I don't have Applecare, and TBH I'd rather not spend any decent amount of money on a 2009 MBP that I'm finding ever more excuses to replace. I was all set to keep it for another year or so, but this is just another deal breaker on that score. I was hoping it would be cheap and easy to just replace the glass, but it's looking like that's perhaps not a real option then
If Apple hadn't f**ked up the retina MBP and made it the preserve of coffee table 'pros' then this wouldn't be an issue.
FYI as far as I can tell, there is no 'genuine bit' and I would have to buy a whole new screen at considerable cost?