The Pony used one of his sick days last week, to go to a dentist. He has never been very keen on such appointments. He chose a dentist over in Bill-Paying Town that is a provider for his insurance. Poor Pony! He was there for THREE HOURS! His appointment was at 10:30, and he didn't get out until 1:30.
Anyhoo... after texting me intermittently while in the waiting room, and in the chair, he finally had his results. He needs three fillings, a treatment for a gum issue, and all his wisdom teeth pulled! As he left, The Pony paid a portion of his bill. He sent me a picture. Farmer H and I thought it was excessively high.
"What is that for? I don't see an itemized list. It just says "treatment plan." Are the fillings included in that?"
"I think it's for everything but the wisdom teeth. Look what it COULD have been! I got 50 percent off for the insurance rate, and the insurance is going to pay part of the other."
"Still. You might ask what it would be if you just paid cash and didn't go through insurance. Sometimes you can get it cheaper."
"It's fine, Mom. I paid part today, and I will pay the rest when I go back next week for the second part of the gum treatment. I think I have three sessions of it."
Well. Since that text, The Pony looked over his paperwork, and the only thing on that bill was the gum treatments. He was still okay with paying that amount. I know that dental services are expensive. But I don't want to see The Pony taken advantage of by a chain. A stand-alone dentist might be cheaper. Even if they didn't take the insurance.
Anyhoo... it's The Pony's mouth, and The Pony's money. So we didn't dwell on it. It's bad enough going to the dentist, and paying, without somebody being critical of your choice of provider.
Thursday evening, I got another text from The Pony.
"Rare good dentist news! The girl doing the cleaning said it wasn't as bad as they said last week. Lotta stuff off the bill, apparently! They didn't ask me to pay any extra and said anything over the new cost rolls over as a credit."
"That's great!!!"
"Fillings on the 10th. Wisdom teeth I'll probably schedule out sometime at the end of July. Do it on a Friday, take the Saturday off, and not go back until Tuesday."
"You will need a driver. I'm sure Dad will do it, since you have taken him to so many medical appointments."
"Yeah. That's part of my plan to wait. So he can take me, plus having two days off. No way am I having four teeth pulled after a day at work!"
Poor, poor Pony! I don't envy him this procedure. I am going to see if he will spend that Friday night out here at the Mansion with us. So we can keep an eye on him. I will buy him soft foods, and bags of frozen peas to put on his chipmunk cheeks after the pullings!
I remember the day "no-one" had all her wisdom teeth pulled, came home in a taxi, went to bed right away and then sleepwalked a couple of hours later saying she was fine as we steered her back to bed. She looked wide awake, but kept bumping into cupboards and the fridge.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteOh, no! We might have to install a Pony-gate at the top of those 13 rail-less basement stairs! At least I sit up most of the night, and could probably catch him before he took the plunge.
I still have my two bottom wisdom teeth!! I will be 70 soon! I remember taking Jeff to have his cut out. Almost had to tie him to the reception desk before they took him back. The anesthesia made him so goofy. He wanted to eat and the food kept falling out of his mouth (scrambled eggs) and he started bawling like a baby, reverting back to calling me Mommy. Fun times. Just remember NO STRAWS. Sucking one will result in dry pockets and it is said to be very painful. Jeff obeyed his mother and avoided that. It was HeWho refuses to listen that got them. He was smoking at that time, but he always has a big cup and a straw.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteI guess that makes you wiser than me!
The Pony said he doesn't want to stay here because he might say something stupid! If that's the case, I'm sure Farmer H will already have heard it by the time they get home after the pullings.
I had mine out during my first year of teaching. Had an allergic reaction to penicillin and had to have a friend drive me 30 minutes to the ER, where I got a shot of Benadryl that made my head float away like a helium balloon. At least it got rid of the rash all over my body in splotches, and on my palms and inside my mouth!