One thing I made a conscious choice about was to ignore the ‘get to the doctor right away’. It was against every fiber of my being to rush them off to the doctors (and I'm just a rebel like that). Well, now it’s been almost 5 weeks and let the appointments begin!!! And they’re off!! Whew...in the back of my mind, this is why I wanted to postpone them. One appointment leads to another, etc. To top it off, some things are stabs in the dark, pay your copay, get this Rx and "let’s see". Well, those of you that know me, THAT’S NOT MY STYLE.
So, there have been 2 appts and each of those have led to 3 more. But Tuesday, God stopped me dead in my tracks. I was grumbling. I was frustrated with this trial and error approach. I was frustrated that I already have learned my boys’ responses and see a doctor blow through ‘considering’ their circumstances. NOW, mind you that some of that ‘blow through’ may be because 1 certain little boy CRIES at the sight of a nurse/doctor and we have to move through 2 appointments with each like that. I somehow don’t even hear it. It’s funny. He’s not fighting, just sad.
Still, I was stopped in my grumbling. I had prayed for these appointments, but prayed that they would ‘go well’. I was not looking for God, just his blessing. Tuesday, it never occurred to me that my we wouldn’t get our teeth cleaned at the dentist. I just thought it would be like the other kids...wimpering but manageable. No way! We did manage to get Jacob (braver) to lean back on my lap in the chair and let the dentist LOOK at his teeth. Of course positive peer pressure kicked in and then Jeremiah was right behind (wimpering the whole way). So we get up, get our goodies and I think, sure we’ll come back for the happy gas for any cavities and get our teeth cleaned then.
Um...under estimation!
Here’s how the report-out from the 'teeth counting' went:
Me: Cavities I assume.
Dentist: Yes, you’re right, so they’ll need to go under some anesthesia (I hear laughing gas) and get those taken care of. Unless we get them to give us some xrays next then we’ll get those then too and take care of whatever else is going on.
Me: So how bad are the cavities? I mean i know they probably have never been to the dentist,brushed teeth until the orphanage, but..
Dentist: Oh they have many and in between their teeth too. Jacob has nerve damage in his FRONT teeth and that’s why it’s good that we’ll be in the OR.
Me: OR?
Dentist: Operating Room
Me: (act like you know dummy!): Yes...OR but why not the laughing gas?
Dentist: The laughing gas is just like a glass of wine (laughs).
Me: (thinking: yes...laughing gas would have been good just for this appointment ...OR A GLASS OF WINE AT 7:45am?!)
Dentist: (notices my surprise): Jacob was probably nursed to sleep and Jeremiah was nursed too and once those teeth come in, they have to be brushed...
(the rest trailed off)
I had it...MORE NUGGETS ON MY SONS...they were nursed; even to the point of enough milk to cause TOOTH DECAY! I was not prepared for where that would fit in my radar of a dentist appointment. When you don’t have your child’s past, and then a piece of it is there, you almost don’t know where to put it.
So I said something like: Wow...a little more info on them. thanks.
A side note: I have a love/hate relationship with all dentists and I have with this one too. I left him at one point then called him back in an emergency after Kaylee Ann fell at 2 and her right side of her teeth were shoved up her gums. He met us on a Sunday afternoon and, well, I’ve worked through it since.
Back to the appointment:
We continued with bribery to get Jacob to get xrays laying on me. While we were doing that the dentist pops his head back in and says to the nurse: Waive my OR drs. fee for them since they’re adopted.
WOW. The hand of God. Not because of the $ only, but because of my heart. Just so critical. Just so hard. Just so...not expecting God to move at the dentist.
So I didn’t have the peaceful checkout when the lady was ‘nervous’ that I couldn’t tell her their history for the OR paperwork. Then the nurse comes over and kinda whispers and says...NO ONE KNOWS...SHE CAN’T FIND OUT THIS STUFF. She piped down and I just signed it all ‘unknown’....at each line. And I prayed...and this is what the I remembered...
Lord ...none of it is UNKNOWN TO YOU...
Remember how I’ve said the word that has come to mind often for how I am is ‘glad’?
THEN...I get in the car and the kid’s song playing is: I will rejoice for HE HAS MADE ME GLAD!!
thank YOU Jesus! I had forgotten...YOU HAVE MADE ME GLAD!
The pictures below are when they're home AND PROUD of their loot bags from the dentist. Turned around and headed back up at noon to have Justin's front tooth finished off after chipping it off before we brought the boys home....he wouldn't let me get a picture;) I would post it too! He asked to go get a mouthguard now...how many years have I begged? life's hard lessons...
So, there have been 2 appts and each of those have led to 3 more. But Tuesday, God stopped me dead in my tracks. I was grumbling. I was frustrated with this trial and error approach. I was frustrated that I already have learned my boys’ responses and see a doctor blow through ‘considering’ their circumstances. NOW, mind you that some of that ‘blow through’ may be because 1 certain little boy CRIES at the sight of a nurse/doctor and we have to move through 2 appointments with each like that. I somehow don’t even hear it. It’s funny. He’s not fighting, just sad.
Still, I was stopped in my grumbling. I had prayed for these appointments, but prayed that they would ‘go well’. I was not looking for God, just his blessing. Tuesday, it never occurred to me that my we wouldn’t get our teeth cleaned at the dentist. I just thought it would be like the other kids...wimpering but manageable. No way! We did manage to get Jacob (braver) to lean back on my lap in the chair and let the dentist LOOK at his teeth. Of course positive peer pressure kicked in and then Jeremiah was right behind (wimpering the whole way). So we get up, get our goodies and I think, sure we’ll come back for the happy gas for any cavities and get our teeth cleaned then.
Um...under estimation!
Here’s how the report-out from the 'teeth counting' went:
Me: Cavities I assume.
Dentist: Yes, you’re right, so they’ll need to go under some anesthesia (I hear laughing gas) and get those taken care of. Unless we get them to give us some xrays next then we’ll get those then too and take care of whatever else is going on.
Me: So how bad are the cavities? I mean i know they probably have never been to the dentist,brushed teeth until the orphanage, but..
Dentist: Oh they have many and in between their teeth too. Jacob has nerve damage in his FRONT teeth and that’s why it’s good that we’ll be in the OR.
Me: OR?
Dentist: Operating Room
Me: (act like you know dummy!): Yes...OR but why not the laughing gas?
Dentist: The laughing gas is just like a glass of wine (laughs).
Me: (thinking: yes...laughing gas would have been good just for this appointment ...OR A GLASS OF WINE AT 7:45am?!)
Dentist: (notices my surprise): Jacob was probably nursed to sleep and Jeremiah was nursed too and once those teeth come in, they have to be brushed...
(the rest trailed off)
I had it...MORE NUGGETS ON MY SONS...they were nursed; even to the point of enough milk to cause TOOTH DECAY! I was not prepared for where that would fit in my radar of a dentist appointment. When you don’t have your child’s past, and then a piece of it is there, you almost don’t know where to put it.
So I said something like: Wow...a little more info on them. thanks.
A side note: I have a love/hate relationship with all dentists and I have with this one too. I left him at one point then called him back in an emergency after Kaylee Ann fell at 2 and her right side of her teeth were shoved up her gums. He met us on a Sunday afternoon and, well, I’ve worked through it since.
Back to the appointment:
We continued with bribery to get Jacob to get xrays laying on me. While we were doing that the dentist pops his head back in and says to the nurse: Waive my OR drs. fee for them since they’re adopted.
WOW. The hand of God. Not because of the $ only, but because of my heart. Just so critical. Just so hard. Just so...not expecting God to move at the dentist.
So I didn’t have the peaceful checkout when the lady was ‘nervous’ that I couldn’t tell her their history for the OR paperwork. Then the nurse comes over and kinda whispers and says...NO ONE KNOWS...SHE CAN’T FIND OUT THIS STUFF. She piped down and I just signed it all ‘unknown’....at each line. And I prayed...and this is what the I remembered...
Lord ...none of it is UNKNOWN TO YOU...
Remember how I’ve said the word that has come to mind often for how I am is ‘glad’?
THEN...I get in the car and the kid’s song playing is: I will rejoice for HE HAS MADE ME GLAD!!
thank YOU Jesus! I had forgotten...YOU HAVE MADE ME GLAD!
The pictures below are when they're home AND PROUD of their loot bags from the dentist. Turned around and headed back up at noon to have Justin's front tooth finished off after chipping it off before we brought the boys home....he wouldn't let me get a picture;) I would post it too! He asked to go get a mouthguard now...how many years have I begged? life's hard lessons...
3 comments:
"not expecting God to move the dentist" is my favorite line from this post. So grateful He has given you eyes to see His work in every situation and to share it here. Praying for those boys and for all of you!
Love to read your updates - Praise the Lord that God has allowed you and Andy to become the boys parents. Praying for all of you during this transition period.
Jean and Lloyd
I continue to be blown away at all the Lord is showing you. He is being so generous to reveal His blessings in the midst of such challenging times. Praise God!
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