Hi! My name is Jenna (though some of you may know me as Sally, hello!).

 

I don’t like talking about myself very much. I don’t like asking for help either. At the behest of several dear people in my life, here I am - doing two things that scare me the most.

 

This year has been a huge struggle - I know I am not alone in that. I know we are all going through so much, and I recognize all of the privilege I do have. That being said, I am asking for help in any way you can give - a donation, a signal boost, anything helps.

 

I'll start with a bit of background. I am writing this on my birthday and exactly a year ago, on January 7, 2021 I woke up in hospital after almost dying. I do not have to capacity to relive that trauma in such a public forum - some of those closest to me know, and if we are in a position where we are close enough for you to ask for details I will welcome any questions.

 

I will say that that day was the start of a year of medical and health struggles.

 

Previous to this, I have been living with several autoimmune and chronic pain diseases. Managing them has felt near-impossible this past year. This calendar year has been marked with doctor's appointments and tests. I have been struggling to stay afloat physically and mentally, while also being underemployed. I have had medically necessary surgeries cancelled four times due to COVID-19. I am taking a litany of medications to manage my various conditions and while I am in a city/country where I do have access to medical care in the form of doctors, I do not have insurance and paying for my medications out of pocket has become quite costly. I have also had to put my various careers on hold while managing my health and waiting for my surgeries.

 

This brings us to today. In addition to the other medical conditions I have, I live every day with extreme dental pain. I was born without multiple adult teeth and the children's teeth that stand in their place were simply not made to withstand longevity. Couple that with genetics and poverty-driven lack of access to dental care and a lot of my teeth are broken, cracked, and one premolar has even crumbled out of my gums. I was forced to see a dentist (other than an emergency visit or two) in November of 2021.

 

Since then, I have had several appointments - including debridement, root planing and extractions to remove some of the worst teeth (top back molars thus far) and flap surgery for periodontitis. I am looking at several more appointments to try to save some more of my teeth (root canals) as well as more extractions, bridges and soft tissue grafts/potential bone grafts.

Though a lot of my dental issues are hard to capture on camera, I have included a (very awkward)
photo of my teeth as they are today.

 

I am asking today for whatever you can give to help offset the costs of the procedures I have already had (they have been put on my credit card, and I am looking at my credit being destroyed after working so hard to build it up over the course of the last two years) and to help pay for the upcoming appointments that I have. I am only asking for help with the urgent dental care I need.  I am not even considering the possibility of implants at this time; I am simply looking to get to a place of good dental and oral health.

 

I am hoping to save the teeth I can and relieve the constant pain I am in. I am hoping to be able to enjoy meals and to sleep through the night without dental pain waking me. I work in harm reduction and outreach, I am hoping to reduce harm in my own life.

 

I also make a lot of my income based on my appearance when I am able to work at those jobs - as superficial as it sounds, I don't want to lose the teeth that are visible if they instead can be saved.

 

My next dental procedure is on January 10, and I will update here as to my prognosis then.

 

If you have managed to read this far, I thank you. If you have supported me through any of the past year in any way - no matter how small - just know you mean so much to me.