Hoping For Help
10:56 AM Posted In hope , lupus Edit This 2 Comments »
I hate a hand out, I really do. I am the type of person who would rather work hard and earn what I want instead of it being given to me. Am I grateful if someone gives me something? Of course I am! I am usually so grateful words cannot describe how I feel. I also hate asking for help, I like to believe that I can do it all on my own when I really can't. I try hard though to make it work, even if it is challenging and exhausting. But now I'm going to ask for a big, big favor.
Remember a while back when I was talking about having to put a Kia in my mouth? Well, I still sort of need to. I still need gum grafts even though insurance won't cover them. My insurance company would rather wait until I have absolutely nothing left in my mouth to fix it. I have a feeling their solution would be to give me dentures. I'm 23 years old, I am too young to have to worry about losing my teeth. I have very soft enamel and some of it has eroded away and it hasn't even been my fault I need crowns and laminates to protect my teeth. I'm not like celebrities who get laminates to have a big, pearly white smile. I need them so I can protect my teeth because my body can't work to protect itself. Between genetics and lupus I have a not so happy mouth.
My oral care routine probably beats out one that I dentist does for them self. First I use a Waterpik dental water jet on a low setting to irrigate my mouth. Then I floss to get out any sort of excess debris that the Waterpik wasn't able to get. After that, I use antiseptic mouth wash to help prevent oral diseases. As if that wasn't enough, I use a Sonicare tooth brush to do the final cleaning of my mouth. And my whole routine usually takes between 15-20 minutes. I don't do this routine just once a day, it usually happens three times a day. I have to do it after I eat, every single time. Yeah, it takes a lot of time out of my day but it's that, or lose my teeth at a really young age. I also get to go to the dentist every three months to get my teeth cleaned. People really have no idea how much lupus can affect your oral health. It has impacted mine in unbelievable ways. I have to do everything in my power to preserve my oral health because my body won't do it for me.
I don't consume sugar, acidic foods and beverages, and abrasive foods and beverages. You know what that means? I can't have coffee at Starbucks or a ginger ale when my stomach is upset. I can't eat popcorn because the kernels can cut my gums. I allowed myself to eat cake at a wedding this past spring and I felt so guilty about it. But if it's not a really special occasion, I don't get cake or ice cream like every one else. You have no idea how much sugar is in stuff until you look at the labels. That makes my diet pretty limited. And I have to do it all because my mouth is in shambles at the lovely age of 23. The sad thing is, no matter what I do, unless it gets fixed and maintained, it will probably only get worse.
I need help. I've lived with this mouth for quite a while but I cannot bear to see it get worse. I'm afraid of what will happen if my gums recede even more. Would insurance cover grafts at that point? Probably. But for the sake of my teeth, I can't wait that long. My roots are exposed and that puts me at risk for losing my teeth. Yeah, it's no joke for me. My dentist even jokes saying that I should marry a rich dentist. I should have a frequent flyer card because I visit my dentist more than most. I need every single one of you to get the word out. I keep hoping that maybe someone with a lot of money will read this and be willing to help. I keep thinking a dentist in Richmond, Virginia will read this and say "Well I can donate a crown." I keep wishing a periodontist will say "I'll do a graft." I keep dreaming that a celebrity will say "Let me pay for your laminates."
I don't have a job and I'm trying to get one just like everyone else. My Mom can't afford all the dental work I need. I hate sounding like a sob story and I hate having to ask for help. I hate it even more because I know there are people out there who are worse off than me. But I figure that I have to take the chance, even if people think I'm not deserving. Honestly, I'm probably not deserving. I'm just another person in this world trying to do big things with barely anything and failing at it. One day though when I get back up on my feet, I promise I'll be an amazing person. And I promise that if I can help you in any way, I will. It's just taking me a while to become the person I know I can be.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you to all of my loyal followers, you know who you are. I'm thankful every day that I have a small audience who cares enough to read about my daily life.
Remember a while back when I was talking about having to put a Kia in my mouth? Well, I still sort of need to. I still need gum grafts even though insurance won't cover them. My insurance company would rather wait until I have absolutely nothing left in my mouth to fix it. I have a feeling their solution would be to give me dentures. I'm 23 years old, I am too young to have to worry about losing my teeth. I have very soft enamel and some of it has eroded away and it hasn't even been my fault I need crowns and laminates to protect my teeth. I'm not like celebrities who get laminates to have a big, pearly white smile. I need them so I can protect my teeth because my body can't work to protect itself. Between genetics and lupus I have a not so happy mouth.
My oral care routine probably beats out one that I dentist does for them self. First I use a Waterpik dental water jet on a low setting to irrigate my mouth. Then I floss to get out any sort of excess debris that the Waterpik wasn't able to get. After that, I use antiseptic mouth wash to help prevent oral diseases. As if that wasn't enough, I use a Sonicare tooth brush to do the final cleaning of my mouth. And my whole routine usually takes between 15-20 minutes. I don't do this routine just once a day, it usually happens three times a day. I have to do it after I eat, every single time. Yeah, it takes a lot of time out of my day but it's that, or lose my teeth at a really young age. I also get to go to the dentist every three months to get my teeth cleaned. People really have no idea how much lupus can affect your oral health. It has impacted mine in unbelievable ways. I have to do everything in my power to preserve my oral health because my body won't do it for me.
I don't consume sugar, acidic foods and beverages, and abrasive foods and beverages. You know what that means? I can't have coffee at Starbucks or a ginger ale when my stomach is upset. I can't eat popcorn because the kernels can cut my gums. I allowed myself to eat cake at a wedding this past spring and I felt so guilty about it. But if it's not a really special occasion, I don't get cake or ice cream like every one else. You have no idea how much sugar is in stuff until you look at the labels. That makes my diet pretty limited. And I have to do it all because my mouth is in shambles at the lovely age of 23. The sad thing is, no matter what I do, unless it gets fixed and maintained, it will probably only get worse.
I need help. I've lived with this mouth for quite a while but I cannot bear to see it get worse. I'm afraid of what will happen if my gums recede even more. Would insurance cover grafts at that point? Probably. But for the sake of my teeth, I can't wait that long. My roots are exposed and that puts me at risk for losing my teeth. Yeah, it's no joke for me. My dentist even jokes saying that I should marry a rich dentist. I should have a frequent flyer card because I visit my dentist more than most. I need every single one of you to get the word out. I keep hoping that maybe someone with a lot of money will read this and be willing to help. I keep thinking a dentist in Richmond, Virginia will read this and say "Well I can donate a crown." I keep wishing a periodontist will say "I'll do a graft." I keep dreaming that a celebrity will say "Let me pay for your laminates."
I don't have a job and I'm trying to get one just like everyone else. My Mom can't afford all the dental work I need. I hate sounding like a sob story and I hate having to ask for help. I hate it even more because I know there are people out there who are worse off than me. But I figure that I have to take the chance, even if people think I'm not deserving. Honestly, I'm probably not deserving. I'm just another person in this world trying to do big things with barely anything and failing at it. One day though when I get back up on my feet, I promise I'll be an amazing person. And I promise that if I can help you in any way, I will. It's just taking me a while to become the person I know I can be.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you to all of my loyal followers, you know who you are. I'm thankful every day that I have a small audience who cares enough to read about my daily life.
Bisous!
Erika
Erika
2 comments:
I wish the best for you; financial difficulty is something that I think a lot of us living with chronic illness can relate to. I'll send good thoughts your way :-)
Thanks you for the happy thoughts. Because insurance won't hardly cover any of it, it's going to cost around $30,000. Insurance sees a lot of it as cosmetic because for 99% of the people getting it done it's for cosmetic purposes. For me it's a method of preservation.
It's a car in my mouth and I don't know where to start. I just wish my body wouldn't attack itself anymore. As much as I embrace having a chronic lupus with as much love as possible, right now it stinks. I'm trying to stay positive but I don't know how it's going to work out. And I feel horrible about saying anything about it because I know my problems are small compared to someone else.
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