fact, she used to belong to it, and knows several people in the organization. So one hope was dashed, and another kindled.
The upshot is this: I am going forward with my appointment on the 20th. I will go to the doctor and wait for a miracle. God tells us that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains, and I believe it. That’s what faith is all about, isn’t it? Just kind of throwing yourself out there with the full expectation that God will carry you through. My period of waiting served its purpose, and now it is time for a leap of faith.
By the way, the other day I asked our church if they could help me with my dental bills. Today, I got an email saying that they would indeed help me out with a large portion of it. That email came today because God wanted me to know that He is still there, watching out for me.
Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!” He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
Showing posts with label teeth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teeth. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Journal - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Well, I’m overdue for an update, so here goes.
I called the lady from the Lion’s Club last Saturday. I had called her a couple of weeks before that and left a message with her husband. She called me back two days later and left me a message, then I called her and left another message. That was it for about a week until I finally called her again last Saturday. She never has called me back so now I’m starting to wonder what that was all about. Maybe she’s away on vacation or something. I debated for a few days about how much I wanted to try and force the issue, but I finally decided I do want to push it. Today I searched the internet and found an email address for the Lion’s Club in Kearney. I sent an email with a brief explanation of my situation and asked if they could help me. I didn’t mention my attempts to contact this other lady, just told them I was trying to get help paying for eye surgery. She might be with the Lion’s in Kearney for all I know, I thought Gibbon had its own chapter but the Lion’s website didn’t show one. So we’ll see if anything comes of that. If nobody answers my email, there’s also a phone number I can try.
On Wednesday I had a dentist appointment. I saw the dentist at the beginning of the month and got three teeth pulled, two wisdom teeth and a molar; this time he started working on my fourth bad tooth which is closer to the front. He did a root canal. I was a little worried about that, I’ve never had one before and everyone always talks about how horrible they are. I found it to be much less of a bother than the extractions, I’ve had very little pain. After the root canal, he filled the tooth with a temporary filling. A little while after we got home, I ate something and the filling popped right out so I had to go back and get another one. My next appointment is September 15 when he will make the final preparations and measurements for a crown. Then I’ll have one more visit to have the crown put in. What a tremendous relief it will be to have that all done. My teeth have been bothering me a lot for a long, long time. I think I’ve mentioned that I even have bad dreams about them sometimes.
On the way home from our second trip to the dentist, we heard kind of a popping sound and one of the wheels on my truck started grinding and squealing very loudly. Our hearts sank because we were already trying to figure out how we were going to pay for this dental work. The sound was like a wheel after the brake pad is completely gone and the brakes are just grinding on metal. We were only about a mile from home when it happened so we drove on home. The noise went away completely but started to come back gradually. Joni said there was a lot of mud caked around the inside of the wheel so it might just be that. Today she took the hose and cleaned it off and the noise is gone. I asked Brad if he could take a look anyway, just in case, I know how expensive brake work can get if you don’t take care of it right away. So we’re going to Brad’s tomorrow. Actually, I asked Brad what was the best place in Kearney to have it looked at, and he said he would do it. My big brother is a pretty good guy. He sure has helped us out a lot over the last year and a half.
So let’s see: Lion’s, dentist, car, I think that’s about it. It’s been a rough week. I was pretty depressed all week about the Lion lady not returning my calls, but I made a decision about that today and feel better. Also, the truck may not be as bad as I first thought so I’m feeling better about that too.
Oh, I don’t know if I ever mentioned my visit to the doctor earlier this month. My sinuses have been kind of bad so I wanted to see what we could do about that. She recommended a nasal spray called Nasocort. I used Nasonex for several years and it worked well for me, and the doctor said Nasocort is pretty much the same thing. She sent in some paperwork for me to see if I can get it for free from the pharmaceutical company through their assistance program. I’ve been getting all my asthma medicine free for several months now and Nasocort is made by the same company so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, the doctor gave me several free samples.
So that’s about it. See you next time!
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
I called the lady from the Lion’s Club last Saturday. I had called her a couple of weeks before that and left a message with her husband. She called me back two days later and left me a message, then I called her and left another message. That was it for about a week until I finally called her again last Saturday. She never has called me back so now I’m starting to wonder what that was all about. Maybe she’s away on vacation or something. I debated for a few days about how much I wanted to try and force the issue, but I finally decided I do want to push it. Today I searched the internet and found an email address for the Lion’s Club in Kearney. I sent an email with a brief explanation of my situation and asked if they could help me. I didn’t mention my attempts to contact this other lady, just told them I was trying to get help paying for eye surgery. She might be with the Lion’s in Kearney for all I know, I thought Gibbon had its own chapter but the Lion’s website didn’t show one. So we’ll see if anything comes of that. If nobody answers my email, there’s also a phone number I can try.
On Wednesday I had a dentist appointment. I saw the dentist at the beginning of the month and got three teeth pulled, two wisdom teeth and a molar; this time he started working on my fourth bad tooth which is closer to the front. He did a root canal. I was a little worried about that, I’ve never had one before and everyone always talks about how horrible they are. I found it to be much less of a bother than the extractions, I’ve had very little pain. After the root canal, he filled the tooth with a temporary filling. A little while after we got home, I ate something and the filling popped right out so I had to go back and get another one. My next appointment is September 15 when he will make the final preparations and measurements for a crown. Then I’ll have one more visit to have the crown put in. What a tremendous relief it will be to have that all done. My teeth have been bothering me a lot for a long, long time. I think I’ve mentioned that I even have bad dreams about them sometimes.
On the way home from our second trip to the dentist, we heard kind of a popping sound and one of the wheels on my truck started grinding and squealing very loudly. Our hearts sank because we were already trying to figure out how we were going to pay for this dental work. The sound was like a wheel after the brake pad is completely gone and the brakes are just grinding on metal. We were only about a mile from home when it happened so we drove on home. The noise went away completely but started to come back gradually. Joni said there was a lot of mud caked around the inside of the wheel so it might just be that. Today she took the hose and cleaned it off and the noise is gone. I asked Brad if he could take a look anyway, just in case, I know how expensive brake work can get if you don’t take care of it right away. So we’re going to Brad’s tomorrow. Actually, I asked Brad what was the best place in Kearney to have it looked at, and he said he would do it. My big brother is a pretty good guy. He sure has helped us out a lot over the last year and a half.
So let’s see: Lion’s, dentist, car, I think that’s about it. It’s been a rough week. I was pretty depressed all week about the Lion lady not returning my calls, but I made a decision about that today and feel better. Also, the truck may not be as bad as I first thought so I’m feeling better about that too.
Oh, I don’t know if I ever mentioned my visit to the doctor earlier this month. My sinuses have been kind of bad so I wanted to see what we could do about that. She recommended a nasal spray called Nasocort. I used Nasonex for several years and it worked well for me, and the doctor said Nasocort is pretty much the same thing. She sent in some paperwork for me to see if I can get it for free from the pharmaceutical company through their assistance program. I’ve been getting all my asthma medicine free for several months now and Nasocort is made by the same company so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, the doctor gave me several free samples.
So that’s about it. See you next time!
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Journal - Job Market
I’m still thinking about that lady from the Lion’s Club. One of my fears is that I’ll get my sight back and my social security will be cut off and then I won’t be able to find a job. Part of me was sort of hoping the job market would pick up a little before that happened.
Today, I called the SSA in Grand Island to ask how quickly my benefits would stop if I was no longer disabled. The guy I spoke to said my benefits would continue for nine months. Actually, what he said was that if I go back to work, any month in which I earn more than $720 counts as one month and if I earn less than that, the month doesn’t count. After the ninth month that I earn more than $720 then my benefits will stop. That kind of makes it sound like I can keep getting disability benefits forever as long as I don’t go to work. It sounds a little screwy and I don’t know whether to believe him or not. I’ve gotten so much mis-information and truth slanting over the last two years that it’s getting pretty hard for me to believe what people say. If he had told me that my benefits would stop exactly one minute after my surgery was complete, I would have believed that.
I am reminded once again that I need to keep my faith with God, and not on human beings. Only God can carry me through this, and no one else. I feel very fortunate that there are a few people here on Earth that I can count on to help God’s plan along, but ultimately He is the focal point.
Probably what I will do is make a couple more calls to SSA and try to confirm what I was told today. When it’s all said and done, this won’t be a deciding factor, but it would be nice to avoid a nasty surprise later on.
On an unrelated matter, my mouth is feeling pretty good today. I had quite a bit of soreness when I woke up this morning, but I took some Ibuprofen like the dentist said and I’ve felt fine ever since. Still taking it easy though, I’ve only eaten raviolis and mashed potatoes today. And Pepsi of course. I can’t wait to brush my teeth again, yuck!
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Today, I called the SSA in Grand Island to ask how quickly my benefits would stop if I was no longer disabled. The guy I spoke to said my benefits would continue for nine months. Actually, what he said was that if I go back to work, any month in which I earn more than $720 counts as one month and if I earn less than that, the month doesn’t count. After the ninth month that I earn more than $720 then my benefits will stop. That kind of makes it sound like I can keep getting disability benefits forever as long as I don’t go to work. It sounds a little screwy and I don’t know whether to believe him or not. I’ve gotten so much mis-information and truth slanting over the last two years that it’s getting pretty hard for me to believe what people say. If he had told me that my benefits would stop exactly one minute after my surgery was complete, I would have believed that.
I am reminded once again that I need to keep my faith with God, and not on human beings. Only God can carry me through this, and no one else. I feel very fortunate that there are a few people here on Earth that I can count on to help God’s plan along, but ultimately He is the focal point.
Probably what I will do is make a couple more calls to SSA and try to confirm what I was told today. When it’s all said and done, this won’t be a deciding factor, but it would be nice to avoid a nasty surprise later on.
On an unrelated matter, my mouth is feeling pretty good today. I had quite a bit of soreness when I woke up this morning, but I took some Ibuprofen like the dentist said and I’ve felt fine ever since. Still taking it easy though, I’ve only eaten raviolis and mashed potatoes today. And Pepsi of course. I can’t wait to brush my teeth again, yuck!
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Journal - The Dentist
Well, I had my dentist appointment on Wednesday. I had three bad teeth that needed to be pulled. I had been in to see him back in June and got some x-rays, so he already knew exactly what needed to be done. When I got there, I told him he could go ahead and do all three if he wanted to. I didn’t really think he would since they were on both sides of my mouth, but he just said “Okay, let’s do it!” I’m not sure I like how eager he was. He did a good job, though, and got all three of them in no time at all.
The whole thing cost $415, which was a bit less than I had expected. It’s a lot of money, but it’s always nice when something costs less than you expected. I have one more tooth that needs to be taken care of, but it’s closer to the front so I really want to get it crowned instead of extracted. That will be much more expensive so I’ll have to think about that. Once my mouth heals up it’s going to feel so good to have those teeth gone. They’ve been hurting for a long time.
After we got home, I laid down for a while and then Joni made me some mashed potatoes. I didn’t feel like messing with gravy so I just threw some cheese on them. Yummy!
Then, in the evening, the school bus driver stopped by. Adam is starting school in a couple of weeks and the bus driver said she likes to go around and meet everyone beforehand. I already know her, she goes to Mom’s church, but Joni and Adam had only met her once before.
So it was a pretty good day. I asked God for something good and He delivered; I got my teeth taken care of with no hassle, and it cost less than I expected. It seems like everything has been such a chore lately, and it was nice to get something done without a lot of run-around. Now if I can just find a job where I could make $415 an hour, I’ll be set!
1 Timothy 4:4-5 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
The whole thing cost $415, which was a bit less than I had expected. It’s a lot of money, but it’s always nice when something costs less than you expected. I have one more tooth that needs to be taken care of, but it’s closer to the front so I really want to get it crowned instead of extracted. That will be much more expensive so I’ll have to think about that. Once my mouth heals up it’s going to feel so good to have those teeth gone. They’ve been hurting for a long time.
After we got home, I laid down for a while and then Joni made me some mashed potatoes. I didn’t feel like messing with gravy so I just threw some cheese on them. Yummy!
Then, in the evening, the school bus driver stopped by. Adam is starting school in a couple of weeks and the bus driver said she likes to go around and meet everyone beforehand. I already know her, she goes to Mom’s church, but Joni and Adam had only met her once before.
So it was a pretty good day. I asked God for something good and He delivered; I got my teeth taken care of with no hassle, and it cost less than I expected. It seems like everything has been such a chore lately, and it was nice to get something done without a lot of run-around. Now if I can just find a job where I could make $415 an hour, I’ll be set!
1 Timothy 4:4-5 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Dream Diary - Teeth
I had a really awful dream Tuesday night, a recurring dream that I have periodically. In this dream, my teeth were falling out. Just one or two to start with, but then more and more. Some of the teeth were breaking up into pieces as they came out, but several were falling out whole as well. Some of them really bled a lot too, but others didn’t. My teeth just kept falling out and I was spitting them into a trash can. It seemed like there were about a hundred of them, way too many anyway. The more came out, the more I started to panic. I remember wondering how I would ever be able to eat again with no teeth. It was pretty terrible and I suppose this is about as close as I ever get to a nightmare. There were several other people in this dream, but I don’t remember who they were or what they were doing. They didn’t seem to mind the fact that my teeth were falling out, they just went about their business.
Like I said, this is a recurring dream that I have had many times. This is the second time I’ve had it since we moved to Nebraska last April. It’s not always exactly the same, but it’s always about the teeth. It's no mystery to me where this dream comes from. I’ve had bad teeth for a long time. Even when I was working and had insurance I could never afford to go to the dentist. I always wake up from this dream in a real fright, heart racing and all. I always have to check my teeth when I wake to see if they’re loose.
It was just a bad night all around. I was up late working on my blog and didn't go to bed until after one o'clock. Even then it took me a while to start drifting off. Wen I finally started falling asleep, a thunderstorm rolled through, so I was up even longer. I finally got to sleep and had that bad dream which I woke from in kind of a panic. Later on, another thunderstorm came through, this one even louder, and woke me up again. No more bad dreams though, thank goodness.
It occurred to me that I really don’t have many bad dreams. Usually just this one about my teeth. I guess that means my life isn’t too bad, doesn’t it? If my teeth falling out is the worst my mind can come up with, I guess I’ve had a pretty good life.
Now that I mention it, that reminds me of a dream I used to have when I was a kid. Younger than ten, at least, because it took place in the house I grew up in out on the farm. I used to have this dream where I was out in the corn field at night, and there was a wolf chasing me. I never actually saw the wolf, but I knew it was a wolf anyway.
I would run and run through the corn field until I finally came out of it, close to where our house was. In those days, our house was closely bordered on two sides by corn fields.
When I finally got up to the house, I threw open the front door and ran inside, only to find that it wasn’t our house, but the school I went to. The school was dark and empty and I would run down the hall trying the doors, finding them all locked.
Well, I was just a kid then. Wolves are scary when you’re a kid and sometimes corn fields are too, I guess. Still, the lack of scary dreams would seem to indicate that I’ve had a pretty non-scary life.
Psalms 23:4-5 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints.
Like I said, this is a recurring dream that I have had many times. This is the second time I’ve had it since we moved to Nebraska last April. It’s not always exactly the same, but it’s always about the teeth. It's no mystery to me where this dream comes from. I’ve had bad teeth for a long time. Even when I was working and had insurance I could never afford to go to the dentist. I always wake up from this dream in a real fright, heart racing and all. I always have to check my teeth when I wake to see if they’re loose.
It was just a bad night all around. I was up late working on my blog and didn't go to bed until after one o'clock. Even then it took me a while to start drifting off. Wen I finally started falling asleep, a thunderstorm rolled through, so I was up even longer. I finally got to sleep and had that bad dream which I woke from in kind of a panic. Later on, another thunderstorm came through, this one even louder, and woke me up again. No more bad dreams though, thank goodness.
It occurred to me that I really don’t have many bad dreams. Usually just this one about my teeth. I guess that means my life isn’t too bad, doesn’t it? If my teeth falling out is the worst my mind can come up with, I guess I’ve had a pretty good life.
Now that I mention it, that reminds me of a dream I used to have when I was a kid. Younger than ten, at least, because it took place in the house I grew up in out on the farm. I used to have this dream where I was out in the corn field at night, and there was a wolf chasing me. I never actually saw the wolf, but I knew it was a wolf anyway.
I would run and run through the corn field until I finally came out of it, close to where our house was. In those days, our house was closely bordered on two sides by corn fields.
When I finally got up to the house, I threw open the front door and ran inside, only to find that it wasn’t our house, but the school I went to. The school was dark and empty and I would run down the hall trying the doors, finding them all locked.
Well, I was just a kid then. Wolves are scary when you’re a kid and sometimes corn fields are too, I guess. Still, the lack of scary dreams would seem to indicate that I’ve had a pretty non-scary life.
Psalms 23:4-5 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints.
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