Some days . . .

Today was a busy day. A surprise appointment came up for Kourtney at Children's. We have taken Kourtney many times to the dentist at Children's but have only seen resident dentists. This time I wanted to see "The Dentist" for various reasons. Kourtney has had issues with her teeth (just one more thing) since she was 2 years old. Her mouth is small from all the scarring in her mouth from blisters so her teeth are very crowded, plus her teeth are discoloured because she is G-tube fed and her teeth don't get used so they develop calcification on them. We have been so many times to the dental clinic only for them to tell us, over and over again, her teeth are fine. Not a good enough answer to a 12 year old whose every second friend has braces. I had talked to Dr C. and told him about my dilemma. He thought there was nothing wrong with her teeth despite being crowded, but he said he would talk to Dr. Johnston, the dentist.

So in order for me to get to this appointment at 1:15 I had to jump through some hoops. I had to get the day off work, which can be a problem. I ended up working from 0730-1200, picked Kourtney up at school, headed into Vancouver, got to Children's on time, but could not find a parking spot.- $14.00 dollars a day for parking and not one stall to be found. Can you imagine how much money these people are making?? I found a free spot on the street but I had to parallel park. I think the last time I successfully performed this procedure was during my drivers test 24 years ago!! Picture this, downtown Vancouver, Oak Street, busy street, I have traffic stopped behind me as I am cranking the steering wheel of the van to prepare to park. To my utter amazement the van slid into the spot evenly, without hesitation. I was high fiving myself as Kourtney watched me and rolled her eyes.
Then Kourtney decided to "walk" into the hospital. It was quite a hike considering we usually get the good parking spots with the disabled sign on our van. She did very well and the more she walked the straighter she was. It was very neat to see. Seeing Kourtney walk today encouraged me even more to do the 30 day challenge. (Who is with me??)

The Dentist is an older guy; looks like he could be close to retirement. He talked to Kourtney and asked her what her concerns were. She told him about her crowded and discoloured teeth. He told her that because she asked he would do something about that. He cleaned her teeth very gently and also referred us to an orthodontist that specializes in "special needs" children. Kourtney and I both felt that we were listened to and were both light on our feet walking to the very nicely parked van (did I mention how well I parked it).

When we got home Kourtney was on cloud nine. Happy, witty, full of energy and she even played on the Wii. I felt the same way. Most of the times we walk away from an appointment feeling overwhelmed and tired and just want to go home. It emphasized to me today that doing the small things in life make such a difference. I deal with "patients" daily and it just reinforced to me how important it is to listen to them and focus in on them and respect them for who they are.

The 30 day challenge starts in a few days. I have friends signed up on facebook but for those who aren't signed up on facebook, leave a comment and join Kourtney and I. Do it for Kourtney!!!