This is Henry, holding Sophie's legs at the dentist. I'm sitting on a stool, torqued at an odd angle, holding down her hands and keeping her head straight so that the hygienist can clean her teeth.
Going to the dentist with Sophie ranks up there with going to the hospital or dealing with a seizure in a public place as one of my very least favorite things to do. While Sophie doesn't mind having her mouth propped open or even the actual cleaning, she does struggle with the lying down part, and in order to do an effective job, the hygienist needs help keeping her head straight and her hands down. There's no adaptive chair at the dentist, and because I'm just so grateful that this particular dentist is incredibly sweet and good with her, treats her at all, actually (did you know that dental care for the disabled is something that is hard to find?) and works hard to not have to sedate her, I willingly bend my body into pretzel-like shapes to keep her in the chair and prevent her from folding her own legs up in her customary pretzel-like shape. This time I had Henry, though, who kneeled on the floor and kept one arm over her legs and played a video game all at the same time.
Am I lucky or what?
Speechless. Amazing piece.
ReplyDeleteBravo--to you and Henry. I'm sure you not only steady Sophie but comfort her. Bravo to the dentist for treating her with kind respect. Bravo to Sophie for being the good patient to the best of her ability!! I'm with Sophie in hating to lie down for a cleaning and exam. I always feel as if I'm going to slide right of out of the chair on my head!!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie
See how we ALL learn to multitask, the entire village. The big and the small.
ReplyDeleteThe dentist. Only have had to do it twice. That was enough. Once at Children's, and one at our family one. She is so skittish after all her procedures, especially after chemo, that laying her down prone like that, is a nightmare.
Henry is my Jake. Uncanny how our boys and their personalities mirror each other the way they do.It really is.
I love him. That is all.
ReplyDeleteso wonderful. bravo for all of you.
ReplyDeleteyrs-
scott
love you all. and love henry's soon-to-be-man-sized growing boy hands!
ReplyDeleteMultitasking at its finest!
ReplyDeleteAw, that Henry. What a great kid! i was laughing at his ability to multi-task!
ReplyDeletei am lucky to have a special needs dentist for CB... all adaptive equipment and he has the best personality ever. amazing with the kids. it makes all the difference!
Yes, you are lucky to have him. We all need a village, don't we?
ReplyDeleteWonderful ingenuity Elizabeth. All that pretzel like contortion must be exhausting.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky, but so are Sophie and Henry and Oliver and your husband. You are all such a tremendous team and it is a testament to your parenting that he is willing to come and help.
ReplyDeleteI am disgusted that it's hard to find a dentist who will work with a disabled patient. Truly disgusted.
Henry, mastering the art of being in two places at the same time...brilliant!
ReplyDeleteAnd you! ...being able to take a picture while helping Sophie, multi-tasking at its best!
What a wonderful brother! I guess he learned it from his beautiful mom!
ReplyDeleteGosh it seems like there should be an easier way! On the other hand, this way is so sweet!
Bless you all. I hate going to the dentist, never thought of how hard it must be for Sophie and you. I won't mind it so much now.
ReplyDeleteSophie's got the best two brothers ever. (And a pretty damned good mom too.)
ReplyDeleteAs a family we share your dental woes! We also had trouble finding a dentist who would treat Nicholas. His issues were mostly behavioral but he too hated to lie down! Like you, I would also bring my older son Weston to do much of the distracting and holding (and sometimes singing). I share your pain Elizabeth and had to smile as I read this...it struck such a familiar chord with me. I have much respect for all that you do for your family.
ReplyDeletelove this so much
ReplyDeleteThe focus of a teenage boy on his videogame (or electronic device) is a powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it's such an ordeal for you & Sophie to find a good dentist, and to endure a trip to his office. How admirable that Henry has found a way to cope that works so well for him.
I'm still paying off the $1800 the dental insurance refused to pay after Daniel was anesthetized for dental work a couple years ago. We've been sticking with non-sedation for cleaning since then. Unfortunately, he lost a tooth when he fell during an outing with his dad and had to have three that were chipped repaired while under. It took months to find a dentist that would even do it.
ReplyDeleteYep, dental work for the disabled sucks.
he's a wonder, that boy. that young man, i mean.
ReplyDeleteKatie needs a general anesthetic to get inside her mouth. Once she turned eighteen the dentist was willing to try conscious sedation but he had to give her so much of the drug that I think he scared himself. Back to generals which aren't so bad except when she wakes up pissed off and bites the IV tubing in half.
ReplyDeleteWell you know how we do things at the dentist in our family.....I think Henry is the prize winner though...he's got the legs taken care of AND playing a video game AND looking like a move star all at the same time? Seriously? You know it might be less stressful paying his airfare to Florida at The Teenagers next dental visit to help me than going by myself and draping myself across her bucking bronco body...I'd even throw in a trip to Busch Gardens.
ReplyDelete