Getting Older: Part Two

I was reading over my post from last night and I started thinking about how the white hairs are just a small part of how the 'getting older' thing has really caught me off guard.  There is like a whole series of stuff that has been put off or neglected or just ignored for so long that it's kind of become a bit crazy.

For instance, I've not gone to the dentist in over 18 years. I brush my teeth, of course. I swig on the nasty mouth wash for the required time. I do all the tooth health stuff, but  . . . no dentist. In the beginning, I didn't go because I didn't have the insurance to do it. I was in college and my dad's insurance plan decided that dental wasn't a priority. After I aged off of his insurance, there was really no way I could swing it at all because I was still in school.

Once I was working, I just kept putting it off. I was never making all THAT much money and I still didn't have any insurance. As you know, eventually, I've had to go on disability. I'm very grateful for the medical insurance I have now, but they don't cover dental. To do dental insurance would require me to go on a private plan which would take up money I really don't have. Even then, any work done on my teeth would cause a lot of out of pocket expenses.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me. This situation is what it is, all based on decisions that I made that really didn't put 'go to dentist' as a priority. I kept thinking that it would happen eventually, but now that it's been this long . . . well, now I'm almost scared to go. My guess is that I won't show up at a dentist again until my mouth is in deep and horrible pain. And yes, I know how stupid that is.

It's one of the consequences of being poor and irresponsible for years, for thinking I had plenty of time to get things sorted. At one point, I did have that time. Now, things like dentist appointments and retirement funds are so neglected I might as well just assume they won't happen for me. Well, okay, the dentist thing will happen. Eventually.

Eventually.