Ok, possibly not the VERY worst but it ranks up there.
It was the day for Alyce to get her teeth done, written on one of those handy dandy save the date cards that the dentist gives you. Remember the dentist visit post? I called so many dentists before today. None of them let you back in the room for dental procedures any more. When the heck did that change?
I even called ours and told the receptionist, please? Can I please go back with her. This is my child that does NOT leave my side EVER. It is going to traumatize her. Dr insert our old dentist’s name always let me go back. Well yes, he did, but the other dentist who works there and the one who took my dentist’s place don’t allow it. They spend more time dealing with the parents when they should be spending time on the child … ya di da di dah. Excuse me? I hardly talk to the dentist when they are working on my kid. I respond when they say something to me but I stay out of their way.
I brought up the whole x-ray comment also and she said, I don’t know why anyone would say that. We can only take x-rays at certain times of the year. Well, I don’t know either but my 6 year old is not going to come up with “sometimes we take x-rays just for the money” on her own. Thanks!
Since I couldn’t find another dentist sympathetic to my plight, I had to take Alyce in.
We were supposed to be there at 10:30 to administer the valium. I got there at 10:15. The waiting room was more packed than I have ever seen before. And it was HORRIBLE. I have never seen a group of children more misbehaved and parents who could have cared less than I did today.
Children knocking chairs over (I’m talking 4 and under here), children banging on the glass covering the fire extinguisher, a toddler trying to pull the fire alarm while his mom sat across the room obliviously staring off into space. One child (2 1/2) rolling all over the floor under my chair, banging into my feet, crawling under my chair, back out through my legs. His mom saying, honey, don’t do that. But not redirecting him, moving him, putting him in a chair, nada. Another kid came up and ripped my iPod touch out of Alyce’s hands that I was letting her play with as a distraction because she hates going to the dentist. Mom did nothing, so I, as gently as possible, took it back, and told him No. Then another child came up and tried to take my travel mug from me that had hot coffee in it. His brother said, he doesn’t speak English. Surprise surprise. I speak Spanish. I told him (nicely) not to touch my glass, that it was very hot, and it could burn him in Spanish. The look on his face when I talked to him in Spanish was priceless.
Mom did nothing.
At 11:15 when they FINALLY came to give Alyce her valium I was ready to throw in the towel and go home. I wanted to say, you have in your office agreement something about me not being late (or I lose my appointment) and not missing an appointment without notice or I have to pay anyway, yet I sit here for 45 minutes and have nothing to say about it.
She got her valium and we went back to the waiting room. Half an hour later they came back out to get her. She was sliding down in her chair, almost passing out, I was holding her to me so she wouldn’t fall off.
I gave her a kiss and handed her to the nurse. Her little lip started trembling, her eyes started tearing up, and she was reaching for me, crying mama as they took her away from me. 
I asked how long it would take – 45 minutes.
I went out to the parking lot and called Pato and my mom and started crying. I felt horrible.
I came back in and waited and waited and waited. It was after 1 when they brought her out to me. You could tell she’d been out of control back there. Her eyes were so pale. Her eyes are light blue anyway, but they were almost colorless. Around her eyes, her skin was bright pink, almost a dark fuscia. Her cheeks were bright red. My heart BROKE as she lunged to me.
They said it took longer because she was pretty “upset” for the first half. Then she had to go to the bathroom. I said did she? No, she didn’t have an accident. Ok good, because she hasn’t had one in over a year. I think she would have been mortified.
I guess what she had done was called conscious sedation. That link isn’t to our dentist. I just looked it up so I could explain it. I had asked our doctor about the valium and the sedation before the visit and there was no problem with the sedation. He said the office would have to be licensed to perform that kind of work and would have to know what they were doing. He had no issue with it. Only mom and dad had an issue and didn’t really have any other options after calling dentist, after dentist, after dentist.
I carried her out to the car with my list of instructions – no straws or sippy cups today. No sleeping in a bed with a pillow for the first hour – only on the floor, only soft cold foods for 24 hours…etc etc etc.
We got to the car and she started crying because I had to put her down. Then she cried because she missed her papi (daddy). Luckily the office is like a 6 minute drive from our place so I got her home quickly to papi. He loved her while I went up to the store to get all the soft foods little kids love: jello, pudding, yogurt, chicken noodle soup, ice cream, apple sauce. I threw some butter pecan in the cart for me too because let’s face it, I’d had a rough day too. Not as rough as she did mind you, but it was tough none the less.
Then I had to run to the Pet Smart to get Junie’s stew that we mix with her food.
Came home with a throbbing headache. Long long day I’m telling you.
I loved on Alyce for a little bit. She was starting to feel less medicated and didn’t want to take a nap with me. I told Pato I was going to take a nap and to wake me up when he left.
The kids had an early out of school so there was slight chaos as I shut my door. Everyone and the dog needed me. I finally got to sleep. I woke up at 6. SIX. I just about died. Pato had left for work an hour and a half before that. He left Jordan in charge. Told him to wake me up if he needed me but to let me sleep my headache off.
The house was trashed but the kids were happy when I got up. Toys had exploded everywhere but it was all good.
The headache isn’t completely gone, but Alyce is feeling like herself. I could go back to bed. I don’t know how she isn’t sleeping.
I’ll try to get my and Kat’s project 365 up tonight, we did take pictures. It is going to depend on cooperation from the kids. I need to get them off and ready for bed.
Have a great night.
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