A learning day

Today has been pretty good. I learned a lot on my patient this morning. Professor Alexander taught me how to use a chin cup accessory fulcrum while scaling the buccal of the upper left. FABULOUS. She also taught me how to tweak my gracey in even more than i was before to get deposit off around crowns. I feel awesome about it.

However, my afternoon didn't pan out. I was supposed to see two kids but they no showed. Boo! I did a screening instead, but she wasn't mockboard material. Oh well!

Oh mockboards, how i loathe you

Mockboard day has been crazy. Being a student examiner was easy, breezy. Taking the mock LA written exam wasn't bad. Scheduling the actual LA written was a cinch. Lunch was yummy.

Then....

My mockboard patient was twenty minutes late. Stress. I took the 2 PAs I needed on her, sat her down and BAM! " I have to leave at 2:00."..... WHAAAAAT? So I take her blood pressure, don't even look in her mouth, hand her over. After all of the checks it was 1:15 before I could start working on her. Double stress. I sped through her, and got her out by 2:00. Yikes. I missed 2 spots of calculus and 2 years off of my life. Hahaha.

It didn't work out at all the way I'd planned but what can ya do? At least it was just a MOCK board. I'm glad it's over! Thanks to the instructors for being speedy and understanding!

Finally found a mockboard!

Just in the nick of time I found a mockboard! My afternoon patient qualified. I'm glad she did because I had to put up with the child that she brought that was destroying everything in sight. Children... ugh. Blast. I told her she can't bring the kid. Hahaha. The kid opened up a tube of toothpaste and squirted it everywhere and then painted it everywhere with the fluoride brush. oh my word. But i have my mockboard! I'm so excited!

VA craziness

Oh VA... how I've missed you... kind of. Haha. First day back at the VA: success. My first patient was one of the most entertaining old men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He informed me right when he sat down that he really liked to talk. Boy, he wasn't kidding. Example of one our our conversations:

67 year old man: So, emily. I have a serious question for you.

Me: Ok...

67 year old man: Do you like....... ADVENTURE?????

Me: *awkward laugh* ... why yes, i do.

67 year old man: THEN DO I HAVE A MOVIE FOR YOU!

Me: Oh yeah? What's it called.

67 year old man: (very seriously) ... King of the Grizzlies.

Me:.... wow, sounds pretty fantastic.

Honestly, he was hilarious. He literally made me get a piece of paper and watched me write down all of the things I "MUST" look up on the internet or watch. He told me many, many, many stories about fur trappers and indians... and peanut butter. Apparently, the origin of peanut butter is fascinating. Who knew?

My afternoon patient was also very nice. Not as talkative, but good nonetheless. Very exciting day back.

Here's to another semester of VA experiences.

first day of the last semester of dental hygiene school!

I got through my first day of my last semester in the dental hygiene program! Woo hoo! My day went really well. I was super speedy today. I wish I'd found a board or a mock board patient, but I didn't. I'm super stoked for my pod though! Kristie and Stefanie both found people! Now they can spread the love to me. :) hahaha.

Anyway, I feel really good about how my day went. My first patient might have qualified to be a mock board but he was wayyyyyy grouchy and "wanted to have as quick of an appointment as possible" so I figured he wouldn't take the bait. My afternoon patient was the cutest old lady ever. She reminded me of my grandma.

We can do this ladies! We're almost done!