Yea, it's been forever since I last wrote a post. Moving on.

Teeth. I went to the dentist the other day. I thought the news was going to be alot worse only because I hadn't gone to the dentist since I was eight years old. My parent's could not afford health insurance so going to the doctor, dentist, etc, was a luxury. Anyways, the good news. So apparently, I have great teeth as the dentist said. And he was more surprised when I told him how long it has been since I last went for a checkup. No cavities, except gum sensitivity. I, basically, wore my gums down by brushing too hard against the surface. I was told to use a child's toothbrush and brush gently on my teeth surface, as well as give my gums a massage with the brush. I religiously brush my teeth in the morning and night, which explains the no cavities and the wearing down of my gums.I am returning to the dentist on the 21st to get the gum fillings that will protect my gums. As a working adult (emphasis on working, because many have been laid off ), I can visit a doctor if I have an ailment or if I simply have an odd cough. In my family, we could only go to a doctor as a last resort, as in you are practically dying type of thing. I feel this guilt every single time I head to the doctor's office because I know that there are many people who cannot afford a doctor/hospital visit. Even today, I really don't go to the doctor unless I have to, while knowingly paying for health care insurance out of my paycheck. I call it the INSURED-GUILT. I guess it's a mentality for those who grew up without healthcare insurance and today can now go a visit a doctor without worrying about the cost. Of course, it's obviously not cheap or free, but it is more affordable than walking in as an "uninsured" patient. Several years ago, my mom was feeling horribly sick. She had nausea and persistent vomiting. She was taken to the supposedly best hospital in the nation. They basically gave her aspirin to relieve her severe headache. They took her to the MRI and conducted a couple of other physical exams on her. The total stay in the hospital was three hours. The total cost was $10,000 dollars. And they still couldn't find anything wrong with my mother. She was sent home the way she came in- sick. Unbelievable. A week later, we received a letter from the hospital telling us that she had to pay her hospital bill in full. There was no way that was going to be possible. So I decided to call the hospital and try to explain the situation. The hospital was rude and said that they couldn't do anything for her-Not even financing or installment payments. The hospital then mentioned that I should contact a health advocate for our type of situation. I did and the hospital owned advocacy organization denied my mother assistance because she fell a little above what they considered the poverty line. It was a frustrating ordeal with no one willing to help or explain anything to us. Well, what ended up happening is that the hospital forced my mother to pay for her medical expenses with her credit card. No assistance whatsoever. This happened about six years ago before the healthcare crisis became the center of anyone's concern. The healthcare reform should be called the healthcare overhaul. Honestly, people will not comprehend the urgency of healthcare reform until they are unlucky enough to experience how unpractical and complicated it is to get medical assistance when you need it the most when you are uninsured.