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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLet me tell you why I know all the political and media right wingers are vaccinated
In the 1980s when I was a fledgling dentist, a man appeared in my office as a new patient. He was well-dressed well-comported, well-spoken gentleman who happened to be African-American, and was scared to death of dentistry and the dentist, and had been referred by someone he did not wish to name. This was not unusual in those days.
Interestingly, he was accompanied by a young, very well dressed, very well put together, Attractive woman, approximately 30 to 40 years his junior, who sat with him in the treatment room at all times. This was also not unusual among phobic patients. She declined to identify her relation to the gentleman, but as long as it was OK with him it was certainly all right with me.
Clinical examination revealed a dentition with severe bone loss, Inflammation and most teeth were not only mobile, but vertically depressible which means that they are considered terminal without doubt. I informed the gentleman that he was going to require full upper and lower dentures, that they could be made as immediate dentures so that he would never be without teeth, but because he had so many teeth remaining and the infection was so significant, I would prefer did an oral surgeon perform the extractions. He was very happy to hear this, because then he could receive general anesthesia which in his case, due to his phobia, was the requirement. I had just the surgeon in mind and made a few phone calls and accommodated him extremely well, and we were scheduled.
Of course it was time to discuss the fees and without hesitation he reached into his wallet and took out $500 cash to start. He had stated that he worked for the city, so I gently said that he might have insurance coverage, and he quickly demurred, And stated that he would pay for it in full with cash in any schedule which I deemed fit in the oral surgeon deemed fit. This caused my eyebrow to elevate slightly, but as long as I was being paid I didnt really care about the mechanism. I fabricated the dentures for him, gave them to the oral surgeon for insertion, and this occurred on schedule. The surgeon referred him back to me for denture adjustments, I performed two adjustments which was very few considering, and the man disappeared from my practice never to be seen again.
Well, not quite never to be seen again, for one day Im watching local news and I see That this very prominent local politician whose name I know well delivered a speech and there he is and there are my teeth smiling back at me on my 26 inch tube. At that exact moment I understood exactly what had occurred here: this famous gentleman did not want anyone to know that his teeth were in such disrepair and so rather than going to one of the big named Dentists who might recognize him from their political work in Center City, went to a competent but young practitioner who would not have considered that he was using a pseudonym on his health history.
no I am not saying that these congressman, senators, media plop Pol personalities, and others had to lie about who they were to get their vaccine, but experience tells me that there is much more going on medically than meets the eye, and that if the public knew all that was going on there would be a constant outcry of which representative is sicker than the other, or having more problems were has only a finite number of months or years to live which has been defined. Suffice it to say that I am virtually certain that all of these folks who do decry vaccination, masks, and social distancing are well-protected as are their families and none of them are willing to sacrifice their health or their lives for a so-called ideology of ignorance.
That being said, Im a big believer in Darwinism and have long since abandoned the thought of altruism toward these Miscreants who refuse vaccination and health protection for the masses.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,560 posts)You tell the story well; I was completely captivated throughout.
I am sure you're correct about the numbers of "important" folks who are well protected via vaccine while they espouse the contrary view.
Hypocrites, every single one of them.
TheBlackAdder
(28,179 posts).
It's one thing to be a wing-nut and not get vaccinated, and espouse anti-vax sentiment.
But if you are a truly self-serving fuck and get vaccinated, and then you dissuade others from seeking the vaccine, that is more of an indication that you are willfully placing people's lives at risk.
.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,986 posts)mopinko
(70,067 posts)PCIntern
(25,513 posts)Respectfully of course.
Everyone is afraid and is happy to admit it. No, this was an extreme degree of pathology tgat was fairly revolting by any standard. And my standards are very low.
NJCher
(35,644 posts)dentists or needles.
I tell the practitioner this up front. You would probably laugh at some of the reactions I've gotten. The last one was a comedy routine about the 'fraidy cats.
When calling for an appointment, I give them a specific, such as "11:00 a.m. on Thursday the 12th." Then they say thank you for that because usually they have to play a guessing game with the patient about when they want to come in. Wastes a lot of time.
A third thing I do that doctor's offices seem to like is I come in with all my documents in a little envelope. I give it to them and I also take care of the co-pay up front. The response to this a couple times was, "Thank you for being so organized."
But I digress.
NJCher
(35,644 posts)He knew he was taking no risk as there's this thing called patient confidentiality. Clever guy and I can't say as I blame him for doing what he did.
Captain Zero
(6,799 posts)Who could calm him and keep confidentiality.
PCIntern
(25,513 posts)But thats just a surmise
Hekate
(90,616 posts)
by a member of the public, or being recognized by an unreliable office clerk or the like. Youll never guess who I saw entering the Womens Clinic. Youll never guess who I saw walking in to the AIDS Clinic.
Could be bad for ones reputation/career in any number of ways.
In the case of the man described, he was no doubt deeply ashamed of his phobia and deeply ashamed of the condition of his mouth, and did not want that shame exposed to comment in any way, shape, or form.
mwooldri
(10,302 posts)Also reminds me of the stories I hear of anti abortionists turning to someone to get an abortion ... I can't name names, because I don't know. Turns out that a lot of right wing leaders are practitioners of "do as I say, not as I do".
ShazzieB
(16,348 posts)To hear people who work in abortion clinics tell it, there are many cases of regular clinic protestors who come in for an abortion (either for themselves or a daughter, etc.) and are back out there protesting again a few days later.
I am sure not all the forced birthers are that hypocritical, but it's amazing how many of them act like there's a different set of rules about whether about abortion should be permissible when they are the ones who are faced with an unwanted prregnancy.
Thunderbeast
(3,404 posts)Reasons given: (obviously could vote for multiple reasons)
Side effects. 53%
Waiting to see if safe. 40%
Don't trust vaccines. 37%
Don't trust government. 27%
Don't believe I need it. 26%
I don't buy it!
When it comes down to it, I think a H U G E percentage of the population is terrified of needles. I think the above reasons are pure rationalizations. I wonder what the vaccination rate would be if it were delivered as an oral medication.
I would bet my last dollar that we would not be having this conversation if it were offered as a pill or a drop on a sugar cube (like the Sabin polio vaccine).
FakeNoose
(32,610 posts)... but also there's a large slice of people who REALLY think it's not going to happen to them.
Until it does ... and then it's too late.
róisín_dubh
(11,791 posts)which I frankly find hysterical because he's covered in tattoos, is a big burly Dutchman, and is a hunter. Now I get that people who are tattooed are often afraid of needles (I am terrified of having blood drawn and I'm tattooed).
I'm desperately trying to convince him. I convinced another friend to get vaccinated. I'm still working on my sister but I think she's a lost cause.
localroger
(3,622 posts)It's an intramuscular injection (so they don't have to find a vein) with a very thin, not very long needle and it's over almost before you can consciously register the pinprick. If you look away you'll barely even know it's happening.
róisín_dubh
(11,791 posts)Though I did once pass out during an MMR (or HepA, can't remember) injection. My deltoid seized and I had a vasovagal reaction. Fun times. I also have passed out during certain eye procedures (measuring corneal thickness for instance). It's mostly anxiety I guess.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)I admit Ive often wondered, what is humanity to do with the stupids and pathologicals? I just didnt expect to see it play out in front of me.
2Gingersnaps
(1,000 posts)One of the finest books I have ever read, "Darwin's Ghosts," by Rebecca Stott. It was a history of the natural scientists from Aristotle on down through history that risked their reputations, livelihoods, arrest, even their lives against Church/State for the science of natural selection, including Darwin' own grandfather who did not publish because "he had eleven children to feed."
The book gave me a new appreciation for Leonardo Da Vinci and introduction to Dennis Diderot, whose name I see bandied about here but not much of anywhere else. LOL, it should be, he certainly had a hand in our Revolution.
My big problem is I have an extremely altruistic nature, and it is hard to accept that for my own mental health, I need to let go of that a tad. I honestly believed that ignorance was just not knowing better, that when presented with a logical argument, with evidence based conclusions, that people do better. Um, I truly did not believe willful ignorance was that big a thing.
Some where out there, after all his Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov, my late husband is giving me that smirk and saying "I told you so." Gonna give him a pass, this time.
NJCher
(35,644 posts)And I never had too high an opinion of the intelligence of the citizens of this country in the first place.
I never, however, ever would have guessed this degree of willful ignorance.
This whole experience has taught me I have some misconceptions and not to be too confident in my beliefs and perceptions.
marble falls
(57,055 posts)... they get vaxxed, but vaxxed they just have to be. And if they get Covid, I'm not as sympathetic as I would be if this weren't a freaking Pandemic.
bluboid
(560 posts)Bengus81
(6,930 posts)This is way,way to divided along political lines. Nah...the FEAR is being caught getting the vaccine by a Trump humping/Qanon friend or family members who are just as crazed as Trumps domestic terrorists and those who think they are "owning" Biden by not getting a shot.
I don't think enough of them have died yet to really reverse this nonsense.
momta
(4,079 posts)I, too, am dentist-phobic. I have had the same dentist for about 25 years. He says I'm his oldest patient.
Before I found him I had gone to about three different dentists after we moved to Boulder, CO, with varying degrees of disappointment. And then a co-worker recommended him. I've always worried that he's going to retire or move, but no, he's been in the same office for 25 years, and has had the same hygienist for probably twenty of those.
Thanks for being a caring dentist.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,986 posts)Hekate
(90,616 posts)Aviation Pro
(12,140 posts)Well done, Doctor.
PCIntern
(25,513 posts)It was never easy and now its approaching ridiculous.
Aviation Pro
(12,140 posts)And, yes, I have to hear about the frustrations every single day.
People simply do not understand:
1. The importance of oral hygiene to overall health.
2. That dentists perform surgery every single day.
3. That insurance companies have destroyed the profitably of dental offices.
PCIntern
(25,513 posts)Kev80
(26 posts)I always appreciate reading your posts. Im a PA guy, not from your area. I never post a reply, but have been reading DU for the past 15 years. Maybe Ill start replying. By reading posts everyday, I feel like part of the DU family that no one knows of. Thank you for always telling a story from experience.
Rhiannon12866
(205,051 posts)I'm always amazed when I notice a long time member who hasn't yet posted - but then you can tell by my post count that I'm not one of them - but I've been here since DU.1.
And welcome to our DU family, we're a community here and we're glad to have you with us...
Kev80
(26 posts)Im Irish and we tend to be listeners and sort it out later. My wife would tell you I never keep quiet. Especially when it comes to caring for other human beings.
PCIntern
(25,513 posts)Everyones viewpoint is enlightening here.
When I was in college I dated a girl from Feasterville. That being said, my family has always been solid Democrats. The relationship didnt work out, but this country bumpkin had his eyes opened even wider. Thank you for your posts.
KS Toronado
(17,178 posts)Thank you. Maybe Ill start being a little more vocal, but everyone here seem to have their hand on the pulse. I just enjoy reading the articles and reading the posts that follow.
KS Toronado
(17,178 posts)You are not alone.
Hekate
(90,616 posts)
Dentistry and Socio-economic Class
. Dentistry and Psychology
Who knew, when you embarked on this career, that you would encounter so much of what William Saroyan called the human comedy? (Saroyan, in his nod to Dante, was not writing humorously on the whole.)
Thats some post! Im very impressed!!!
3Hotdogs
(12,358 posts)Become a teacher.
Ya get to laugh at the kids, fellow teachers, administrators and parents.
I'll give you a parent one. 7th grade science teacher has kids at the lab table. There is a significant amount of giggling and tittering from 4 girls at a table in the back of the room. Teacher ambles to the back of the room and sees the girls with a big dildo.
She confiscates the dildo. At break, she calls the mother, "Mrs. ...., I want you to know what your daughter brought to class today."
Parent: "So that's where it went to."
Meowmee
(5,164 posts)Otherwise they would say they are not, refusing to answer is a giveaway. I hope someone can legally publicize it.
dalton99a
(81,426 posts)They all got it done in secret or incognito
Blue Owl
(50,325 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,093 posts)than just medical procedures would apply to literally everything else, by people like this.
When one is in the spotlight, it's difficult to even have a 'normal' life. It's like those stories you see on YouTube etc., about those who win the lottery, etc., their lives are forever changed, and one has all of a sudden, thousands of more friends and relatives that they didn't know they had before their good fortune. Can you imagine, never getting to go to a 'McDonald's', or doing anything 'normal' again? It would be a sad thing (IMHO).
Response to PCIntern (Original post)
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