Dear Noah......a day at the dentist.....

TOUCHING HAIR BY DONNA WILLIAMS


You had another routine check up today and cleaning at the dentist. You did pretty well....but 2 days before when I began prepping you for the visit....you cried and cried...worried about the water they spray into your mouth and suck back out with hoses. You said it was "too much pressure" and that to you it felt like "a fire hose!"

Well ...you may have said FREAKIN' fire hose.

Anyway.....I was preparing you....you asked if I could tell them you wanted to sit up and use a cup to rinse and spit. The dentist office at the Children's Medical Center is very very particular about how they run things. They have all the kids come in and lie down on tiny kid-sized tables and they work on you lying down. NO PARENTS allowed after the first visit!

I noticed before you went back to the room by yourself that you had ZONED OUT. I saw the all too familiar "zombie" face ....and realized you were doing everything you could just to get through this event. I had told you earlier to just do your best....to focus on "just getting through it" because it was not something that would last forever.....just get through it...it would be over with and you could go about your day.

SO I typed up a note for you to take back with you to the dental hygienist requesting they allow you to sit upright when squirting the water into your mouth....etc. I guess that went pretty well and they worked that out with you.

However after you had been back there awhile.....they finally came to get me. I went back and the dentist who is a very nice man was working on your mouth.....and asked me if I wanted to be back there with you each time for a visit because I could. I reminded him his staff was adamant about no parents being back in the examining room after the first visit....he said any child with autism the parents can be allowed back in the room....so from now on I will be allowed back with you. I told him that was the only reason we drove all the way to the Children's Hospital to begin with.....because they were set up to deal with children with any special needs.....and he agreed. They made a notation on your chart to allow me to escort you back to the examining room and be nearby if needed from here on out.

The dentist said you did pretty well for this visit but better at the first one where I was present. This time you had been crying I could tell and very very emotional. On our way out I asked what happened. You told me that they had used "cotton candy" flavored stuff to clean you teeth and it gagged you.....but your entire being was so absorbed in just making it through the visit you did not tell them WHY you were gagging and that you did not like that flavor (they normally ask what flavor you want as they have a bunch to choose from). AND I guess they never asked you WHY you were crying and gagging because some other kids just naturally do that and I guess they think that is normal? I don't know....so I asked if they kept on cleaning with the cotton candy stuff and you said yes.....and then you said you almost vomited......and someone was holding your hand down to comfort you......but you panicked because you could not raise your hand to your mouth......on and on.....just not a good experience.

SO......if I had been there I could have made sure you chose a flavor you liked. I could have seen what was going on and been your words that you could not speak to express your discomfort and fears and concerns...because your whole body was too busy just COPING to process the need to EXPLAIN anything to anyone about what was bothering you. VERY common in autistics in general I believe......though you are getting better at it.

After the semi-stressed morning (we arrived at the appointment late due to my fault and then had to reschedule a little later......) I treated you to shopping at Target to spend the rest of your birthday and Christmas money. You got a Rachel Ray cookbook.....(you adore her) and a ball..and a train set and computer games.

THEN I treated you to lunch at Fazoli's......(you kept saying "this spaghetti is yummy or should I say yumm-o!" because that was on Rachel Ray's apron....the word YUMM-O!) You are such a kick.

Then we stopped and visited with Grandma C a bit because by this time it was getting late and we had to get you back in time for your group meeting. ....tonight you worked on feelings.

Tomorrow it is back to school for you and a new week begins....

but you did well. You got through it again.....your teeth look absolutely gorgeous......and I am very proud of you.

I also love you.....very very much Noah!

Mommy
XOXOXOX