Wednesday, April 23, 2014

An AppleCare A Day To Keep Deductibles At Bay


I know that's a ridiculous title but my brain is too foggy to think of anything clever.

Almost one week ago, I related how I began experiencing unrecognizable painful symptoms after a routine visit to the Orthodontist.

Last Wednesday morning, I had routine dental work performed at the Orthodontist. By 4 pm that evening, my lips where tingling especially the top lip which turned blood red on the left side. By the next day I was in agony! I called the Ortho and the front desk lady said, "Come back in!" I did. He was puzzled but he asked me more than once, "Have you ever had a cold sore?" "No", I said. He kept repeating it looks like a cold sore but couldn't help. So, I went home thinking, no big deal, it'll pass. Alas, untreated, it went from bad to worse. 

On Friday Hubby insisted I get professional medical attention and took me to a new doctor (I lost my usual doctor because of high deductibles). Fortunately, it was a brief wait even with the 10,000 forms I had to fill out. The New Doc diagnosed my symptoms as cold sores. He prescribed Acyclovir Tab 800mg 5 times a day and Cephalexin Cap 500mg twice a day all for 7 days. Sounds innocuous, doesn't it? Cold Sores. They're not. This past week has been sheer he--. The left side of my face was completely numb from my left eye to the upper jaw, including the teeth. My head has ached continuously. The upper lip swelled up to unbelievable proportions. It was lined with fever blisters that are unreal in the pain department. They finally commenced with the draining last night. I started feeling a little improved this afternoon. For days I couldn't eat anything hot or spicy or chewy. I've been subsisting on frozen Almond Milk shakes, buttered bread and any soft food. Today the feeling in my face is slowly returning. I still have numbness in the sinus cavity. With good fortune these all should subside soon. 

I thought cold sores where just, you know, a little sore bump on the lip that pass after a day or two. BOY, was I WRONG! These things are the spawn from he--! And, yeah, it was caused by the dental work. But I read at WebMD that it's just a fluke. Apparently no one knows why dental procedures can cause flareups thus it's not the Ortho's fault. I'm glad to hear that. I'm very fond of my Ortho and his whole staff. They're good people. And these minions of pain are highly contagious. I've had to be extra careful and disinfect everything in my path.

At WebMD I learned that if I have the symptoms again, I need to have Lysine on hand. At the first tingling feeling, use the Lysine and ice packs. You can bet your bottom dollar I'm going to have that close by!

Something positive did happen from all this. I found a new doctor. That's very comforting in case of a real life threatening emergency. Please excuse the following plug. *smile* Southeast Georgia offers a nice new feature in that arena. They call themselves AppleCare LLC. It's a collective of doctors who agree to work for a flat rate to keep costs down. It's not necessary to join, but in order for the patient/client to save money, it's more advantageous to join the collective. For the patient the cost is minimal ($39 a month with a 12 month obligation). Each and every visit after that is only $25. My now former MD was well over $200 per visit! I received excellent care from a competent physician and there are currently 12 locations available. It's so convenient not having to make an appointment. There's no insurance to file. Good deal. Everybody's happy. For those who live in other parts of the country, and now also have expensive deductibles and/or no insurance thanks to Chum Lord Barry, I recommend looking into finding a similar deal in your area.

Until I heal, riding is way down the road. That's OK though. It looks like more rain anyway. Lord willing, and the creek don't rise, at least I don't have to busy myself with writing my obituary anymore. *lol*

~ Ride Safe ~
Sparky

16 comments:

  1. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Lysine will help. If you can take it daily, you can likely prevent additional outbreaks. Oh,and DO NOT touch a sore and then rub your eyes! You don't want it in your eyes....

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  2. So very sorry for the pain. I am thankful you have found a dr./office that you are pleased with at affordable rates. Sunny here today; I hope you get sunshine soon!!!

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  3. Bless your heart. I am so sorry. All of my dad's problems started with a trip to the dentist. Please take care of yourself. This is horrible. Mouth and facial pain is so awful because it has all the nerve endings close to your brain. I worked in healthcare practically all my life and I've seen what this can do. Bless your sweet heart. Get better soon. Prayers.

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  4. Yikes..as you know, Dave had a tooth pulled several years ago, a blood clot formed and he had a series of strokes..ANYWAYS--We have to drive over an hour for a doctor here, this Obamacare nonsense, we all have lost doctors etc. Just plum stupid and not liking it one bit. Blessings

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  5. I was very sorry to hear your news when I came to your blog this morning. I knew you had something going on and were in pain because you werent posting as much. I am so glad you found a new dr. and got the help you needed. It sounds like you found a 'jewel' at the same town. At least if anything like this comes again, you will know what to do and where to go. Happy Hump Day!

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  6. That is awful for you to go through this, I didn't know going to the dentist could cause so much pain.

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  8. Oh, my gosh. Your poor thing. I've had cold sores before, but never anything like that. They're caused by a virus and I would think it had to come from the ortho's instruments or even him. Horrible thought, I know. I'm making a note of the Lysine.
    The doctor co-op sounds like a great idea. I'm on Medicare now, but I have a supplemental insurance that costs me $189/month. One drawback I see, if you go into the hospital, you have the full bill to pay?
    I hope you get well fast. Your bike is calling you. Take care.

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  9. @Readers ~ I started taking the Lysine this morning, and by late this afternoon, praise Jesus I am so MUCH improved! The blisters burst, the lip peeled the old skin away, and after the initial screeching passed, I feel so much better. I think by tomorrow, I may actually feel normal again. That's pretty good for a semi-normal person like myself ... LOL

    Thank you EVERYONE for the prayers, kind words and always welcome advice.

    Luv ~:)

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  10. After I read your post yesterday, I did some research on Lysine. I'm definitely getting some. That's amazing how fast you started to heal. Praise the Lord. I can only imagine the pain you were feeling.

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  11. @Carol B. ~ I think I can safely say, the Lysine REALLY works! I'll be able to report more fully if there's a "next time" and I start taking the vitamin before an outbreak. Other sufferers swear by it. (Better than swearing at it ... ha ha)
    God bless. ~:)

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  12. Glad there was a silver lining after your stormy weather. Glad you're feeling better! Watch for pot holes!

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  13. @DaBlade ~ Thanks to the government, the world is full of unnecessary pot holes.
    Thanks for coming by! LOVE your blog. Wish I had your gift of writing. You're very talented and I'm glad you're on the side of Angels.
    Sparky ~:)

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  14. Hi, this is my first visit here, and I am glad you found a good doctor situation to treat this awful and unexpected condition. Take care and be well.

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  15. I get cold sores when I am under stress. I am going to get some Lysine and have it on hand! I wish we had something like AppleCare around here - we probably do, but I just don't know where...Maybe I will look into that. I hope you are feeling better soon. Sounds like it has been a rough week. God bless you with health and healing!

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  16. I have done battle with this and it is not fun. I have not done battle the way you describe, but I feel that I could if I did not have medication at the ready. For me, it's a $170 tube of Zovirax. Worth every penny. Anxiety is a trigger and I know that dental work would set it off. Hope that you are all better now.

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⭐ A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. ~ Walter Winchell