This is going to be just another venting blog.

I am pro-universal health care. I said it. Conservatives, live with it.

In December of last year I was eating dinner when I bit down on whatever I was chewing on and felt a tooth in the back of my mouth break. This happened about two weeks before my total knee replacement was scheduled to happen so, my initial thought was, oh, fuck.

I was already stressed about what money I was going to live on for approximately three months ( and, I will be forever grateful to all my Go Fund Me page donors and those who donated via my friend, Kim’s, YouTube channel and friends from work). Now, I was worried this broken tooth was going to cause both more physical and financial pain.

I had and, still do, have dental insurance through my job. Thank God. However, all I could think of was, crap, I bet I need a root canal (turns out I was right). That means dental surgery- blood-possible infection. That would lead to postponing the knee fixing. No way. That blasted knee was getting fixed! I have trails to hike, road trips to take, walking across a huge college campus to do, not to mention housework and packing and moving-as soon as the Money Fairy makes a deposit into my bank account. By the way, the Money Fairy could come in the form of a lucrative job but, no sugar daddies please. I actually know women who seriously want a sugar daddy. That concept is repulsive to me. I want my own cashola-earned or, won.

By the end of May the pain started and I counted my blessings it didn’t happen during my leave of absence from work because my dental insurance got suspended.

On the 29th of May I went to a dentist office in eastern part of Orlando, near UCF, called University Dental Group. They were very kind and competent. I really liked the service I received. But, the estimate of the work I needed done-root canal and implant-was going to cost me about $1400. That’s after insurance. With prices like that we are bound to become a nation full of (old school) British smiles. Apologies to my British relatives.

It shouldn’t be like this. Medical and dental care should not be just for the rich.

University Dental was willing to let me finance but, the structure of that would stress out my finances. They want $300 down on the day of the surgery and then two payments that would be automatic deductions from my checking account. That puts me on very shaky ground. Plus, since then I discovered the hacking of my phone so, I was nervous about giving out my bank account number.

Yesterday work was hell because of tooth pain so I called Aspen Dental, which is a nationwide company of dental centers. Yeah, it’s probably cookie-cutter service but, when I spoke with someone, he sounded very nice and assured me I could customize my financial plan. I made an appointment with them for the 24th, after my third orthopedic follow up. I have to go to the office in Waterford Lakes, which is part of the UCF part of town but, the far southeast part. That’s ok. I’m aiming to move closer to UCF anyway.

Here’s the thing: in the wealthiest country on the planet no one should have to jump through so many hoops to be healthy. YES, I would happily pay higher taxes if I knew my fellow humans were going to have full access to health and dental care. I am lucky. I am grateful. However, not everybody is so blessed.

It should NOT be like this.

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