Thoughts on Doctoring

COMING SOON...

A FULLY TRAINED AND GRADUATED PLASTIC SURGEON NEAR YOU.

ON A RECENT TRIP TO THE DENTIST FOR A ROUTINE CLEANING, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S RECENT PATIENTS.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH SIMPLE CHATTER AS THE DENTAL HYGIENIST ASSIGNED TO ME THAT MORNING SPOKE OF THE RECENT SNOW FALL AND THE AMOUNT OF SHOVELING IT REQUIRED FOR HER TO MAKE IT TO WORK THAT MORNING. (I FEEL THE NEED TO ADD THAT 1) MY APPOINTMENT THAT MORNING WAS ONE THAT HAD BEEN RESCHEDULED AS I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE ORIGINAL, SCHEDULED A MONTH PRIOR AND 2) THIS PARTICULAR HYGIENIST HAD NEVER WORKED ON MY MOUTH BEFORE. THESE DETAILS WILL PROVE SIGNIFICANT AS THE STORY UNFOLDS.) AS SHE SHARED THE ACCOUNT OF HER MORNING SHE THREW IN ONE PARTICULAR (JUICY) DETAIL THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. SHE WAS IN FACT A RECENT BREAST REDUCTION PATIENT. I MUSTERED UP THE COURAGE TO ASK WHO HER DOCTOR WAS, EXPLAINING MY HUSBAND WAS A PLASTIC SURGERY RESIDENT AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. SHE MENTIONED HER ATTENDING PHYSICIAN'S NAME AND THEN ASKED WHAT MY HUSBAND'S NAME WAS.

"JEFF LARSON."

SHE PAUSED FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN ASKED IF HE WAS TALL WITH DARK HAIR.

"YES, AS A MATTER OF FACT."

SHE LOOKED DOWN AT HER CHEST AND THEN BACK UP AT ME. "I THINK YOUR HUSBAND DID ONE OF THESE!" SHE REPLIED WHILE MAKING ONE SWEEPING MOTION ACROSS HER CHEST.

I SMILED (AND GIGGLED INSIDE KNOWING FULL WELL HE IS THE ONLY RESIDENT THAT FITS THAT DESCRIPTION) AS SHE RECLINED MY CHAIR, FITTED ME WITH THE OBNOXIOUS EYE WEAR, AND ASKED ME TO OPEN WIDE. SHE SPENT THE REST OF THE APPOINTMENT QUITE GIDDY AS SHE RELATED HER STORY OF BEING RESISTANT TO SURGERY HER ENTIRE LIFE, STRUGGLING TO FIND COMFORT IN DAILY ACTIVITIES, THE MOMENT SHE CHANGED HER MIND AND ENTERTAINED THOUGHTS OF A REDUCTION, HER RECOVERY, AND ULTIMATELY THE SATISFACTION AND BLISS OF EXPERIENCING LIFE WITH A SMALLER CUP SIZE. SHE SPARED NO DETAIL, OR EMOTION IN TELLING ME HER STORY. AT ONE POINT SHE EVEN TEARED UP AS SHE FLOSSED MY TEETH AND CONFIDED THAT SHE NO LONGER FELT DEPRESSED IN LIFE. LIKE ANY PATIENT WHO IS RECLINED WITH MOUTH OPEN, I LISTENED PATIENTLY AND ATTENTIVELY TO WHAT MY HYGIENIST WAS SAYING. BUT, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER BEFORE HAD SUCH A POSITIVE, ENGAGING, AND MEMORABLE VISIT TO THE DENTIST.

I REMEMBER THE MOMENT JEFF TOLD ME HE IN FACT WANTED TO PURSUE PLASTIC SURGERY. I WAS HESITANT. I KNEW WELL THE PERCEPTION OF PLASTIC SURGEONS AND THE SURGERIES THEY PERFORMED, AND IT MADE ME SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE. JEFF BOTH NOTED AND ACCEPTED MY HESITANCY, BUT ALSO TOLD ME HE COULD NOT PURSUE THE PROFESSION WITHOUT MY SUPPORT. THIS WAS A DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR YOUNG MARRIAGE. I KNEW THAT HE NOT ONLY NEEDED MY FULL SUPPORT, BUT BEYOND THAT IF HE WAS GOING TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SURGEON HE NEEDED A WIFE WHO BELIEVED IN WHAT HE DID.

IT WAS 12 1/2 YEARS AGO THAT WE EMBARKED UPON THIS JOURNEY, HIS DREAM. JEFF HAS TAUGHT ME SO MANY THINGS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PLASTIC SURGEON; HOWEVER, THE TESTIMONY I HEARD FROM MY HYGIENIST THAT DAY TAUGHT ME WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHANGED BY A PLASTIC SURGEON. AND, I WILL NEVER FORGET HER STORY, HER SMILE, HER ENTHUSIASM OR HER APPRECIATION FOR WHAT MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO DO FOR HER.

YES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS SURROUNDING THE WORLD OF PLASTIC SURGERY. THERE ARE IN FACT EXTREME CASES PERFORMED BY EXTREME SURGEONS. BUT, THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF MAN I MARRIED.

IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT PERHAPS I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE MY ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT FOR REASONS BEYOND HAVING NO CHILD CARE. THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT HAD I TURNED UP FOR THAT APPOINTMENT I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE "FRAN", THE HYGIENIST, FOR SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN RECOVERY.

UPON LEAVING THE DENTAL OFFICE MY HYGIENIST TOLD ME TO GIVE MY HUSBAND A BIG KISS AND THANK HIM FOR ALL HE DID. YOU BETTER BELIEVE I DID THAT NIGHT.