Why I Need A Root Canal...

Today I spent 4 hours on the phone to Drs offices setting up more appts, getting referrals for insurance, and making arrangements to get copies of the CT & MRI scans for my appt with Dr Black next Friday. Everyone you talk to is so nice and everything went well...with one exception.

I think I wrote a few posts back that the CT scan showed I need a root canal. While I have no pain in that tooth I did loose a filling in it back the beginning of April. I made an appt with a new (to me) dentist the very next day. I was very surprised when he told me that I have advanced peridontal disease and would need a series of very expensive appts, that luckily my insurance covered for the most part. He took a full set of xrays. He never mentioned my lost filling and when I asked about it I was told that as long as the tooth didn't hurt it was fine (basically to forget about the big gaping hole where the filling had been), he was trying to save all my teeth first, preceeding to tell me tales of people whose teeth just fell out even when they were just sitting watching TV. I thought it was strange because I never have had a lose tooth or any blood when I brush or floss my teeth but this dentist had come highly recommended so I foolishly listened to him and started the appts. I also thought it odd that the appts were spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart since I think any effects of cleaning would revert back before the next appt, but again didn't question anything. After 2 appts just before my 3rd our health insurance changed and the special cleanings were no longer covered. I called in to let the office know and the Dentist came on the phone and said he was releasing me from his care. It took me a moment to realize what he was saying...that he wouldn't see me anymore!

Just after that I found out about the tumor and in the CT scan Dr Grove noticed that the root was open into my sinus and I need a root canal asap. He couldn't imagine why the dentist hadn't filled my tooth at that first appt so it wouldn't have progressed this far or why he hadn't noticed this in the xrays! When making the root canal appt with the Endodontist I found that the new insurance won't cover it (the nurse tried hard to get it covered saying it was tied to the Brain tumor since I need to have the root canal before any surgery) so we will have to pay $1100.00! I scheduled the appt in two weeks because it has to be done but have no idea where that $$ is going to come from since I haven't been working.

I'm so bloody mad at this smug dentist, Dr Louise Kenyon in Mattapoisett, MA! :-( If he had filled my tooth at the first appt like I had asked and expected I would not be in this situation. On the advice of my Dad I called today to speak to Dr Kenyon to see if he could make good on his error, perhaps give me back at least the approx $500.00 that I had already paid him for the cleaning treatments or ideally pay for the root canal but he refused to speak to me saying I was no longer an active patient and he was busy. When I tried to call back after that I always received an answering machine, that wouldn't let you leave a message.

For the first time in all of this I actually broke down into tears and felt sorry for myself. I don't know why this stuff always happens to me! Between the brain tumor surgery, probable elbow surgery, and root canal this is all going to cost a huge amount of money that we don't have and I wonder if it is even worth it? I did the right thing when I lost that filling back in April and saw a dentist the very next day and yet I'm out about $500.00 for a partial deep cleaning and now need to not only come up with another $1100.00 in two weeks but also have to go through the root canal, which I AM NOT looking forward to especially since I'm a HUGE dentist wimp!

I was able to get calmed down a bit because I needed to call back to Dr Black's office to give them the referral number and make arrangements to send them my records for the 2nd opinion next week. I also had to make an appt with an orthopedic surgeon because I have severe tennis elbow that hasn't responded to 2 rounds of cortisone so the next option is surgery. I had been putting that off until I couldn't stand the pain anymore since all this other stuff is going on, but I can barely pick up a magazine in my right hand now and it wakes me up all night so I don't sleep for more then about an hour at a time. The staff at both places was so wonderful and upbeat to talk to that I feel a bit better now. Writing it down in this journal helps too.

I'm exhausted, I think I'll go take a nap....