Subbing can suck.

I'm pretty happy with my hygiene situation right now.  I have 1.5 days guaranteed at a fabulous office close to my house.  I pick up days (as we say in the industry) up to 5 days a week.  I like having certain flexibility, some weeks I work a lot, other weeks I hardly work.  It has it's upsides and it usually works really well, except for when it doesn't.  Here is the most recent frustrating sitch.

A lady asked me to sub the 16th and the 23rd.  She LEFT A MESSAGE on my phone about the days, etc, asking me to call her back.  I call her back, LEAVE A MESSAGE with a front office person that I CAN'T work the 9th but I CAN work the 16th (or something like that).  Then I realized I hadn't even responded to the days she had asked me (you'd think I'd be more organized, this is my LIVELIHOOD we're talking about). I realized my mistake, called her back, LEFT ANOTHER MESSAGE with ANOTHER front office person.  The hygienist then called me back and LEFT A MESSAGE saying she had gotten my messages and that she had me down for the 16th, but was going to get someone else for the 23rd.  At least I'm pretty sure that's what she said.

Anyway, of course the perfect storm comes yesterday when my PG friend asks me to work for her 7-1.  I say I am already working 7-5 at another office.  I tried to get somebody else to cover her day, because she is uncomfortable and having a hard time walking around without lower back pain, but nobody could.  I felt bad telling her I couldn't do it and nobody else had responded to my call.

This morning, I set my alarm for 6:15.  Snooze.  6:24.  Snooze.  Then my husband saying, "Marianne?" . . . 7:00am.  "suck."

Jump out of bed, nearly waking up the 7 month-old and 3 year-old that practically sleep on top of me every night, run to the bathroom.  I can get ready in about 5 minutes.  Go to the bathroom, put my contacts in, comb my hair back, get dressed, grab my loupes and as I'm running out the door I call the office I'm supposed to work at.  I am sick (a sick women getting up at this ungodly hour, psh) and I've lost my voice so I am like squeaking into the phone, "Hi!  I'm supposed to be working today, I am running late (NOT I just woke up) I'll be there in 5 minutes" and I hear on the other line "Um . . . I have you down for working the 23rd . . . "  Of course you do.  The eye of the storm.

So there are some upsides to this.  I called my PG friend and told her I'd be there to start her 2nd patient.  I am not working as long today overall.  I now will be working in an office where I have worked before and like.  I might be able to get off early enough to go to a staff meeting at my normal office that I thought I'd miss before.  I have time to write this post. 

Downsides to this.  I spent all day yesterday thinking I was going to be doing one thing and kind of dreading it because I'm sick.  My PG friend had to get her PG backside out of bed this morning way too early and go to work for 1 hour.  Miscommunication drives me CRAZY, as it is inefficient.  Meh.

Hats off to subbing!  And all it's future crappy situations.

True Story

I saw a patient today that HONESTLY looked like this, down to the fingernails.  Hilarious.  I had to stifle myself under my mask.

Mouth Crush

Do you ever find yourself getting a mouth crush on somebody?

Like you are so in love with their beautiful teeth that you start to have very positive feelings towards them as a person and have to keep reminding yourself that you don't really know them that well?

Or the opposite.  Start to have negative feelings towards someone with maloccluded teeth and periodontal disease?

Well I do.  Had a serious mouth crush today on a 50-something year old guy who has the teeth of a 20 year old.  I hope I didn't get a too chummy.

Eat Crow

Remember when Costley's definition on a slide came straight from Wikipedia?  Well, I'd like to follow suit (while we're using idioms, why not?)

Eating crow is a U.S. colloquial idiom meaning humiliation by admitting wrongness or having been proved wrong after taking a strong position.

Here's the story.

I subbed at my Dad's office last Saturday.  I have subbed there a few times since having Cleo, but on those occasions my first patient was at 2:00pm.  This time my first patient was at 8:00am.  Now on the previous occasions I had a hole or two in the schedule, which means I had some down time.  I have worked for my father for over 5 years.  I assisted until I got into hygiene school and I have done Payroll/Office stuff all the way through school and am still doing it.  Needless to say I know a lot of the ins and outs of the goings on there, especially what my Dad wants and all his weird little quirks (and there is a laundry list of them).  For example, he likes the tissue boxes to be taped to the counter top.  I imagine because it annoys him to pull on a tissue only to have the whole box come with it.  He likes us to ask, "What questions do you have?" instead of "Do you have any questions?"  He doesn't like the phrase "due for" as in "You are due for radiographs today" because it makes it seem impersonal that we are not taking the individual person into account when we take radiographs on a certain schedule.  If you haven't gotten the feeling yet he is VERY PARTICULAR about these types of things.  Patient relationships are huge to him and he is pretty selective about how we communicate to them.

Well, another thing he is picky about is being on time.  On time is late, and early is on time.  Friday night I was at his house and he reminded me to be there 15 minutes early.  Usually I just say, "Ok" or "I know", but he had reminded me to put tape on a tissue box earlier in the week which I felt was uncalled for, because OBVIOUSLY I KNOW!  Right?  So I kind of started in on him about I know I need to be there early and I know the tissue box needs tape on the bottom and I know to restock things when I take the last one and I know to write the date and price on every box I come into contact with, I know to keep the PIE form from last year so we know how to fill out this years, ETC!  (I could go on forever.)

Guess what happened?  I woke up late the next morning.  WOKE UP at 8:00am.  First patient at 8:00am.  I had set my alarm for an hour earlier, planned to pump a bottle for Cleo and get there early early.  Nope.  Sorry Cleo.  Instead, I pulled in to the parking lot at 8:20am.  Came flying out of the car with my loupes already on, hadn't even eaten or brushed my teeth!  Eew, RDH sin.  Megan, bless her soul, had already taken radiographs on my patient (a good friend) and my Dad was doing the exam.

Needless to say, I ATE CROW that morning.  And I hope to never have to again.

Idioms remind me of this.  Thanks Richie Rich.

Richie Rich: My crib? 
Herbert Cadbury: I believe that's street slang for home, sir, an idiom. 
Omar: Who you callin' an idiom?

Couldn't find a YouTube clip of it. 

Dear Patients

Dear Patients,

I love you.  I really do.  Generally.  However, there are a few things that I think you ought to know.

1 - When I am flossing your teeth, just keep your mouth open and jaw still.  You are NOT helping me floss by moving your jaw all around.  Maybe that helps you when you floss yourself.  Fine, do it for you, but it just irritates me when you do it.

2 - Stop feeling guilty.  I'm not asking how often you floss so I can yell at you and make you feel like a bad person.  I honestly want to know, because some people NEVER floss and NEVER get plaque/calculus/tartar on their teeth.  Other people THINK they are great flossers, but are doing a craptacular job, and other people floss all day every day but it still isn't enough.  I'm not trying to make you feel bad.

3 - Yes, I like to talk to you, but when I have my instruments ready and posed at your ever-moving lips that is my sign that it is time to put them IN your mouth.  Take note.

4 - I don't know what your insurance covers.  That is your job.  I am proud of you, if you know and can make me aware that they only cover Fluoride once a year, or BWX, or whatever.  You be in charge of that.

Um . . . that is all I can think of right now.

Thanks for coming in!  Nice to meet you! 

Marianne Moody, RDH

Kiddos

I have been thankful to be subbing in a fantabulous office quite a bit recently.  This office sees a LOT of kids.  Up until yesterday they were all perfectly good, fun, well-behaved children with their normal struggles, but really pretty dang good.  Well . . . yesterday I saw two kids that seriously tried my patience.  I don't know if it was because it was my 4th day of working in a row, or what but HOLY SMOKES I had to try dang hard not to freak out at them.  The girl (seven years old) kept grabbing my instrument while it was in her mouth.  I tried to take BWX of her brother (4 years old) and it was NOT going to happen.  I had explained holding as still as a statue, so at one point he clamped down on the phosphor plate (like 1 of 4 size 0's) and may have permanently ruined it he bit down so hard.  Dang freaking annoying kids.

Morterboards

I didn't feel like I was a big fat loser for getting an Associate's Degree when everybody else was getting a Bachelor's Degree until the last week of school.

"Oh the Excellence in Service Award that you completed 8 modules and lots of paperwork to get, that can only be awarded to those getting a Bachelor's Degree."

"Oh, the purple and white striped honors cord?  That is only for those getting a Bachelor's Degree."

"Oh, the black robes and yellow tassle?  That is only for Bachelor's recipients."

"Oh, if you are getting an Associate's Degree you need to stand at the END of the line, by yourself, not talk to any of your friends and your name will be called out LAST."

It became a funny little joke between MeChel and I.  So, anyone in future Dental Hygiene years just be prepared for the humiliation that getting ONLY an Associate's brings.  I mean . . . not having to worry about Dr. Hansen's research class/thesis/paper may have been worth it.  Um, hold on . . . yes.  It was definitely worth it.

But graduation was still a fun day of pomp and circumstance, seeing friends, realizing it was the last time we would officially be together as a class, and hugging our dedicated instructors as we walked across the stage.  Holy Francis McConaughy crying her eyeballs out!  Didn't expect that from Fran.

Aloha!

DH BFFs

Karlie snagged a QUICK pic before Cam started his shyness.

Camden . . . too shy to show his face.