Doc

The New Year has been fabulous for Butterfly Girl. The winter break was so healing and therapeutic for all of us. It is like we have all started over. Butterfly has had a great week at school- no incidents, at least no phone calls.  Communication with Teacher and Principal is still only around the bad. 

Butterfly saw Psychiatrist for the first time on Monday. Partner and I had seem him the week before. I took Butterfly to her appointment. We told her he was a "talking doctor"- someone she could talk and play with- someone she could tell her feelings to. Butterfly just wanted to know what kind of toys he had. She got all dressed up for her appointment and waited patiently until it was time to go.

Butterfly and I followed Doc from the waiting room into his office. The office was spotless, a long wall of books and periodicals and another wall with dark brown baskets. Butterfly stood in the center of the room for a minute and then headed straight for the baskets. Sure enough, they were filled with toys and treasures.

Doc went and sat on the floor with her. I tried to be inconspicuous choosing to settle on the couch. Butterfly still hadn't said a word. Doc was moving very slowly- he is very calm and I like that. I felt like an intruder myself. I didn't want the Doc to ask me to leave so after a few minutes, I moved out to the waiting room with Butterfly's approval.

Of course, once I was out there, behind two locked doors, away from Butterfly, I began to second guess everything. Who was this Doc? It isn't like we really know him. What is he talking about in there? Will he let her come to me if she wants to leave?

After what seemed like an eternity, Butterfly poked her head in the waiting room. Doc said "I think I would like to see her again." That surprised me-the original plan was that Partner and I had an appointment, then Butterfly and then he would go to the school. That was his standard. 

Why did he need to see her again? Why was he deviating from the plan? Had something horrible come up? Had he identified some behavior already?  I couldn't ask much with Butterfly standing there. Doc told me he would schedule some time to talk with me after her second appointment.

So now we wait. 

Butterfly told me she wants to go back to see him. That is a good sign. We go Wednesday night. I like the doc. I feel like we are on a good path. Everything is smooth right now. Things feel good.