Good Morning! I’ve never asked for help before, so I’m not sure how to. I’ve decided to just tell my story as I’ve lived it. I am 50 years old with 2 grown sons, my husband is medically retired from the Army. My husband and I have been married for nearly 20 years, and have just recently moved to North Carolina. In October of 2020, we had a house fire. We were renting at the time and didn’t have insurance, so when we moved to our new home, we started with nothing. It has been a long journey to date….
In 1996 I had an abscessed tooth that needed to be removed… The dentist that I went to didn’t completely numb my mouth and pulled the tooth anyway. The pain was immense and lasted almost a week, I lived on cat naps and protein shakes. Since then, I have a fear of all dentists that I cannot get past.
In 2009, I took my 2 boys to New Mexico for some “fun in the sun”, that day caused 2nd degree burns over 2/3 of my body. I was ill with sun poisoning for nearly 3 weeks. About 8 months later, in 2010, I was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE). According to my physician at the time, it was the severity of the sunburn that triggered my Lupus.
Later in 2009, I had 8 teeth pulled while my husband was still in the military. Thankfully, because I was also on his insurance at that time, they were able to put me completely under and surgically remove those teeth (which is covered by TriCare), and provide me with medication for pain.
It’s hard to know what questions to ask when one is given so much information all at once, so I never thought to ask how the constant vomiting would affect me. (3-4 times a day, since 2009-10, for as long as my flares last (up to a month at a time). I am learning now, that it has caused devastating and non-reversible decay in my teeth and gums.
In 2012 my husband medically retired from the Army with a brain tumor (oligodendro glyoma of the right parietal, very rare) and I put my own care to the side and have been taking care of him since then. Because of the nature of his discharge, I am not included at 100% on his retired medical insurance. If you know anything about the cost of medical treatment, you can understand the strain this has put on us financially, and for myself, psychologically, as I feel I can’t spend on medical for myself when other needs need to be met.
In 2018 Lupus and a few other morbidity factors caused my doctors to recommend gastric bypass for me in order to lessen the number of medications I was taking. Due to this, my body is not as capable of absorbing calcium and Vitamin D, which has made the condition of my teeth even worse.
Since moving here, I have experienced 3 Lupus flares, one that had a horrible affect on my gallbladder, which I had to have removed in March of this year.
The medical bills just kept adding up and I was unable to see a doctor for several months, when I did she (very wisely) told me that I needed to take better care of myself if I intended to continue caring for others. With Lupus, I am exhausted all of the time, but add to that the constant debilitating pain from my teeth and the resulting headaches, I can no longer keep doing things the way I always have.
Having not worked, except to care for my husband, I do not qualify for any loan, I have tried extensively. I don’t know what else I can do but to ask for help in any way I can. paypal.me/fixingme
I’ve been told multiple times that it is going to cost anywhere from $9,000 – $20,000 to repair my teeth, gums and reset my jaw, which has shifted causing a severe overbite. This has caused relentless depression for many years. I am so very close to giving up hope, so here I am, in a position that I never in a million years could have seen myself in. Asking for help. paypal.me/fixingme
Please understand that I am not bragging or condemning anyone that I have given my time to, however, I have put those I care about in my life first for as long as I can remember. I plan to continue doing so for as long as I am able, I just need help repairing myself so that I can.
I sincerely thank you for your time, I know that it is precious to us all!
paypal.me/fixingme