A trip the the Dentist

Walking through the hallways at the hospital on our way to day surgery, I'm thinking to myself, we really shouldn't be here.  I get to the day surgery area at precisely 9am and register Ian.  They immediately bring us to his area, number 8 I think, it's a little cramped area with a gurney and two privacy curtains on both sides where other people were waiting for their turn for surgery.  I tell Curtis, you'd better keep walking Ian around while the nurse does her checklist of questions.  Ian is in his stroller, he loves his stroller and could spend almost all day in there, as long as it's moving.  If we stop then a figures out a way to get out of it and could be all over the place or just running down the hallway........long hallways in hospitals!
Finally the nurse finishes her questions and we're left to wait until 11am, the time he's booked to have his teeth cleaned by the dentist........yes, it was only a teeth cleaning!

Last fall I took Ian to the Pediatric Dentist here on the island and was concerned about the build up of plaque on his front four bottom teeth.  Of course it was challenging for him to get Ian in the chair and lay down long enough to get a good look but he could determine, with those magnifying glasses, that he didn't have any cavities.  He realized that Ian would not let him do anything to his mouth and said that we could leave it for maybe another 9 months, no later.  Me being a proactive mom would rather get it taken care of sooner rather than later, so about a month after the first visit, we booked another visit to get him put under to have his teeth cleaned.  Luckily, a surgery cancellation came up and Ian was able to get it done pretty quickly after we had all of his paperwork in order.

So then we had about an hour and a half to kill. Curtis and I start taking turns strolling Ian around the hospital so that he'll stay calm in the stroller.  I walk up the hallway passing the Surgery waiting area where a surgeon is talking to a couple.  I continue and pass the labour and delivery hallway and see the OB/GYN who took care of my pregnancies for Ian and Lyla but never delivered either of them.  He recognizes me and says hello stopping to ask what we're in for today.  We part ways and I continue walking.  Turn around, back down the hallway and see that couple who were talking to that surgeon, walking away smiling and as I come up to them the woman says to the man.....No cancer and punches him playfully in the arm.  I think to myself.....thank God, their prayers were answered for their loved one now recovering from surgery.  I continue walking up and down over and over watching the busyness of the hospital, workers coming and going and think, we really shouldn't need to be here.  A few people walk by and give me strange looks when they see Ian......like "isn't he too big for a stroller?" looks.  Others wave at him and say hello to him and wait for a response and which point I think "do I have to explain to everyone I see that this boy is Autistic and does not act like a typical 3 year old?"  Even though I don't mind doing this, it gets tiresome.  Then people go on and on about someone they know with a child with Autism and how terrible it is but it happens when I'm trying to do something else and am busy with my own kids. I feel guilty to have to cut short such conversations.

The long wait finally is coming to an end.  At 10:45am and stay at the day surgery area and wait for the anesthesiologist, the dentist and the OR nurse while they come and tell us what they're gonna do and what we can expect.  Finally Ian is taken in, the nurse comes and wraps him in a warmed blanket and carries him in, my heart sinks.  Curtis and I go to the cafeteria and have an over priced lunch and pass time as we wait.  Finally I feel the need to go back and a few minutes after we get back they come strolling in with Ian sitting up on the gurney.....a good sign.  The OR nurse tells me that he only fussed when they put the mask on his face......he can't stand anyone picking at his face or anything on his face; he did great.  We give him a couple of drinks that we brought with us and he gulps them down pretty quickly, he'd been fasting since about 8pm the night before.  We get the okay to leave at 1:30pm and finally that ordeal is over with. 

A long day just for a teeth cleaning but his teeth are pearly white!