The Doctor is In

I am proud to announce that last Friday I worked on my first dental patients ever! The dental school has a sealant program sponsored by a local church and the school where 1st and 2nd graders from elementary schools in the area can come to the dental school as a "field trip" and get free sealants put on their teeth. (For you non-dental people out there: A sealant is a substance that is put onto your teeth to fill in the grooves and protect them from getting cavities. Or, if you are a 1st or 2nd grader--A sealant is a powershield for your teeth so the cavity creeps can't get them.)

Anyway, I was assigned to a 3rd year dental student for the morning. I was just supposed to assist the 3rd year in any way that I could. Fortunately, my 3rd year guy was really nice and let me try my hand at sealants! Now, I'll be honest with you--as far as dental work goes, sealants are very low on the difficulty level, however, the fact that our patients were squirmy seven year olds heightens the technical challenge quite a bit.

The kids who came into our operatory were excellent, though, and really behaved well while we put on the sealants. I was absolutely ecstatic when I left. It was such a positive day for me! I actually got to do the thing that I've been working toward for over four years now. I felt so refreshed by the reminder that all this book work and drudgery that we are doing now leads up to the career I dreamed of, where I can prevent cavities, administer pain-relieving medicines, and perform healing procedures.

In addition to that story, I have (yes, it's true) another fish story. Reader beware: this one does not end well. Do not read on if you are faint of heart...

Toodles, one of our molly fish, has been looking especially fat lately. At first I thought that she was just holding a little water weight (I mean, she does live completely submerged, poor girl) but it lasted longer than that. Then I suspected that she might be pregnant, but who wants to ask, "When's it due?" Only to be met with the response, "I'm not pregnant." Needless to say, I waited until I was absolutely certain that she was preggers before I congratulated her and told her we would have a little fishy shower for her.

I'd never had a pregnant fishy before. (Mostly because I'd killed most of them before they could reach sexual maturity.) I didn't really know when she would have her babies, but it so happened that tonight, just after our lights came back on from a 40 minute blackout (perhaps the candlelight got her in the birthing mood), I saw the tiniest little fish eye balls looking at me from the bottom of the tank!

I can't even explain how tiny the babies were. Maybe a centimeter long? And no more than half a centimeter tall. Fragile and transparent little boogers. Adorable.

Toodles popped out about 20 of them over the next half hour, and I watched as the little guys plunked out and swam to the rocks on the bottom.

Then I watched in horror as Toodles gobbled up five of them immediately after birthing them. I started screaming to the others, "GET DOWN! GET DOWN! DON'T MOVE!" But to no avail. I finally stopped watching after a while. Too painful. Poor little guys.

I wondered again...how do these fish survive in the wild? They have to have their water just right, the pH balanced, salinity perfect, and on top of all that, they eat their OWN babies!!! How could they possibly live without human intervention? It simply does not make evolutionary sense.

Anyway, I'm still rooting for one little baby that I know is hiding several layers down in the rocks. Perhaps Mommy Dearest won't be able to find her. But I don't want to go check on her right now--might give away her position...