My fellow Kossacks!
Some of you are aware of my struggles through the years with being a cancer survivor who had been dropped from my insurance and left to scrounge and hustle for whatever health care or dental care I could.
Thanks to the ACA! Last year I became an "insured" cancer survivor and began to get the care I so desperately needed.
Today, I had my 10th!!! consult with a local dentist here in Los Angeles to try and get information or, my always naive hope, of having a dentist say, "you poor thing, cancer, radiation, Sjogren's? Accelerated tooth decay? Come right in and we'll help you."
Sadly, 10 consults consisted of booting me out of their offices as fast as they could...
Join me below the swirly icon of pain and frustration....
In 2004 I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome - an autoimmune disorder that attacks the moisture producing glands in the body, mouth, eyes, nose, nether regions. That same year I became one of the 5% of Sjogren's patients to be diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in my parotid glands, the most crucial gland for saliva production. After surgery and then radiation therapy I was "dropped" from my health insurance. It seems that back in the day insurance companies got a little pissed if you got sick and had to cost them money. OH NOZ!
Fast forward: It is now 2015, I have health insurance again!!!! Yippee!!! So happy, but after several years of struggle and sporadic care, and of being misled by a "World famous celebrity dentist" I now have 9 original teeth, they are all infected. I have a bridge that is about to lose it's anchor teeth due to the infection. It's bad people, real bad.
Today I had my 10th!!! Yes 10th consult with a dentist. Every single one has used the term "you're too complicated for me, you're case is too complicated" I now know that this is code for "you have no more money lady, get out!" This dentist was a woman, who I thought might be sympathetic, but she couldn't get rid of me fast enough. She gave me a name and number of another dentist that dealt with cancer survivors, and I naively asked" Does he do pro bono?" She snapped at me "NO!!!!!"
I left and sat in my car and sobbed for an hour. So cancer and radiation caused my sad state, and yet, that didn't seem to matter to her. It was simply money, money, money - had I said money is no object I am so sure that my case would not have been so complicated to her. I can't stop crying. She said it's so bad it could kill me - kill me sooner rather than later. Kossacks what do I do? UCLA and USC dental schools don't seem equipped to handle me and with the Sjogren's the implant dentures are my best option since Sjogren's patient's can't wear removable appliances comfortably. We have no freaking saliva!!!!
The dentist I met with today was Dr. Jamie Sands in Valley Village/Studio City, CA. Feel free to leave her some Yelp un-love - I am that pissed.
I am revealing her name here because I am pissed, I am upset, I am so sick of the almighty dollar being the reason for such behavior. They simply have no empathy, there are no more altruistic dentists, THEY SIMPLY DON'T CARE!!!!
Please share my Go Fund Me far and wide and help me get my dental drama straightened out once and for all. I have checked; there are no charities or foundations for single, childless, middle aged spinsters.
Please try to RT or share on Facebook my little Go Fund Me! I know it seems frivolous, but an asshat moran last year raised $27,000!!!! to make the "worlds greatest potato salad" So I thought F it, potato salad? Cancer girl? I must win this - so far, not so much.
http://www.gofundme.com/...
12:16 AM PT: Just adding a last minute thought - I am still so, so stung and hurt and devastated by Dr Jamie Sands words and her very demeanor during my brief visit with her. NO EMPATHY! Almost like I had done this to myself "caused" the cancer "forced" the radiation to save my freaking life!!! So, so cold and detached. Dr. Jamie Sands, please Kossacks, Yelp the shit out of her! I am that mad and hurt!!!!