Help Me To Continue My Career!!!
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First of all, I want everyone to know this is very difficult for me. I don't want to ask for help from others!!! This has come to a point where I feel I have no choice if I want to continue doing what I love & that is playing the trumpet. I have put this off long enough & I have to at least try!!!
I'm 54 years old & I'm facing a serious crossroad in my life!!! I have been a professional musician/trumpet player for over 30 years & I'm not ready to give up just yet. I'm proud to say I've been able to make a career out of what I love & that is playing the trumpet & creating music! It has been my identity since I was a boy & I'm not sure how I can live without it!
I've kept this a secret from everyone including the closest people in my life until now! Last year (2015) I started having some dental issues so I went to get checked out. The dentist told me I'm having bone loss & I ended up getting 5 teeth removed (3 top, 2 bottom) from the back left jaw. Even though this wasn't from the front (which would have stopped my playing immediately until I could have gotten an implant) it has affected my playing & singing (yes I also sing a little).
I was also told that eventually I'm going to loose all of my teeth.
This really scared me so I decided to go check out dental implants. I saw a commercial on TV from a company called "ClearChoice" who specialize in dental implants so I decided to make an appointment with them. At this consultation I was told the same as what my dentist told me. "You are losing your teeth". The dentist for ClearChoice recommended that I get all of my teeth pulled & replace with implants while I have the bone mass & that would also help save that bone mass. I was also told this will be just like regular teeth & my trumpet playing career can continue. I can NOT have dentures. I can not have movement so this is NOT an option. I was very impressed by what ClearChoice had to offer with their technology & how they handled my case. Of course, my heart sank when they told me the price. I wasn't totally surprised by the price but reality sank in & I knew I had to have this or my career WILL be cut short!!!
This is a time sensitive issue that the dentist says should be done within the next year. It costs $42000 to get it done & my dental insurance will not pay for it. I'm asking for help because I don't see any other options. It pains me to feel this helpless but I've asked myself: "Do you want to play trumpet as long as you can?" "Are you ready to give up your career & identity?" I say "no" to both questions so I'm just trying to keep doing what I love.
I'm a single man who relies totally on myself. I'm thankful to make a living as a musician but at this point in my life I can't afford to have this proceedure done on my own. It's hard to ask but I need help!!!
If you can't afford to help I certainly understand. You can help by sharing my story if you want. Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Sincerely,
Jeff Swafford
I'm 54 years old & I'm facing a serious crossroad in my life!!! I have been a professional musician/trumpet player for over 30 years & I'm not ready to give up just yet. I'm proud to say I've been able to make a career out of what I love & that is playing the trumpet & creating music! It has been my identity since I was a boy & I'm not sure how I can live without it!
I've kept this a secret from everyone including the closest people in my life until now! Last year (2015) I started having some dental issues so I went to get checked out. The dentist told me I'm having bone loss & I ended up getting 5 teeth removed (3 top, 2 bottom) from the back left jaw. Even though this wasn't from the front (which would have stopped my playing immediately until I could have gotten an implant) it has affected my playing & singing (yes I also sing a little).
I was also told that eventually I'm going to loose all of my teeth.
This really scared me so I decided to go check out dental implants. I saw a commercial on TV from a company called "ClearChoice" who specialize in dental implants so I decided to make an appointment with them. At this consultation I was told the same as what my dentist told me. "You are losing your teeth". The dentist for ClearChoice recommended that I get all of my teeth pulled & replace with implants while I have the bone mass & that would also help save that bone mass. I was also told this will be just like regular teeth & my trumpet playing career can continue. I can NOT have dentures. I can not have movement so this is NOT an option. I was very impressed by what ClearChoice had to offer with their technology & how they handled my case. Of course, my heart sank when they told me the price. I wasn't totally surprised by the price but reality sank in & I knew I had to have this or my career WILL be cut short!!!
This is a time sensitive issue that the dentist says should be done within the next year. It costs $42000 to get it done & my dental insurance will not pay for it. I'm asking for help because I don't see any other options. It pains me to feel this helpless but I've asked myself: "Do you want to play trumpet as long as you can?" "Are you ready to give up your career & identity?" I say "no" to both questions so I'm just trying to keep doing what I love.
I'm a single man who relies totally on myself. I'm thankful to make a living as a musician but at this point in my life I can't afford to have this proceedure done on my own. It's hard to ask but I need help!!!
If you can't afford to help I certainly understand. You can help by sharing my story if you want. Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Sincerely,
Jeff Swafford
Organizer
Jeff Swafford
Organizer
Charlotte, NC