Generally, I am a very private person. I tend to have to know someone well before I share personal information. But, I want to share this story with you.
About mid August, my left ear and left jaw started hurting a bit. I figured it was either some wax buildup, or a minor ear infection. My left ear is prone to that, after growing up at the beach, and all the time I spent in pools, rivers, and the ocean. No biggy. Or so I thought. After a few days, and having cleaned my ear out, it still was hurting. So, I went to an urgent care center. Walked right in.
I was given some ear drops. After about a week, still hurt. On a scale of 1-10 between dull and sharp pain, about a 5. When I woke up in the AM, man, my jaw hurt. So, I went to a different doctor. Called, and was able to get in that day. He gave me some antibiotics.
Seven days later, still hurt a bit. Not quite as much, but, enough. So, went back to the doctor, who gave me something different, and made an appointment to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Just. Like. That.
The appointment was for this coming Friday. But, the ENT office called, and said, "can you come in today?" Sure thing! So I went.
They figure it is either something in the jaw at the joint, or, possible tonsillitis. Even though the tonsils look good, it can be something internal, which causes the pain. They were going to refer me to a specialist. The ENT doctor says it is better to start with the jaw doctor, then cut them old tonsils out first. I agree! Though, it would get me out of work for a few days
However, the specialist is out of network, meaning it would have cost me about $475 out of pocket. So, instead, I decided to go see my dentist, who said it was probably TMJ, and, since it was getting much better, he said give it a few more weeks, and, if not gone by mid-October, he would find a specialist in-network. Neat, huh?
So, why am I sharing this with you, my on-line friends? No, I am not begging for sympathy. Quite frankly, except for the pain when waking up (doesn’t help that I tend to roll on to my stomach and have my face planted in the pillow while sleeping,) it is more annoying. I have shattered my ankle, requiring surgery, and broke clean through both bones in my lower right leg on a different occasion, requiring surgery, then extended therapy, since the wrong bone healed first. I snapped my big toe one time, and that takes forever to heal and the pain to go away. Otherwise, besides some cuts requiring stitches, I have never been majorly sick or hurt for long periods. Sure, some good cases of the flu and the cold, sprains, even a nice burn from a moped muffler. And, under the health plans of any of the Democratic contenders, it would have taken forever to see a doctor and get healed.
Under HillaryCare, do you think I would have seen doctors four times in the last month, and soon to see a fifth (and hopefully last) one? We hear the horror stories from folks in countries that have socialized/nationalized health care. When I broke my toe (and I did a really good job, too!) in 2000, one of the people in my apartment complex was originally from England. She said that they basically would have told me over the phone to ice it, and deal with it. There is little one can do for a broken toe. But, someone x-rayed it, gave me the bad news, gave me advice, and, much later on, I went for therapy for it. Wouldn’t have happened in England.
It was easy as pie to get my meds for my ear. Walk in, give the slips, come back in an hour, ready to go. My parents neighbor in Jersey, a very good podiatrist, took care of my broken ankle. He recommended the guy who did the surgery on my leg. Do you think I would have been able to choose under socialized medicine? Heck, considering that the Dem prospects want to keep people from getting sick and injured in the first place, might they have restricted me from playing soccer in the first place? That was the cause of both breaks, plus numerous minor ones in fingers and toes, along with sprains and contusions. Hence my dislike of soccer.
Would I have been able to see the doctors as much as I did? Would I have been able to get in to therapy so quickly and easily? Reading their plans, and reading about other countries, I would say "no." Heck, I would probably still be waiting to see the first doctor.
Yes, we want everyone to be well looked after. Some people just cannot afford insurance. We do want to help them, it is the Christian thing to do. But, socialized medicine is not the right plan. What is the point of everyone having insurance if it takes forever to see someone in the medical field?
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Perri Nelson’s Website, Rosemary’s Thoughts, DeMediacratic Nation, Adam’s Blog, Right Truth, The Populist, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Faultline USA, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Right Voices, Wake Up America, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
