My husband needs to have some fairly extensive dental work done that will require about four hours in the dental chair. He has been putting this off for a while and I can understand why, but now it is scheduled and he is feeling very apprehensive about it. I will be honest, when I heard that he would be in the chair for four hours, I immediately thought about the things I could do with that time. I was looking at the opportunity for me, not the challenge for him.

With the dental appointment just a few days away, I finally took the time to talk with him about his feelings. We discussed concerns about the multiple procedures being done, our concerns about him being able to stay still since his meds will wear off while he is in the chair, and concerns about the after effects of the treatment. When I slowed down and listened, I realized that we needed more information and perhaps a new plan. I put in a call to the dentist to see about spreading this treatment out into a less traumatic format.

We are still waiting to hear from the dentist on how we can revise his plan of treatment. More importantly, I have been reminded that while my self-care matters, I need to first make sure that what we are doing is right for my husband. Then I can take my break knowing that I have done my best to help him meet his challenges to stay healthy.