Shock in Craw
Dec. 22nd, 2005 08:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jakebe
It feels like I've been tiptoeing through a minefield for the past week or so; everyone around me is sick or getting sick, and I'm *really* trying to avoid it. I have the sneaking suspicion that if I got taken down with something my poor lungs would be none to happy with me.
I think, when I look back on it, 2005 will be the Year That My Body Fell Apart. Three big dental things happened this year, I had a nasty bout with bronchitis for the second time that leaves me winded a bit more easily than I used to be (I'm hoping this is just a byproduct of exercising less and not an indication of something more serious), and I've been effectively scared into a more healthy and mindful lifestyle. Exercise, good eating and self-made non-fast-food meals are going to be the benchmark of 2006...I hope.
Tooth update: at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
belly4you's recommendation, I headed down to Lincoln, AR to see the dentist she uses. The ever-lovely daroneasa drove me there, for which I am eternally and humbly in her debt. :)
The guy's name was Dr. Beavers, and the very first thing you see in his office is this huge stuffed and mounted beaver over a fireplace. The first thing I thought was, "Oh, what a cute beaver!" And I thought of, you know, Mr. Beaver from "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." Then I thought he probably wasn't nearly as friendly and a lot more grumpy...when he was alive. Thankfully, my train of thought stopped there and let me off before I ended up some sort of crying wreck in this strange dentist lobby.
Anyway, all of the techs and secretaries were...the pinnacle of niceness and hospitality. It didn't feel anything like a dentist's office, really. This, I think, is the best thing about small-town practices; you can walk into any business and feel like it's an extension of home. So, they took my x-ray, studied it and chatted with me. The whole thing took about an hour and at the end they told me pretty much what I already knew: I'm going to need a crown. Worst-case scenario, it'll cost $875, but they're going to try and make it less if they can. The best thing, though, is that they offer a payment plan: $250 down payment at the time of the appointment, and I can pay off the rest in installments, which I will definitely be doing.
So I go in next Monday to get the whole thing done. I know I also need fillings, and they'll be the first place I come to when I can scrape up the cash for that. I've found a dentist while I'm in Arkansas. :)
Meanwhile, I've gotten a bit more assertive about a lot of things since coming back from vacation. This is good, but I'm trying not to take it too far. One thing I've sort of reasserted is that I'm just not compatible with *everyone*, especially on-line, and that's all right. My voice, especially on MUCKs and boards and everything, is too awkward and shy to really connect with people the way I'd like to, to feel like I'm part of some community. I'm not sure how I'm doing it, but the things I say just...shut people down. Either I talk about *really* uninteresting stuff or I'm saying things that are impossible to respond to, or...I'm not sure. :) I'd like to make myself more of a community presence, but I'm pretty sure I don't know how to express myself when situations arise.
And now, work.
I think, when I look back on it, 2005 will be the Year That My Body Fell Apart. Three big dental things happened this year, I had a nasty bout with bronchitis for the second time that leaves me winded a bit more easily than I used to be (I'm hoping this is just a byproduct of exercising less and not an indication of something more serious), and I've been effectively scared into a more healthy and mindful lifestyle. Exercise, good eating and self-made non-fast-food meals are going to be the benchmark of 2006...I hope.
Tooth update: at
belly4you's recommendation, I headed down to Lincoln, AR to see the dentist she uses. The ever-lovely daroneasa drove me there, for which I am eternally and humbly in her debt. :)The guy's name was Dr. Beavers, and the very first thing you see in his office is this huge stuffed and mounted beaver over a fireplace. The first thing I thought was, "Oh, what a cute beaver!" And I thought of, you know, Mr. Beaver from "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." Then I thought he probably wasn't nearly as friendly and a lot more grumpy...when he was alive. Thankfully, my train of thought stopped there and let me off before I ended up some sort of crying wreck in this strange dentist lobby.
Anyway, all of the techs and secretaries were...the pinnacle of niceness and hospitality. It didn't feel anything like a dentist's office, really. This, I think, is the best thing about small-town practices; you can walk into any business and feel like it's an extension of home. So, they took my x-ray, studied it and chatted with me. The whole thing took about an hour and at the end they told me pretty much what I already knew: I'm going to need a crown. Worst-case scenario, it'll cost $875, but they're going to try and make it less if they can. The best thing, though, is that they offer a payment plan: $250 down payment at the time of the appointment, and I can pay off the rest in installments, which I will definitely be doing.
So I go in next Monday to get the whole thing done. I know I also need fillings, and they'll be the first place I come to when I can scrape up the cash for that. I've found a dentist while I'm in Arkansas. :)
Meanwhile, I've gotten a bit more assertive about a lot of things since coming back from vacation. This is good, but I'm trying not to take it too far. One thing I've sort of reasserted is that I'm just not compatible with *everyone*, especially on-line, and that's all right. My voice, especially on MUCKs and boards and everything, is too awkward and shy to really connect with people the way I'd like to, to feel like I'm part of some community. I'm not sure how I'm doing it, but the things I say just...shut people down. Either I talk about *really* uninteresting stuff or I'm saying things that are impossible to respond to, or...I'm not sure. :) I'd like to make myself more of a community presence, but I'm pretty sure I don't know how to express myself when situations arise.
And now, work.
