Am sitting, waiting for a train after leaving the dentist. One more procedure to go to finish off this new crown. I’m realising just how much I’ve masked & disassociated in the past at the dentist. My last visit was a little awkward. I had a stim toy in one hand. But this time, we kept stopping & the nurse would give me a face & jaw massage (which I liked). And the dentist handed me a squishy stress ball. I think he must’ve done some reading. He seemed a bit more relaxed with me. It was good.
Had to put phone down, cos I got talking to the woman next to me, who was pissed off about the delayed train. Younger than me, very dark glasses, bald, with a walker. Was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer after finally sending off their first poo test. (In Australia, over 50s can sign up for a test, send in a poo sample.) Had to bite my tongue a few times. They have good reason to be pissed off at the world. Then a woman wearing a sunflower lanyard (autism) came along & explained to yet another woman that I was afraid of catching Covid. (I was masked, the only masked person for as far as I’d seen all morning.)
Exhausting, uncomfortable, but not all bad. I hope our chat gave some comfort to the woman living with cancer. We did manage a couple of laughs.
@neurodiversity
#ActuallyAutistic
