Thursday, September 03, 2009

A Paper "Gown"

Yesterday I went to the dermatologist to have a few moles checked out. Routine stuff. Turns out I need to have a couple removed, but that's not the memorable part of the visit for me. No, this was actually the first doctor's appointment that I had to bring Ethan with me. He's a really good little boy, but still...he's 15 months old. I thought this through beforehand and brought a snack, a drink, his favorite books...and his stroller for containment purposes when the doctor actually came in to see me.

Frankly, everything pretty much went off without a hitch. I let him walk around a little bit in the waiting area before we were called back because there was no one else there. Then we got back to the room and the nurse took my basic information and then turned to leave. Before she did, she casually waved her hand at the paper things folded on the patient chair (she called it a 2-part gown) and told me to put one drape on my top half and sit with the other one draped over my bottom half. I think I might have laughed out loud just a little bit. Good thing I'm not self-conscious when I go to the doctor because there was no way I could just sit on the chair with my drapes strategically placed and wait with my hands folded for the doctor to come in.

So I just let Ethan walk around some more in there (all the while I am without my clothes or the "paper gown"), and at some point, I put him in his stroller to prepare for the doctor. Finally, when he was getting fidgety in there, she came in. And I was mostly covered. After that he was so mesmerized by watching her that we breezed through the rest of the appointment. Could have been a lot worse.

3 comments:

Melanie said...

was that really your first paper gown experience?? my doctor makes me wear them before my well-woman exam every year! the first time, many years ago now, i ripped the gown when trying to unfold it!

Unknown said...

Oh, no...definitely not my first time with a paper gown. Just my first time to have to "wear" one while keeping track of Ethan at the same time!

Melanie said...

gotcha!