Hello – my name is Shawn Clark. My story begins a little over ten years ago. I caught a serious lung infection that ended up putting me into an induced coma. I eventually recovered with the help of a pacemaker and some great people in my life, but I began to suffer from repeated oral infections. I’m not sure if they were connected to the coma, but the infections posed a risk to my heart health.
Over time, it became obvious that I would not be able to keep my natural teeth, so I ended up with dentures.
I’m happy to say the infections stopped, but eating has become a serious challenge. The top denture hasn’t been a problem, but the bottom is a totally different story. It’s been a little over a year since I got the bottom denture and no matter how many times I get it adjusted, I just can’t seem to chew properly.
I can deal with the sore spots and even the speech difficulty, but my nutritional health is suffering significantly. Swallowing food whole takes it’s toll on my digestion and it’s only getting worse.
My best option is to get a lower bridge supported by implants. The cost of this solution, however, is well beyond what I alone can afford.
Originally, I thought it was just something I would have to live with. It was my children that persuaded me to reach out for help because they want to have me around a while and I’m grateful for that.
Thank you so much for letting me tell my story – it helps just talking about it, really. Also, thank you to the people that put this web site together. I know there’s a lot of good people out there and it’s great that this type of web site exists.
