Where should I begin?
Let's start with Private Health Insurance.
So this morning, i finally signed up for a health fund after making an appointment with an Oral Surgeon.
In Australia, even with Medicare (for PRs and Citizens), dental costs are not covered. A simple procedure like a routine check-up can cost you AUD 50, and more complex surgical extractions such as wisdom teeth removal can cost AUD 500 per wisdom tooth.
After consulted the dentist recommended by KK, actually a friend of his, he told me that eventually all 4 of my wisdom teeth will need to be removed surgically because they are impacted (blocked) and will cause the neighbouring teeth to be compromised in the long term, more complications.
And, from what I gathered, extractions of Lower wisdom teeth are more difficult than the Upper ones. And a regular dentist, in Australia, would normally refer you to an Oral Surgeon (a specialist= more expensive) for lower wisdom teeth extractions.
I have paid AUD 150 to the regular dentist, just for check-up and a digital x-ray (less radiation and easily shared among dentists because my x-ray will be stored in the computer).
The surgery, by the Oral Surgeon, costs AUD 450++ and AUD 100 for consultation. Without an insurance plan, I will have to fork out 550 dollars just for a wisdom tooth.
Now that I have signed up for this particular Cover, with no waiting period (so that i can claim against it immediately), I can get 190 dollars and 65 dollars back for extraction and consultation respectively. Net out of pocket cost for me will be 300 dollars still!
The appointment is booked for tomorrow. I will be going alone. Man, it's a surgery, and I am going alone....how sad... I am a little bit afraid, don't know how long the pain will linger post surgery. Will I be able to do stuff as normal after that? Or will I be crying on my bed?
Next thing, I got a massage today.
With this insurance cover, I can claim 33 dollars back for each remedial massage done by an approved practitioner (normally cost about $60-80).
I am so eager to start using the benefits from this cover, so that I am not wasting my money.
But, out of so many massage therapists, I chose a gay one. No. I wasn't planning for sex. I didn't want anything to go wrong. I didn't want to seduce my therapist or anything. But I want a gay masseur.
Why? Because, I don't want a straight masseur (not that there are many straight masseur anyway) because I am more comfortable to be naked in front of a gay, and it's ok to have an erection and all that.
I also don't want a female if possible, because I don't want them to expect that I am straight and I am expecting extra services.
So...with this masseur today, I saw his profile on Grindr a few days ago. Didn't know he's a masseur until a google search last night. He's not good looking, 38 years old (may be older), much shorter than me (168?) and of middle eastern/south american as he claimed to be.
Oh, by the way, it's kinda hard to find a masseur who lists himself as gay and at the same time 'approved' by the insurance company. So I was happy to find him because I know he's gay and approved so that I could claim part of the amount back.
The massage was bad. I don't like it at all. It was rough, and I had the feeling that he was fiddling with his phone on one hand sometimes.
It should be an hour session but I made an excuse to get out after about 40 mins.
Because....I was afraid of dirty towels and possibility of contracting some fungus, etc....
Ok... This may sound like I'm crazy. So, I lied face down since it's back massage that I wanted. There was a towel covering the massage bed. So my chest, my tummy was on the towel. I was wearing my underwear.
I had the feeling that the towel was not as dry as it should be. Clean, unused towels should be very dry right? I dun know.
I was afraid that he would not change the towels after every client left and he would reuse it for a couple of times. What if someone has got a fungal infection? I read quite a lot on fungal infection when I had the red bumps on my butt the last time. It can be spread through dirty towels!
The more i thought about it, the more worried I became. So I decided to leave since it wasn't great massage anyway.
I quickly had a shower once I reached home. And then I went to Google. Actually there are lots of things like Pubic Lice, Scabies and different types of fungus that can be potentially spread through dirty towels used by people who're infected...
OMG i thought. I know I shouldn't let this fear contain me again for the next few days, weeks and months. I know I shouldn't hope for the worst right? I should be optimistic and not worry too much.
Had another test in the evening....
Reading Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home.
Got it from the library yesterday, and I have already finished 25% of it! Will talk more about it later when I have finished it.
Here's a analogy from the book which I find very interesting. (starting from 'I remember...)
Let's start with Private Health Insurance.
So this morning, i finally signed up for a health fund after making an appointment with an Oral Surgeon.
In Australia, even with Medicare (for PRs and Citizens), dental costs are not covered. A simple procedure like a routine check-up can cost you AUD 50, and more complex surgical extractions such as wisdom teeth removal can cost AUD 500 per wisdom tooth.
After consulted the dentist recommended by KK, actually a friend of his, he told me that eventually all 4 of my wisdom teeth will need to be removed surgically because they are impacted (blocked) and will cause the neighbouring teeth to be compromised in the long term, more complications.
And, from what I gathered, extractions of Lower wisdom teeth are more difficult than the Upper ones. And a regular dentist, in Australia, would normally refer you to an Oral Surgeon (a specialist= more expensive) for lower wisdom teeth extractions.
I have paid AUD 150 to the regular dentist, just for check-up and a digital x-ray (less radiation and easily shared among dentists because my x-ray will be stored in the computer).
The surgery, by the Oral Surgeon, costs AUD 450++ and AUD 100 for consultation. Without an insurance plan, I will have to fork out 550 dollars just for a wisdom tooth.
Now that I have signed up for this particular Cover, with no waiting period (so that i can claim against it immediately), I can get 190 dollars and 65 dollars back for extraction and consultation respectively. Net out of pocket cost for me will be 300 dollars still!
The appointment is booked for tomorrow. I will be going alone. Man, it's a surgery, and I am going alone....how sad... I am a little bit afraid, don't know how long the pain will linger post surgery. Will I be able to do stuff as normal after that? Or will I be crying on my bed?
Next thing, I got a massage today.
With this insurance cover, I can claim 33 dollars back for each remedial massage done by an approved practitioner (normally cost about $60-80).
I am so eager to start using the benefits from this cover, so that I am not wasting my money.
But, out of so many massage therapists, I chose a gay one. No. I wasn't planning for sex. I didn't want anything to go wrong. I didn't want to seduce my therapist or anything. But I want a gay masseur.
Why? Because, I don't want a straight masseur (not that there are many straight masseur anyway) because I am more comfortable to be naked in front of a gay, and it's ok to have an erection and all that.
I also don't want a female if possible, because I don't want them to expect that I am straight and I am expecting extra services.
So...with this masseur today, I saw his profile on Grindr a few days ago. Didn't know he's a masseur until a google search last night. He's not good looking, 38 years old (may be older), much shorter than me (168?) and of middle eastern/south american as he claimed to be.
Oh, by the way, it's kinda hard to find a masseur who lists himself as gay and at the same time 'approved' by the insurance company. So I was happy to find him because I know he's gay and approved so that I could claim part of the amount back.
The massage was bad. I don't like it at all. It was rough, and I had the feeling that he was fiddling with his phone on one hand sometimes.
It should be an hour session but I made an excuse to get out after about 40 mins.
Because....I was afraid of dirty towels and possibility of contracting some fungus, etc....
Ok... This may sound like I'm crazy. So, I lied face down since it's back massage that I wanted. There was a towel covering the massage bed. So my chest, my tummy was on the towel. I was wearing my underwear.
I had the feeling that the towel was not as dry as it should be. Clean, unused towels should be very dry right? I dun know.
I was afraid that he would not change the towels after every client left and he would reuse it for a couple of times. What if someone has got a fungal infection? I read quite a lot on fungal infection when I had the red bumps on my butt the last time. It can be spread through dirty towels!
The more i thought about it, the more worried I became. So I decided to leave since it wasn't great massage anyway.
I quickly had a shower once I reached home. And then I went to Google. Actually there are lots of things like Pubic Lice, Scabies and different types of fungus that can be potentially spread through dirty towels used by people who're infected...
OMG i thought. I know I shouldn't let this fear contain me again for the next few days, weeks and months. I know I shouldn't hope for the worst right? I should be optimistic and not worry too much.
Had another test in the evening....
Reading Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home.
Got it from the library yesterday, and I have already finished 25% of it! Will talk more about it later when I have finished it.
Here's a analogy from the book which I find very interesting. (starting from 'I remember...)
Does it really matter to anyone other than the person holding the pen?
dun worry too much... everything will be fine...
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