I saw K, my homeless friend, last night after three weeks, back in her usual spot. Her toothache has died down, at least for the moment, partially because she pulled some of it out. The rest of it still sits there though, in her mouth. We sat for an hour and chatted and laughed, feeling crappy. The things she has to face on a day to day basis monumentally suck. Especially in a world where people feel more and more entitled to treat others like shit.
K is terrified of going to the dentist. None of us like going to the dentist but it seems to be at phobia levels with her. I did some asking around a week ago or so; there is a dentist in the city who will remove her tooth for her. I told her about the schemes going on for dentures where she will not need to pay. Just talking about going to the dentist made her hands begin to shake. She is terrified, totally terrified. But she is also running out of teeth.
Newer
Older
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I was afraid you wouldn't see her anymore. Thanks for the update (and for going the extra mile with K.)
ReplyDeleteHey Sherry, yeah, I was worried I wouldn't see her anymore too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found her.
ReplyDeleteI have a question, you told me you guys had great nationalised healthcare -- why can't she just automatically get this taken care of? And no this isn't a snarky question, I was wondering last time too and forgot to ask.
Tyler - Well, I don't know if I would go so far as to say it is "great". She can get the tooth taken care of on Medicare. Dentures are also available to her under a scheme that the government tried to phase out several years ago but it didn't get past the Senate. Because she is homeless she would be eliglble (presumably being homeless would qualify, and the fact she has about six teeth).
ReplyDeleteI haven't been keeping up too much with the whole debate over there in the US; it gets confusing when it comes to universalised private insurance, which I think is part of the deal for you guys, is that right?
PS: Tyler, I just read back over my post and realised why you asked the question, duh. Just to clarify, I didn't realise at the time that her tooth would be covered on Medicare at any dentist at all, but it seems to be so. This is not the case for everybody, unfortunately. Private health insurance is becoming more of a rquirement in Australia, unfortunately, also.
ReplyDeleteSo it's a good thing she could go to any dentist ... it's just whether she has a Medicare card, whether I could even get her there (although toothache seems to clear up the argument and swing it one way, doesn't it)