An Unexpected 'Baby'

One of the first things I did after I got married and moved to Michigan was find a chiropractor for my backwards curving cervical spine. The first appointment was a complete evaluation with the doctor, including a physical exam, a medical history check, and digital x-rays of my spine. After the radiologist took three or four x-rays, he sent me back to my room while he discussed the x-rays with the doctor. I left the door open to my exam room as I sat and waited for my results. In the next room, I heard the doctor say, "Yep. She's right. Look at the curvature of that spine. It is definitely curving backwards." Next, the doctor seemed to lower her voice and murmur, and I wondered if they had discovered something besides the deformed spine. I quit trying to hear what they were saying until the doctor exclaimed, "Look! It's baby's head!" and the radiologist said, "I didn't even see baby's head!"

Immediately, my heart started pounding out of my chest, my ears grew hot, and my face flushed. I had just signed a waiver stating that I was positive I was not pregnant- and I really was positive I WAS NOT PREGNANT! I mean I had only been married for two weeks! Even if I had miraculously become pregnant in that short amount of time, could a baby really be visible that clearly on my x-rays? It seemed like hours while I sat and waited for the doctor to come back into the room and give me my results. I kept imagining my reaction when she told me, even though I already had overheard. What was I going to do?

Then, to my amazement, the doctor walked into the room with a great big smile on her face and said, "You sure do have cervical subluxation of your spine!" She went on about some minor scoliosis, but that was it. I waited and waited and cringed every time she took a breath, thinking that her next sentence would be it. Without any mention of a baby she said, "Alright, lets go to a table and get you adjusted." I stood up and thought, "No way! I can't believe she is not going to tell me! They must be scared of some law suit against them for doing x-rays on a pregnant woman!"

I walked out to the front room and lay down on a table where the doctor began to push and prod my back. Half way through the adjustment the doctor said, "Awwww, here she comes! Look, Katie." I raised up my head from the table to find a chihuahua sitting beside my table wagging it's tail. "Katie, this is Baby. Since, I can't have any more children, we got a dog and named her Baby. She likes to watch me work." As I stared in astonishment and realized the doctor had only seen 'Baby's' head peaking around the corner of the x-ray room, I felt like a fool. The doctor placed a pillow next to the table and 'Baby' sat down to watch the remainder of my exam.

When I got up to leave, the doctor picked up 'Baby' and waved her paw at me good-bye. The doctor said, "Baby, says welcome to East Lansing." I walked out of the office, sat in my Jeep, and laughed so hard I could barely breath. The day was definitely going much better than expected.