"Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led be your dreams." Fortune Cookie

So today I finally made it to the dentist to begin the process of having a dental implant.  Now I know nobody wants to talk about going to the dentist, but there are some things that I want to include in this post that may help someone down the road, So let me start at the beginning.

A while ago (going on 2 years) I had to have one of my molars extracted. OUCHY!!  This resulted in my needing an implant.  The insurance plan we had at the time covered nothing toward the implant. Also, OUCHY when I found out how much it would cost!  So we made the decision to switch to an HMO plan that would cover at least some of the cost.  This entailed finding a new dentist. Once I found him, I had to find and oral surgeon also in the plan.  

So I go to the oral surgeon for a consultation and they tell me that even though they are in the HMO I still have to pay the regular fee for the implant!  Now the co-pay was pretty expensive as it is but they told me that the insurance company did not pay up to what they wanted so I would have to make up the difference! I called the insurance company and told them this and they said they cannot do this.  A dentist CANNOT pick and choose which procedures will be covered. If they are part of an HMO, it's all or nothing.  So if you are in an HMO plan do not let them tell you that you have to pay more than the co-pay.

So after that, I had to find another oral surgeon in the plan.  This time I made sure they would accept the insurance and I only had to pay the co-pay.  I scheduled my procedure for the end of May.  Unfortunately, however, I had the unpleasant experience of contracting Lyme Disease.  

Now I have to say that I was actually very lucky as far as the Lyme Disease goes. I had a bite which I thought was a spider bite because I didn't find a tick on me.  Then I got what I though was the flu. The flu symptoms went away but I still didn't fell 100% better.  I had this strange muscle weakness and was extremely tired.  Then I got this strange rash which I couldn't explain and went to the doctor to have it checked out.  Now the rash was not the bulls eye rash you always hear about. I developed these pinkish red blotches that looked something like hives.  The doctor took biopsies of my blotches and sent me for blood tests, all of which confirmed the diagnosis.  I was given antibiotics for 3 weeks and seem to have made a complete recovery for which I am grateful.

This experience has made me more cautious when working in the garden.  Now I wear long sleeve shirts and put on bug spray.  Not everyone finds a tick and many people do not get any kind of rash. Lyme Disease, while not life threatening, can seriously affect your quality of life and can easily go un-diagnosed.  So I urge you, if you live in an area with a lot of deer and spend time outside, be careful and if you just don't feel right after finding a bug bite, check with you doctor.

Anyway, since my Lyme Disease is behind me, I am now back on track for my implant.  Still OUCHY!

Have a fun day!
​Cynthia

I am thrilled to say that I have had my work published in GreenCraft Magazine.  ​This magazine is published by Stampington & Company,  a publishing company that specializes in art and craft magazines. I have enjoy perusing their wonderful publications for many years.  Recently, I submitted one of my dresses and one of my aprons with the hopes of getting at least one into the Gallery section.  Much to my delight, not only did my apron get published in the Gallery, they gave me a feature in the magazine itself.  

They gave me the option to write the article for the feature myself or have one of their staff writers do it.  Initially the 700 to 800 word length requirement seemed daunting but I thought I should give it a shot. I managed to do it with only a few words to spare!

I also had the opportunity to write the description for the gallery section, too.

While I don't think I have a career as a magazine writer in my future, it was certainly a thrill to get not only my dress and apron published, but also my story of how I got into making them.

Have a fun day!
​Cynthia