Tooth-ousand Seventeen: New Me

Tooth-ousand Theventeen: New Year, New Me; or:
All I Want For Christmas

Hello Dear Friends,

If you know me you know that I don’t like much attention, and I almost never ask for help. I am stubborn and always try to be self-reliant. I am very reluctant to appeal for help in this way; however, I have nearly reached the crest of what I can do to provide for myself. I have no budget for damaged facial structure, and, after holiday expenditures, I have no extra money for myself, and an equally broke family safety net.

I have insurance under the “Affordable” Care Act but I have a $6,000 deductible. Even the dentist scoffed at this. If you can find it in your heart and in your pocket book to chip in this holiday season, I will forever be grateful and will not soon forget it. If I can, I will try to be a better friend and donate to whatever causes you collect for in the future.

I know there are many beings in greater need than I am. This appeal is only to those who can afford to spare it. If it be a choice between me or Other, please choose Other, as they need it more than me. But if you can afford both, I will be forever grateful and find a way to make it up to you. At very least, include an address in your donation and I'll return a photo with a personal message to your post box.

This has been a humbling experience to say the least, and I have taken from it a newfound appreciation for the health of my loved ones, neighbors, and myself. Life bites but it is so invaluable and very fragile. It is beautiful and I refuse to brush that off.

We all get by with a little help from our friends.




The Thtory:

On Friday the 16th, less than twenty-four hours after getting off the plane from a work trip in Dubai, I was in NYC cycling home from the gym, groceries in hand. As so often happens, there was a pedestrian lurching into the bike lane, eyes glued to his phone. As per usual, I sounded my bell and called for attention while simultaneously squeezing my (new) brakes and looking for a gap to floss and avoid colliding with him.

Alas, it was too late. My forward momentum combined with sensitive brakes and gravity drawn groceries, flipped me over my handlebars and onto my face. Luckily my teeth were there to break my fall, preventing (as far as I know) further head injury.

In the slow moving surrealistic moment collecting pieces of my former face, I watched the electronic-obsessed pedestrian slowly sidestep, stagger, (“Damn…Oh damn.”), and run away. There were several witnesses, many shouts and awes, but nobody helped. Not a word of care, only reactions that suggest, “Ooomph, that sucks.”


Forget it, Jack; it’s Chinatown.

In a shell-shocked daze, I scurried home through alleyways with coppered taste buds in the frozen mouth of Cold City. My roommate Michael was nice enough to call around for emergency dentists that take my insurance --none do-- they don’t know who does. This is not my first time navigating the dysfunctional bureaucratic healthcare system.

After putting away some squashed bananas, cracking Mike Tyson jokes, and observing the biting irony that I was carrying a bag of crispy apples (front teeth required), Michael ultimately landed me an appointment at Smile Rivington for the next day. $700 later, they got me temporary builds for the work-acceptable smile I desired.

Though I enjoyed a brief moment of jokes as a toothless Man-City football hooligan, I am grateful I was able to re-gain a temporary smile in an expedited fashion.

I am lucky. I am forever grateful that my situation is not worse. It could always be worse.

However, I am told I’m looking at upwards of thousands more for something permanent next year (if I’m able to afford that route, which I simply cannot without help).

I am asking for half of my deductible amount. And who knows what the insurance company decides, “qualifies,” for coverage. That much remains to be seen.

In the meantime, I’ll be making applesauce.


Thank you all for your time and your generous helping hand if you decide to contribute to my smile and happy apple chewing ability. You all mean so much to me and I don’t tell you enough. I hope your holidays are both restful and joyous. Don’t forget to hug your loved ones.

In your travels, please watch out for cyclists, motorbikes, and other people in general. If you need to look at your phone, do so outside the path of others. In fact, do everything outside the path of others unless that person has accepted you within theirs. Don’t let your electronics be smarter than you.

I love you all, and here's to a better 2017.

Love,

Scott

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