Simon + Katie + The X-ray
Last week Simon got to be Katie's patient in one of her college classes.
She's studying to be a Dental Assistant and asked me if he could be her patient for some x-rays. I asked Simon if he would be willing and he was - he thinks Katie is pretty darn cool and was excited to see her at school.
She and Simon have a really great relationship so I was interested to see if the fact that she was the one doing the x-rays would make a difference in how the whole experience was for him. He's been doing really good at the dentist the last few visits but it's still not his favorite thing (seriously, not sure how many people count going to the dentist as a favorite thing but you know what I mean) and it's been a challenge to get x-rays done for him in the past.
I picked him up a few minutes early from school on Wednesday and we headed out to her college (there's a whole dental clinic there).
I filled out some paperwork and he played Angry Birds in between attempting to sneak away to find Katie. Chris arrived just as Katie came out to the waiting room to invite Simon back for the x-rays.
First thing she did was take his blood pressure. Chris and I each took a bunch of photos with our phones (hence the black and white photos you see here - not great lighting in the dental clinic) and Simon was all smiles and just so happy.
Then Katie walked him down the hall to the small room with the x-ray machine.
This was not just any old x-ray, it was a panoramic. Above you can see where she was getting him set up (he wore a vest for the actual x-ray) - standing with his toes on the line and his mouth on a bite plate.
He did awesome during the whole process. A completely willing and eager patient - no complaining or asking if we could leave, no expressions of anxiety - he simply followed Katie's directions with enthusiasm.
The whole thing took about 30 minutes. The actual x-ray portion was pretty quick and then we waited a bit for the x-rays to be developed.
He was so excited to see the pictures of his teeth. They came out great.
Nice job Simon and nice job Katie. So glad you are a part of our lives.
I asked Simon last night what was his favorite part and he said, "I saw my teeth on the pictures."
What an awesome experience for Simon! And it's great that you had a chance to document this via photos as well, Ali. Thank you for sharing.
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Ali, I know you are busy and I hate to ask again, but I'm kind of stumped on PL. I had been taking a photo a day and journaling what that photo was about. Now I've kind of switched to putting some random bits of life into some of the pockets.
My question is this: So much happens in a week. What is your process for getting things into the album. How do you choose what to put in and what to leave out and when do you make that decision. Do you just save everything all week and then discard what you didn't use? (Last time you answered you said you put in what you love, but that doesn't work for me as I still don't understand the process.) Thanks for helping a "slow" learner....
Hi - you know, my process is really pretty loose. How I choose what to put in and what to leave out really depends on how I feel and decisions are made quickly. Sometimes I come home from the grocery store and stash the list in a pocket (I love handwritten lists). An hour later Anna or Simon will say something funny and I'll write that down (I love the conversations they have or things they say to each other). The next day I'll have a meeting and I'll write a little about that (I love my job). I really don't worry much at all about making sure I capture everything or worry about things I might leave out.
I often place things (receipts, etc) on top of the pages here in the kitchen and then on Monday morning when I carry it up to my office some of the things don't end up in the pockets - this usually happens because I have more photos I want to use or because as I reflect back on the week something else stands out as more important to me at the time. The process IS that I put in what I love - each piece is intentionally added even though my overall process is loose. I guess when I say loose I mean that I don't obsess over what's going to be included. I figure that over the course of the year I'll tell more stories than I would have otherwise if I wasn't adding in little bits each week.
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Sure hope a thyroid collar was worn with the vest. Everyone needs to protect that delicate butterfly shaped gland in your throat. Also need the collar for mammograms. Ask if it not offered. Aloha.
it was :) you are right, it's very important!
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What a cool experience for Simon! You know....God places people (like Katie) in our lives for a reason. And it's not to just watch the little ones. That's just a bonus. Thanks for sharing. :)
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Ali, You are so sweet to answer my questions. Thank you so much. On I go---
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what a great experience, for both of them! so awesome.
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Ali funny you should post about the dentist this week because we all had trips to the dentist this week. I used one of those x-ray machines for the first time (used to put the film in my mouth) but I can't handle it and gag everytime so I was thrilled to use this machine. My son had to have his first 2 fillings and it was quite a dautning process for him and the dentist and assistant were awesome.... he also got a mouthguard made for football at the same time. My daughter thought it would be all cool lying in the chair until she realized they put things in your mouth. Having been at the doctor in the last week where they stick the stick down the back of your throat and nearly choke....... she started crying but we got through it all. YUK, yes everyone hates going to the dentist for two reasons, (i) it's not that pleasant and (ii) the cost of your bill afterwards....unfortunately most people can't avoid either but glad Simon was up to all of this. Great pics.
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Ali, I sooooo hate going to the dentist!! Too many bad experiences, I guess. I'm glad Simon had a GREAT experience. He may want Katie there every time :-) Each success is another step in his growth. I'm happy for all of you!
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On the safety side.. ask for an x-ray guard to go over his thyroid gland next time ( for you and everyone else also). It doesnt hurt to do it - it reduces the risk of thyroid related cancers. Just sayin'. :)
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Such a nice story. I am a firm believer that it's all the little things that add up to something great- keep sharing your stories! :)
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Unsure how this post snuck by me!
Simon knows and trusts Katie due to their bond. Simon's also relaxed due to yours and Chris' relationship with Katie. It's a win, win. It was probably a plus Simon could help Katie with her homework and visit her in her school enviroment in his eyes. May just want to change dentists in the future! {wink}
Loved this post.
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