Tidbits

It seems as though I'm always thinking of things to blog about, but I can never find the time to just sit down and write. Then, of course, I miss the opportunity....who wants to read about something I cooked three weeks ago or sewed for my sister last March? I'm going to be better -- if only to document my life for posterity, and at the risk of upsetting those already acquainted with my long-windedness -- starting with some random thoughts from this week:

First, one of my biggest fears about becoming a dental hygienist is that I won't be able to talk to my patients. Sure, I can scrape stuff off your teeth -- I'm getting pretty fast, too! But I get so awkward when it comes to talking to people about important things (smoking cessation, nutrition counseling, even brushing and flossing technique have me tongue-tied on occasion). I had a good experience with a patient this week: a single mom of a low-income family, whose entire life revolves around her three small children. She works so hard to give them what they need, but neglects herself in the process. Though she has a seemingly decent attitude about her situation, I just wanted to hug her and cry. I even thought about copying her address from her patient chart so I could leave money on her doorstep, but figured that the HIPAA people would frown upon that. Maybe it was because of my feelings of personal empathy towards her, but with this patient (unlike any other patients) I was able to address my concerns about her health, explain what is happening to her, and teach her how to take better care of herself. I think she got it....I even think she'll do it. Suddenly, I became a hygienist.

Secondly, today was awesome. For the first time in what seems like months, Colby came to church with me! I sometimes worry that our neighbors think he's gone inactive, when really he's just sick in bed most of the time. Sundays always seem to be the worst. Needless to say, I was thrilled that he made it through 3/4 of sacrament meeting before he was too sick to sit any longer. I came home after the block to find him snuggled up in bed with his oxygen on; he must have been really ill this morning. I'm letting him sleep for a few more minutes, then we're going up to Kaysville for the holiday. Colby's little brother gets home from his mission tomorrow!

And finally, I got my taxes done -- woo-hoo! Happily, we are getting about twice the refund we got last year, though my income was roughly the same. Sadly, most of our refund will probably be applied directly to our credit card.