Boy oh Boy am I pissed.  I wear dentures and about a month ago my left bottom gum/jaw started to hurt. Got up one morning and the damn thing was all swollen infected with little white spots all over the top. I was getting ready for our trip to Colorado and didn't want to be bothered with going to the dentist. Plus we'd lost our GM paid dental insurance so I wasn't prepared to dig into our vacation money to get this mess checked out. (So far it's cost me $1,225.00)

So I went to my doctor who was a lot cheaper than going to a dentist and he gave me some medication that seemed to improve it. Enough for me to make our trip. But once we returned it came back and lots worse and very painful. So I realized I had no choice but to go to a dentist. Now here's where the pissing and bitching comes in....I'm on a once a month bone pill, prescribed for me because my damn bone density test came back a little below the normal mark. So stupid me, I put complete trust in this damn pill. Usually I do research before popping anything in my mouth, but not this time. So after 5 years of having this medication in my system it decides to attack my  Gum/jaw bone, enough that I now have a part of the bone showing with no skin over it. Dentist is doing his best to control this before I lose my jaw. That's the worst that could happen, but unlikely. I pray he's right.

Just can't believe a pill that's suppose to help build your bones is actually now killing mine. And this isn't just the one bone pill that does this, it's all of them. So if your taking a bone pill prescribed by your doctor be very very very alert to any changes in your gums or teeth. My girlfriend has her own teeth and is dealing with the same problem I am. Her fillings are not staying in and one of her crowns is a mess, that has been worked on for 2 years and still not doing to good. The skin seems to be dying all around the tooth. With infections constantly causing her pain with this tooth. But she wants to save it...which it may not be able to be saved. So she keeps putting money into it. Her dentist is now at the last procedure, and if this doesn't work then there's is no hope for her tooth. She's got enough invested in her mouth to buy a nice used car....is a shame that the pill she was on has caused this. She no longer takes them either. She was on one of the other doctor prescribed bone medications.

So if you have dental work done and there's lots of complications(All Of A Sudden) then keep an eye on your gums around that tooth, if anything looks or feels strange.....get to your dentist. In fact let your dentist know your on a prescribed bone pill. See what he thinks about continuing. Lots of women are on these meds and may never have a problem. But do you wanna wait till 5 years or more have gone by and POW> it hits. And once the damage is done no telling how long it takes to get all the medication out of your system, plus there is no cure once the damage starts or how much worse it   could get over the years. NO ONE KNOWS !

It's all up to you. I wish I'd of read a journal post like this before I'd ever consented to taking the damn pill.

To those of you that are on these meds and have had no side effects, that is fabulous and I pray you never have to deal with what I'm dealing with today. But it wouldn't hurt to check out the many side effects and just keep an eye on your gums and teeth. Especially after having dental work done.

So decide for yourself what you should do, if your on these medications, discuss it with your doctor.  Don't just quit taking them.. Do the research to alternatives. I myself have gotten off it, with the consent of my doctor. I have decided on an alternative, that I know won't ever hurt me or kill my bones.

The company's say, percentage wise these medications aren't affecting that many women that are on them. Well let me tell you, their just not advertising the real number of women that these meds have hurt. Or the women aren't reporting it. I have and my doctor will also let the company know.

Again...do the research. With computers there isn't anything you can't find on the Internet. There's lots of info out there. I even found web sites of others that are suffering the same thing that I am  some even worse than I. But I've just gotten this, no telling what will happen down the road. I realize that any drug we take is a risk, but for some reason I didn't think the news was talking about the bone medication that I was on. Plus after 5 years of taking it, I thought I was pretty safe. But nope.....now I must deal with my stupidity.

PS> First thing the dentist said to me after seeing the damage is>>>>Are you on a bone pill? He used the proper name for these medications but it's easier for me to say Bone pill. My friends dentist said the same to her.

Got this beautiful butterfly from Bradford Exchange for my dear friend of 37 years. It was to celebrate her 62nd birthday and her coming of age.......  to collect her first social security check....smile

I wanted something special for the event, not everyday that we make that big leap over to social security and a check every month.  She was so surprised to see this gift and her being a butterfly nut.......she can add it to her collection.  She has it hanging on her wall as you walk into her living room, you can't miss seeing it.

I remember when I got my first S. S. check. I took a picture and then wanted to frame it :) but the thought of spending it overtook the other idea. It's funny how we look forward to certain ages as we grow up. Becoming a teenager, then turning sweet sixteen, 21 and old enough to be considered an adult. Then getting married, having kids, graduations, weddings,  turning the dreaded 40 never to be 39 again....smile.....then  menopause. Everything seemed to go haywire in my body.....during this time.  50's.....hubby finally retires.....then 62 and social security....yippie enough money still in it, that we get to collect....hip hip hooray.

Now I ask myself......what is left with the different ages to come.  As far as I can tell, no more surprises....Social Sec. was the end of the road.....Damn  is it all down hill from here? I sure hope not. I guess I'll have to make up some happy event for when we reach 70.  All I can say, is those years sure did go way to fast. Some faster than others, and some not fast enough. 

If I could do it all over, I'd sure try to savor the moments of each event and take more notes to remember them. I do remember on my 21st birthday, we were stationed in Rhode Island at the Naval Base. (Quonset Point) Hubby was assigned to the air craft carrier......USS Essex. He had a few guys over for poker and to celebrate my turning the big 2 1 > well I won't go into detail but I learned it wasn't such a big deal drinking for the first time. In fact I got so bombed I ended up having a cold shower with my clothes on thanks to hubby. The guys thought it was so funny, but next morning I had something I'd never had before.....a hangover.  Nope turning 21, I'd looked so forward to, then ruined it by getting plastered. But all I could think of, was I could finally have booze and then I over did it. Oh at the time I was having a ball, everything was funny even the cards in my hand......but WOW!! when it hit, it hit like a ton of bricks and boy was I sick and dizzy. The reason for the cold shower, at least that's what hubby's excuse was.  Said I'd feel better afterwards....

I wouldn't mind redoing my 21st. It would sure be a lot different, you can bet on that...smile               Do you remember your 21st and what you did to celebrate it?

I don't know where this entry is headed, I guess it's just all the milestones we pass with each year we celebrate our birth. Some good some not so good. But celebrate is what we must do.....be thankful we're still here to blow out those candles and hug our loved ones. Each birthday should be considered a true blessing. For when our loved ones are gone, there's no more celebrating with them, just the memories and the empty feeling in our hearts.

So if I should live to be 90 I hope I can celebrate by blowing out the candles....that's if I can see them or have the lung power to blow them out...ha.ha ha.ha

(I didn't touch another drop of booze till I was in my 40's and that's another entry :)