Brian

First off, thanks much - very much - for your reply. I've read a number of your posts, and read a good deal about you and this foundation and I have developed nothing but the utmost respect for you and your work.

No need to apologize for any real or implied snarkiness. I have, by comparison to you or anyone in this forum, lived a life of reasonable ease -- but I am aware that life has plenty of sharp edges and rough spots. I am fully capable, somehow, of being a big fat baby while not being a hothouse flower.

If I glean anything from your reply, it is that exploring both "side" of this issue is not unreasonable. It seems as if tobacco use has out me squarely in a primo risk category while my dental issues (and yeah, they're legion) have a life of their own as well.

And you're right - there is a vast difference between taking good care of one's teeth and having good teeth well-cared for... my teeth are a mess, have been for many a year and it'll likely not end soon. There is every realistic reason to suspect this is yet another example of an infection, the likes of which I've seen before. In fairness (and maybe one of the dentists here will weigh in) too, my DDS has "warned" me, since this last round of extractions (loss of 2 more molars, upper and lower) that shifting teeth and improperly fitted bite surfaces will offer a whole host of new problems. I am wary of that answer - but I'm wary of alot of what dentists say of late.

I posed my chronic inflammation/chronic excavation dental theory of possible cancer to two of my sibs, one of whom is the recently retired chief of nurse anaesthesia at a major teaching hospital and one who has been an onco RN/BSN onco instructor for 17+ years... they listened (fairly raptly, for typically dismissive older sisters) as I explained that I believe that repeated dental issues, infections, constant years of work and abrading, moving tissue, etc. could easily cause cellular changes, enough to cause some mutation...enough to cause ... cancer? They smiled and reminded me to keep my day job (far afield from health care). All flippancy aside, I thought this was somewhat plausible. Guess not.

I will keep on the dual course - and search out an ENT who ideally can do some better x-raying. Perhaps the endo will open it up and voila, they'll see the infection. Perhaps the clindamycin will do the trick. I certainly, certainly hope so.

I hesitated before putting anything in about Grant Achatz. While I guess his "celebrity" has helped somewhat in the fight against this disease, it hasn't done near enough to expose the overly high instances of misdiagnosis and general prevailing incompetence among the dental community with regard to OC. His story is "easy" to explain to people because he's so against what people assume is type for this disease (provided they know what the disease is in the first place) and because his condition was so grossly exacerbated by 1.5+ years of ignorance and mistreatment.

It doesn't mean his story is more important and I'm sure it's aggravating as ##%$ to so many of you who are working so hard to get early diagnosis/proper diagnosis to become routine. Your point about adequate health care/access to health care from a racial and income perspective is spot on and unchallengeable. I am about as patriotic of an American as you'll ever find and I still will forever find it mind-boggling that we're perfectly ok with determining the quality of both public education and lifelong health care based almost solely on an individual's net worth.

I'll keep you in the loop as I make my way from office to office. Thanks again so very much Brian. Your input is invaluable. And your service here, and your service "over there," is very much appreciated too.