Oh good luck, Lars. I'm sorry to hear about your impending surgery although it is for the best. You don't want to end up being one of those old men whose backs are so bent that they are looking at the floor instead of straight ahead. (Although it seems that everyone under the age of 40 walks around looking down at their phones instead of straight ahead, but I digress).

When I had my passport renewed I sent the old one somewhere along with the new photos. A new passport arrived and then the old one was returned with some holes punched in it.

Is that a remake of the old Avengers tv series with Diana Rigg? I adored that show and especially Diana's character. Back then there were not to many strong independent female role models.

I would almost be willing to have my thyroid glands removed if I could have a neck lift at the same time. I HIGHLY recommend getting a second opinion. I think we rush into surgeries on the advice of just one doc. Make sure you see someone who is not in any way affiliated with the first doc so they feel free to disagree.

I'm glad your plants are blooming. My dwarf french hydrangea did not bloom last year but I am thrilled to see that it is covered in buds this year. Our plants are like our children and it is always heartwarming to see them bloom and grow.

Lars - Sorry to hear the news. Wish you the best and a speedy recovery!

My husband had thyroid surgery at 17 for Hyperthyroidism over 42 years ago. Back then, 1970, they did surgery and removed all of his thyroid. Today goiters are treated with radioactive iodine therapy. Both his brothers had that done in their 30's and 40's. It runs in his family. He recovered fine and lived a normal life until his 40's when he noticed a lot of changes.

He started feeling tired, weak, and depressed. He became more sensitive to the cold, and this was someone who always wore short sleeves and shorts. And he had been a runner for 20 years, running at least 5 miles a day and several marathons, but couldn't any more. But what was really bad was the memory problems and having trouble thinking clearly. He felt like he was in a fog all the time. It was interfering with work. He kept getting the diagnose of stress, but the symptoms wouldn't go away. He finally found a doctor that did thyroid tests and found out he had hypothyroidism. He has been on medication ever since. It really makes a difference and helps a lot.

I would get a second opinion too. I have heard of surgery for hyper but not hypothyroidism. Doctors usually prescribe thyroid hormone pills to treat hypothyroidism. Is the surgery for removal of a nodule? You should go to WebMD and read more about your condition.

Regarding osteoporosis, that can be caused by hypothyroidism and taking the hormone medication could help. I found out 10 years ago, at 50, that I have the bones of an 80 year old. That is why when I fell down a hill in Oct. 2009, I broke my hip in 3 places. I have been on Citracal calcium supplements with vitamin D and once a week Alendronate Sodium pills since then. Alendronate is an anti-osteoporosis agent called a bisphosphonate that stops bone breakdown. I don't know if men go on those pills but you could start taking calcium with vitamin D supplements.

Glad to hear that your flowers are doing so well. I am totally into my roses right now. I should have a bouquet of roses for Mother's Day. I have about 35 rose bushes. And keep getting more even though I have run out of places to put them. LOL!

Take care.
Clare

Ellen, I sent you an email with my phone numbers. I haven't yet made an appointment to see my own endrocrinologist, but I think that he is okay. Still, I do agree that a second opinion is in order, but I want to make sure that it is a good one. I was a bit depressed yesterday after hearing the news and told DB that I would not be making dinner but that he could have leftover lasagna, which he heated up himself.

The Avengers movie has nothing to do with the TV show - it is based on comic book heros like Thor, Captain America, etc. Kevin said it will attract a very geeky audience, which describes him more than it does me, but I think I will like it. I liked the Thor movie.

I think the thyroid glands might be more necessary to keep than some of the doctors believe. I think there should be some other kind of treatment.

Thanks for all of the information.

Lars

Hypothyrodism means the thyroid gland produces not enough hormone. Removal of the thyroid gland means the gland produces no hormone, I assume. I guess I'd want to understand pretty clearly why this surgery is the best option. It doesn't obviously make sense. Read the Mayo Clinic and WebMD sites and other web resources to get some background, they list treatment options, would be interesting to see if gland removal is among them.

I guess what I have is hyperthyroidism instead of hypo-. I do know that the doctor said it was overactive and is producing too much hormone. I'm pretty sure that I have my TSH, T3, and T4 levels listed on my last physical, which just last month, and so I will go back and look at those.

If I do get a second opinion from another doctor, I will have to have the radiologists records sent to him, but I can request those directly from the radiologist's office, when I went yesterday in Santa Monica. I had to go there twice because the first time they forgot to scan my wrist, and my doctor said that that was the most important scan. The office was very apologetic for this and validated my parking for me and gave me a $10 gas card plus a stamp worth one hour of parking at the facility. The first time I went, the parking cost $8 for less than an hour, and I thought that was a bit too much. Parking is horrible almost anywhere in Santa Monica, and I feel like I am in Manhattan when I try to drive there.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Hyerthyroidism

Sorry to hear it Lars. Yes, definitely get opinions from two endocrinologists and maybe see a naturopath about dietary help. Get regular sun in your backyard for natural Vitamin D.

I am looking forward to seeing the Avengers too - I have to see Hunger Games as well, haven't gone yet. If you liked Thor, you would like Captain America. Avengers has good reviews.

Lars, I also agree that you should get a second opinion.

My old boss and very good friend, Chrystal, has taken a full replacement dose of thyroid replacement since she was a child, I don't believe she had surgery but she said her thyroid did not function at all. She got very tired when she needed her medication levels adjusted, and she was very diligent about calcium levels, but other than that she didn't seem to make any other special adjustments.

so you could get a neck lift at the same time? Now that would be a double bonus but your health comes first, of course.

Hugs to you, my dear.

Annie

With my endocrine system, there was no amount of calcium I could absorb/ingest to correct that level, hence the therapeutic dose. Unfortunately, the osteoporosis drugs give me incredible heartburn. However diet, exercise and Vit D do help me.

Lars, but for cases where there are nodules or other reasons to suspect thyroid cancer....the usual treatment for hyperthroidism is an "iodine cocktail"...radioactive iodine pills, administered over the course of several days...or even weeks. That treatment is of course non -invasive and can be controlled so as not to remove too much of the thyroid and create the opposite problem.
Get thee to an endrocinologist!
Linda C

Lars - Physicians are maniacally quick to kill a hyperactive thyroid with radioactive iodine, but there are some conservative endocrinologists out there who advocate trying other treatments (e.g. a medication like Tapazole) first. It's the norm to eventually end up hypothyroid after iodine treatment. This is not a decision to make in haste. Get a second (or third) opinion and find a doctor who will give you options, if possible, so you can make an informed decision.

Thanks, Goldgirl - I am definitely going to get another professional opinion, but I want to make sure that I get it from the right doctor.

Linda, I am wondering why they did not think to offer the iodine cocktail treatment. I haven't yet gone back to the original endocrinologist, and so I will have to see if he will give me other options.

I will call my endocrinologist tomorrow to make an appointment. I got a new cell phone today so that I can keep in better contact with Kevin in case I have to go to Saint John's. I have an appointment with the dentist who is going to be getting me another implant on Thursday, and there is a chance I will not be able to drive home at some point.

Lars

The diagnosis is for Hyperparathyroidism, and I made an appointment today with Dr. Yeh at UCLA Medical Center for another scanning and a consultation. In the meantime, I will have a chance to see another endocrinologist, but at this point, I am beginning to think that the surgery may be the best option. There seem to be a lot of benefits from the surgery beyond getting rid of the osteoporosis, although that is important enough. I have a lot of the symptoms that the web site says can be helped, and so maybe this can be a turning point for me. I'll look up my astrological transits to make sure that I make the appointments on the best days. They now do the surgery with extremely small incisions, and so I may not need the plastic surgery as desperately as I previously thought, although they do plastic surgery in the same building. I have a feeling that they might not do it on the same day, however. I will probably be out 2-3 days from work, depending on how the recovery goes.

New from Texas - my cousin Janet has had her pneumonia come back for the second time in two months, and she is not looking very good at this point. I only had two cousins that I was close to, and I felt closest to her. She may not last through the end of the year, even though she is 19 years younger than my father.

A room as become available for my father at the VA home in Temple, but the previous occupant who died in the room had a flesh-eating bacteria, and it will be a while before they can get the room completely sanitized, etc. I feel sad for my father, but I do not see what else we can do. When I called DM on Sunday, she said she had to call me back because she was bandaging DF from injuries he had just sustained from his more recent fall in the house. He yelled to the phone that he loved me, and yet he sometimes does not know who DM is. My brother Mike does not have the heart (he says) to take DF to the home, but his wife certainly does and cannot wait to do so. Mike had the heart to murder my pet dachshund and kill one of Kevin's dogs, however, and so those feelings come and go with him. Basically, I think of him as a rather cruel person, but perhaps not the cruellest in the family - it seems to be a running trait on the male line affecting only the males. Kevin and I didn't get those genes, however.

I'm going through some very wild mood changes now myself and am having trouble concentrating from time to time. I might have to leave early today.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: UCLA Endrocrine surgery

Oh dear, Lars, you have so much going on in your life right now, it's no wonder you're having mood swings. I think I'd be beside myself.

Hugs to you, I'll be sending lots of positive thoughts for strength and healing and all the moral support I can drum up.

Annie

Thanks so much for your support, Annie. I did leave work shortly after posting that message. I'm trying to read things at night to help me cope, but sometimes my feelings get a bit beyond what I can control, although not nearly as badly as they did when I was younger. Today was a very mixed bag, and so I felt a bit of confusion along with sorrow, and I do not deal well with sorrow. My family is not the comforting type either, and so I seek comfort from friends, as a general rule. Fortunately, I feel close to some of my co-workers, and they are good listeners - but not all of them! Some of them are quite caustic, although I don't think it is intentional - they are merely insensitive and are sometimes puzzled when I avoid them during my vulnerable periods. I've been told that one is never supposed to show vulnerability at work, and so I try to go home when I get into one of those periods. Jupiter is conjunct my Moon right now, and so these intense feelings will probably continue for another week or two. The Sun will also be conjunct my Moon on Friday, and that is the day I have scheduled for oral surgery, and so at least I will have pain killers for that day - or be sedated. Kevin told me he can take half a day off for that, since I will not be able to drive myself home.

Lars

"No one is supposed to show vulnerability at work...". Yes, we wouldn't want anyone to know that our employees are human, with human emotions and feelings and weaknesses, now would we? A pox on them.

I'm glad Kevin is there to help you and you're probably a help for him too, at least you can help each other. I know that some of the circumstances in your life can't really change for the better, family members cannot get younger and family dynamics don't usually change, but I hope that things get a little easier for you to cope with, as you get accustomed to the changes that you have no control over.

I think that's the worst part, the feeling helpless as changes happen, and we're powerless to do anything about it.

Annie

Looks like life has thrown you a curve ball or two lately Lars. Hugs from me too.

Try to take good care of yourself - eat nutritious food, get a lot of sleep, watch some funny or uplifting movies, go to museums. I've always liked the Norton Simon - not too big like LACMA or the new Getty. Nice little outdoor cafe. The weather is beautiful lately - sit outside and enjoy your backyard and relax a bit when you come home from work. Maybe take up yoga.

We're here to listen.

Thanks, Gina. I am trying to do yoga, and I bought a couple of DVDs to help, but some of the poses are too advanced for me. I was thinking of perhaps taking a yoga class. I need to talk with the doctors about this, however, because some of the yoga poses can be dangerous for someone with osteoporosis.

I took our sister and BIL to the Norton Simon when they were here - mostly to see the Huntington Gardens, and afterwards we went to Old Town Pasadena. It is helpful for me to sit in my back yard after work with the fountains turned on. It's been difficult for me to get to sleep early, however, despite what I've been reading. I think I need to ride my bike around the neighborhood when I get home, but usually I'm trying to get dinner or something started. I've told Kevin that I might not be cooking as much as usual. One of the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism is depression, and I've been experiencing more than usual of that lately. Normally I can get out of it fairly quickly, but with the ongoing family problems, it is more difficult. I find myself just wanting to cry and not completely knowing why. When this Jupiter transit passes in a couple of weeks, I hope things will calm down for me.

Annie, I'm really kind of upset with my boss's assistant, as she can be quite cold. She's a hard New Yorker and worked at Bloomingdales as a director before she came here. My boss is also from Manhattan, and I've compared her to The Devil Wears Prada, which is one of her favorite movies - she very much identifies with the Meryl Streep character, which can be scary, but we're used to each other by now, and I'm now one of her pets.

I won't be doing much this week-end, since I will be recuperating from the oral surgery that I have scheduled for Friday. I keep getting flashes of my father and wonder what is happening with him a lot of the time. I think when he gets put into the home that he may feel like he is in jail - or purgatory, if he believed in that.

Thanks for listening!

Lars

Lars, I'm sorry to hear about your health challenges. I didn't know anything about the parathyroid glands, so I read up on your condition (link below).

I hope you can get some rest this weekend.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia description of the condition

Lars I'm sorry you are having such a difficult time right now. Not easy dealing with aging parents but to also have health issues makes everything worse. Just know I'm thinking of you.

Ann

Janine, I'm going to have to get rest this week-end after my oral surgery!!

Ann, thanks for the thought - every bit helps. Fortunately today my boss gave me a new coffee table project to work on, and that helps take my mind off other things - when I am working on new drawings. Before, I was working on some old drawings and trying to build a model of a new sconce. When I am working on models, my mind wanders wherever, and that is not always good. When I am doing meticulous work, my mind can go on a rampage, but when I am drawing, it seems to be more focused. I like it when I finish building the new models, but the process is a bit slow and does not keep my mind busy, once I figure out how I'm going to build it. Last week I finished carving a new lamp base out of styrofoam for a little girl's bedroom in Provence (She's Russian, but the family has a vacation house in France), and that got approved. So I went back to a sconce that I started last year that is somewhat on hold, and I just work on it when I have extra time. Anyway, I especially like getting new projects because they generally occupy my mind more in the beginning. I carved the base of the girl's lamp to look like stylized lotus petals, and it came out better than I expected because I wasn't at all sure how it was going to look.

Lars

Lars, hang in there. Keep telling yourself that it's metabolic and it WILL get better. One day at a time, step by step, inch by inch.
Your parents are more difficult, but really it's out of your control. It sounds like you'll have to let your brother & sister do the heavy lifting, you can support your mother and father via long distance. I know that's easy for me to say, but your health needs to be your primary focus.

There are times when I say...can't this just be easy? But the real answer is so much more complicated.

I think focusing on your projects for work will be a good distraction and offer normalization to your daily routine.
Let your creative side go wild and let us see pictures when you can!
Good luck with the oral surgery, hoping its easier than expected!
>>>

Lars, I don't have much to add but want you to know I'm thinking of you. Good luck with the oral surgery, suddenly it will be over and after a couple days of recuperation, you will feel much better and ready to take on the thyroid challenge.

Get some help with the depression, getting older isn't fun but we are lucky to have to deal with it. Beats the alternative!!!

Nancy

You have an awful lot of things going on. It is hard to cope. I suggest:

1. Make yourself the #1 priority. The situation with your father is distressing, but it is largely out of your control right now, and you won't be able to help later if you are not healthy and strong in mind and body.

2. Recognize that your condition is affecting your state of mind, and that things are actually not as bad as it feels like. Therefore, be forgiving with yourself.

3. Seek all the help and support that is available to you. Medical, emotional, logistical, pampering. There is no prize to be won by being a tough guy. Coming and talking to us here on the forum is part of that, if you find it helpful.

4. Think one item at a time. Write down the ten most important thing you need to do. First item: schedule consultation. Second item: choose treatment. Third item: schedule surgery, if that is the choice. Fourth item: schedule consult about depression. Etc etc. Then get just the first thing done. You will take control of the situation, break it down into manageable pieces, and handle the pieces one by one. You won't be overwhelmed any more.

And in some period - maybe not weeks, maybe months, but probably not years - you will have put this behind you.

By the way, you might look into swimming. It is excellent exercise, very easy on bones and joints, and it is relaxing. I don't imagine your condition should really restrict you from yoga or any reasonable exercise - no MMA or tackle football, I guess - but if you want to start gently, then swim.

Lars, you really have it comimg at you from all sides....I am sorry.
But remember as bad as it seems....things could be worse.....and we are all pulling for you and sending all the good thoughts we can.
Remember the "serenity prayer"?

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

And the follow up to that, Linda:
The ability to choke to death the people who really p--- me off
And the cunning to hide the bodies....

Oh Lars, I do hope you get your health sorted soon, you don't seem to be able to take a trick at the moment. I think if you could get involved in some sort of project, either at work or a home improvement project, planning a holiday or similar, it would help engross your mind and give you a break from sad thoughts, at least for a while.
If your Dad is having bad falls it sounds like he would really be better off somewhere he can be cared for, what if he falls and cracks his head on something? Or DM can't get him up?

Lars, I'm sorry you're having to deal with all of this! Keep working on your health, we're pulling for you! I have hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone) and before I had it diagnosed I was having all kinds of weird problems, some of which I attributed to stress or emotional problems. But in fact when I got my hormone levels stabalized it was as if a great fog had lifted from my life. My ability to concentrate, my energy level, and just my general sense of feeling "well" improved, along with my sleep, etc. I hope that once you get your thyroid situation under control you will feel better too! Of course you have the opposite problem, but I'll bet the symptoms are just as insidious. (Is that how you spell insidious??)

Thanks so much for these comments - I tried to respond yesterday, but the site would not let me - it said I needed to log in although I was already logged in!!

John, I like the way you laid things out and numbered them. I do need to remember to do one thing at a time, as I can get quite scattered at times. I would love to be able to swim more often, and I used to go to the beach frequently when I lived in Venice, and I do have two wetsuits (summer & winter), but now we just don't go there. I've been thinking about joining the JCC - I used to belong to the one in San Francisco, and they had a nice pool that was not crowded. I get anxious if I go into a crowded pool, and I do not like to swim laps because I am very slow. I can swim for a long time if I do no try to go too fast. I used to do that at Lake Travis when I lived in Austin. I also took a swimming class when I was at UT, as well as weight lifting and tennis. I repeated the weight lifting class each semester, just so that I would have a scheduled time to go to the gym. If you can believe, the men's gym at UT Austin was NOT air conditioned and was only bearable early in the morning in the summer, and then only marginally so.

I need to go through a lot of old stuff that I have in my bedroom and sort through it. Some of it is very valuable and some of it is trash, and so it will be very time consuming (and depressing) to go through it. I have a hard time letting go of some of the things from the past, unlike my sister. I think that if I use three sorting piles instead of two, I might do better: keep, sell, donate. I used to just use Keep or Donate, but some things are too valuable to me just to donate.

I'm hoping very much that the operation will cure a lot of problems for me. My energy level in the past few years has really gone down, to the point that it is extremely difficult for me to get good exercise. The best thing that happened was when I got lost at Solstice Canyon and ended up taking the high road instead of the low one. Maybe Kevin will want to hike somewhere - I know he wants to go to Vasquez Rocks, where a lot of 1960s Star Trek episodes were filmed. It's less than an hour's drive away.

Lars

Lars, I am thinking about you and sending good thoughts your way. I too am sorry that you have so much to deal with now and I hope that there will be answers soon. Please take care of yourself.

Lee, sending love, good thoughts and positive energy.

Lars, you've received some great suggestions/advice. Please add me to those who are thinking & pulling for you.

I just want to let you know that I've had my thyroid removed & you can let go of any worry about the surgery itself and/or a scar. Sure, it will be red/pink for a few months but will fade. I can't even see my scar now if I look for it. I've had over a dozen general anesthesia surgeries & my thyroid removal only kept me hospitalized overnight. I was warned it could affect my vocal chords but it did not - I was talking in recovery! I do take Synthroid & will for the rest of my life. No biggy. It's not even an expensive medication. Just a tiny little pill once/day.

Take care of yourself. What will be - will be with your DF & DM. I'm sure you'd like to be closer but that's not possible right now. I think John gave you a pretty good plan...one step at a time.

Take care.

/tricia

Tricia, that is great to hear and makes me feel a lot better. I had a feeling that the surgery would not be a huge deal, but it really helps to hear from someone with personal experience. For me, it is the parathyroid gland instead of the thyroid gland, although I am not sure what the difference is. I read that there are four parathyroid glands and that sometimes they only remove one of them. I'm going to make a list of questions for my June 4 appointment with Dr Yeh, who is a surgeon specializing in thyroid problems. I will be at UCLA all day for that, as they have to scan me first in the morning, and then the consultation will be in the afternoon.

Yesterday I got my implant, and it went extremely well. The doctor extracted the tooth and installed the implant in less than 20 minutes, and I only felt pressure - no pain. I took pain pills yesterday but not today. In three months I will get the crown, and so there will not be a terribly long wait.

Thanks for your thoughts, Lee. I think of you often because I have so many things here to remind me of you!!

I have a craving for spicy Thai soup, but I am not supposed to eat spicy food for 2-3 days.

Lars

(((HUGS))) Lars. I'm not posting much any more, but I saw this and wanted to tell you I had parathyroid disease. The first indication were my calcium levels, which were very low as the parathyroid disease was sucking the calcium out of my bones. Sometimes it's hard to realize when your life isn't normal, as these things have a habit of creeping up on you, and your ''new normal'' seems like a continuation of the same old thing. They removed one parathyroid, and I have to tell you that within one week, I had my old energy back. That was when I realized things had really changed in a big way! The surgery was not a big deal, although I had to spend the night in the hospital so they could check on me until the next morning. (The worst part was I was in a room with a Laotian grandmother who spoke no English and was feeling so bad all she could do was moan. I finally went to sleep in the waiting room to get away from her until they moved me to a different room.) You will need a few days recovery time, but you'll be amazed at the difference in the way you'll feel in less than a week. The scar was miniscule, and in fact, I don't ever notice it any more, as the doctor made the incision in a normal neck fold. I just wanted you to know you will feel like a new man once you have that thing out of there, even with your current family trials. It's amazing how much your (para)thyroid can affect your hormone levels, which has everything to do with your health and feeling of well-being. You're going to be amazed at how much better you feel! (I think depression is also common because you're so tired and hormonal, although it's easy to think you're keeping up because it was a long time getting to that point.) I actually found someone doing the operation on-line and it was helpful to watch, since I knew what I could expect. The surgery itself lasts about 40 minutes, so you'll be in and out. I hope this helps you; it certainly helped me. My advice? Get it done ASAP; you'll be glad you did!

Lars, good luck with everything. Sounds like you are mostly getting good advice here.

For your bedroom cleanout, I suggest posting on the 'Organizing the Home' forum, they can be very helpful for parting from cherished items - like taking pictures before the beloved keepsake goes. I think someone else mentioned putting on cheery music while you work.

Vasquez Rocks is fun. Took the kids there right after watching Star Trek TOS 'Arena'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organizing the Home forum

Claire, thanks for your testimonial - that always helps. I had read about hyperparathyroidism a year ago when my calcium levels (and vitamin D) were out of whack, and I mentioned to my doctor that I thought that that might be causing my problems, since I had so many of the symptoms. He did not think that was it at that time, but did recommend for me to go to the endocrinologist, and so that got the ball rolling. I have gotten to the point where I cannot pull weeds out from the yards without getting exhausted, out of breath, and dizzy. It's also difficult for me to do even minimal exercise, although I managed to do the hike at Solstice Canyon when DS and DBIL came to visit and felt very much better the day after. I like hiking as exercise because I get to see different panoramas of scenery and can still go at my own pace, however slow that may be. I'm hoping that I will be able to hike at a better rate after the parathyroid surgery, and I hope they will have to remove only one gland. I've read many testimonials from others that are similar to yours and hope that this will be the start of a new life for me. Kevin is now going to the gym at Sony since they remodeled and englarged it, and I hope he keeps this up. I used to be able to encourage him to do more, but that has not been the case lately.

Jessy, I'll check out the Organizing forum - I noticed that Mustangs posts over there! Is there an exercise and fitness forum?

Lars

(((Hugs))) I hope all goes well and your recover is as CdL experienced.

IMPLANT: I knocked out a front tooth while replacing light bulbs for my 92 year old neighbor (she had been using candles for some time). I was on a ladder and slipped forward slightly and hit the wall face first. Anyway, the dentist referred me to a specialist for an implant. I haven't gone yet as my dentist said it would be about $5,000 out of pocket; I'm still trying to deal with that.

Cathy, that is awfully expensive for an implant. Mine cost $2400 out of pocket with nothing from insurance. My insurance will pay for only one implant every five years, and I had one last year. I might have to pay a bit more for the crown, but I am not sure about that. Anyway, it will still be less than $3,000 without help from insurance. You might want to ask your friends for a referral to another dentist with more competitive prices - you've been hurt enough already. Maybe your dentist is unaware that prices for implants have gone down.

Lars

Thanks for sharing that Lars. It is high from what I have seen in ads and online. My dentist is great and on top of things and gave me several less costly options. Then he said "but I know you would want the best". Yes, but not at that price!!!

Lars, that sounds about right re: your total lack of energy. I remember I had to prepare to go to a wedding at that time, which took me three weeks for one night of no one noticing I was even there. Mid-reception, I had to leave to hang out in the car so I could take a nap. The entire thing was exhausting, and I realized I would have been much better off staying home. I just remember being exhausted all the time, and even taking a shower was a major event of my day. When my energy came racing back within a week, that doctor was my Hero. Good for You for figuring it out. Be sure to let us know when your surgery is, so we can do some virtual hand-holding. I'll be looking forward to a progress report on how much better you're feeling!

Cathy, take a trip to Michigan. I saw a big billboard with some smiling dentist advertising implants for $675.00! He's somewhere around Lansing, has more than one office and looks kind of like George Hamilton, LOL.

My own dentist charges around $2,000 for an implant and he's good, I've known him since we were in high school together, so I also think your dentist is wildly expensive.

Annie

Ouch Cathy! Maybe the price is because it is a front tooth? He'll want to get the match done really well.

Lars, I never seem to have the time to read through all of this thread, but I've skimmed a lot of it, and just want you to know that I'm thinking about you. I hope you get the best medical treatment out there. At least where you live there should be some very good options. Hang in there, and I hope it goes as well for you as it did for Claire.

Sally