a surprise at the dentist

I was not happy to be going to the dentist today. For one thing,
I had plans that I was forced to cancel. Although the appointment
was made six months ago, no one told me about it until a few days
ago.

Because of the lack of notice, I had no time to arrange an
interpreter. In the past, my mother would go with me and use the
sign language manual alphabet to "fingerspell" what was being
said. Unfortunately, my mother is still healing from injuries she
received in a car accident. My dad took me to the dentist. He
does not sign, so we have trouble communicating.

I sat in Dr. Gordon Marsh's dentist chair in a nasty mood. I'm
fond of Dr. Marsh and his staff. But I did not like the idea of
having my mouth worked on when no one could tell me what was
going on. That's why it's so important for people who are deaf to
have access to interpreters in medical settings.

The dental hygienist put on my little bib and picked up my hand.
She fingerspelled "This is Sarah" directly into my hand. I jumped
in surprise! I had no idea that Dr. Marsh had staff who can
communicate with people who are deaf and deaf-blind. Sarah kept
me informed about what she was doing. We also chatted as she
worked. It was an unusual and wonderful experience for me.

After Dr. Marsh check my teeth, Sarah gave me a thumbs up. I left
the office with a bright smile on my face. Only part of it was a
result of the polish.