Sunday night Lucas began getting stuffy. He acted fine and normal just definitely stuffy. That night when he went to bed he sounded horrible.
Monday--still stuffy nothing else going on though. In the afternoon he begins to feel a bit warm.. I take his temperature, normal. He then makes a random comment about how he has to be careful as he has a stiff neck. Monday night he sleeping was even worse, woke up a few times in the night.
Tuesday--Still all stuffy, eats breakfast fine, still saying his neck hurts and his glands they are now visibly swollen.
So I call the doctor. They were able to get us in immediately so no time to find somewhere to drop Alex off.
There is nothing worse than sitting in a doctors office. One kid is throwing up, one kid is coughing up a lung... and I am just trying to keep me and my kids in this safe little bubble.
We head back, they ask who we would like to see (Doctor or her assistant) I say it doesn't matter (i.e. whoever can see us right away as fast=good)
She comes in, checks him out, swabs his throat.. strep throat.
At this point she then proceeds to pretty much say, how did it get this bad? I haven't seen a case this bad in a long time. If the rest of you start to feel the least bit sick get to the doctor right away.
Now maybe she was just really concerned at how bad it was but she made me feel like "How can you do this to your child? Do you even pay any attention to them? It is completely obvious that he is sick."
I didn't say anything, I wish I would have. Why do I always chicken out at moments like this? Probably because I half feel like if I open my mouth I might start crying.
I think next time we will wait for the doctor.
P.S Call backs are tonight!
I'm sorry he is sick! My oldest got strep that went into scarlet fever-fast. I had no idea what it was, she just had this ugly rash looking patch on her unmentionables. I felt so bad but it came on so quick, plus it was Christmas time so I think she was trying to act like she was fine. Oh well, what can you do?! At least the doc didn't tell you you needed to lose some weight-that seems to happen at every DR's appt. I go to. Fun. Come on, it's only like 20 lbs-lay off!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I read "Neck Hurts", I knew it was strep.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest has had this WAY too many times.
I hope he gets better real soon.
Good luck tonight.
There is no excuse for a professional to treat a patient's parent that way.
ReplyDeleteHope he's feeling well soon.
I 'm sorry he is sick, I think that DR/ assistants need to know the whole story before they say things like that.
ReplyDeleteSTUPID people! I'm so sorry. Hope your little one gets better soon. MAybe she was just having an OFF day...
ReplyDeleteGrrrr. That's what I'd say.
"stiff neck" to me could mean a whole bunch of different things, and strep never would have crossed my mind. Kristin used to say that her mouth hurt when she his age.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am heartless, but the kid who was throwing up most likely had the stomach flu...which we all know has no cure but time. Ewwww. Keep your pukey kid home. See...heartless.
Mean witchy(other word) PA. I would definitely encourage you to write a letter of complaint. That was totally uncalled for.
I would have done the same thing. And I have seven kids and I have been there and done it a million times. If there isn't a real fever and they aren't acting that bad, I usually don't take them. Otherwise I would live at the dr.'s office.
ReplyDeleteIt might make you feel better to compose a nice, polite but firm letter explaining how rude she was to you. I have had to do this before. It might be better to speak up and let them know that something isn't right in their office. You have such a wonderful way with words, you could put it in a nice way, but still let them know you are upset and she needs to improve her bedside manner.
Doesn't it always seem like we think of the perfect thing to say after the moment has come and gone? I betcha she's not a mom and just doesn't get it that we of course are keeping a close watch on our kids' health and (duh?!) that's why we go to the doctors for answers, not criticism, when we can’t figure it out on our own.
ReplyDeleteI have had many times where I didn't know what was happening with one of my kids when they were sick. How are we supposed to know? We AREN'T doctors! I wouldn't have called the doctor any sooner than you did I don't think.
ReplyDeleteHope he's okay soon!
All I can add is I'm sorry. I was at our doctor's office yesterday and he didn't know what 'stimming' was. (It's the repeated motions autistic children make with their bodies. One of the most common symptoms.) He is a doctor! If he had read even one article on Autism he would have known that. It was very discouraging.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. I clam up but then wish later I had said something. Hope he feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteSo tough to say everything on your mind at just the right moment. Honestly, like many of your other commenters have said, you are not alone. I totally would have done the same thing.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the doctor's office I used to visit had a room for sick kids and a room for healthy kids. I miss that place! :)
If you go in right away, then you go to early. If you wait anytime at all, then it is too late...
ReplyDeleteYou did the right thing.
And good luck with call backs!
Sorry to hear all that.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the call backs! Maybe if you get the call you'll take it easy on me in fantasy football this weekend!
Grrr...some people are so insensitive. When Monkey cut Pixie with scissors and she needed stitches the doctor said "you mean she went after her?" like my 3 year old is this homicidal maniac that was trying to hack her sister up. I swear she was about to call child services.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you have sickness in your family...I hope it passes soon!
AND can't wait to hear about call backs!
Oh man - I have been there, done that. I've never been treated as poorly as you were, but I feel like that almost every time one of my kiddos is sick. Max is not a big complainer and by the time I realize he's sick he is near death. His eardrum ruptured in the car on the way to the Dr last time he had an ear infection!!!! We can only love them like crazy and do the best we can. Hang in there. I hope Lucas has a great night!
ReplyDeleteHow horrible of her to make you feel that way! Honestly, I only take my son in to the doctor if I absolutely have to so I am with you on this one. And with his symptoms, it doesn't sound like he has much more than some serious congestion. Of course you didn't rush him in for a stuffy nose and a stiff neck. I hope he gets better soon and no one else gets sick.
ReplyDeleteI agree w/ CA Girl what a witch (other word)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry the little guy is sick and hopefully by now, he's feeling better. I know our son was feeling really yucky one day with kind of the same symptoms. Took him in and they diagnosed strep. Gave him the meds, but he still was feeling yucky after two days. Finally, after several days of this with no improvement, I noticed he had the WORST bad breath I had ever smelled! I was thinking it was the strep. Took him to the ER and the doc just walked into the room & said PEW! This kid has mono! That was just from walking into the room. He asked me how I let it get that far. I felt so awful but knew that I did everything they had told me. Take heart...none of it is your fault. Hope no one else gets it!!
ReplyDeleteThat is so annoying. A stuffy nose does not equal a trip to the doctor. And even with the neck complaint I never would have thought of Strep!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your little one! in the pa's defense, she probably gets this all the time from uncaring parents. (not like you are of course :)
ReplyDeleteMy friend sets appointments and people will call in with their kids who have 105 fevers, and won't even care to take the kid in for 4 days or more, funny though, b.c those same people demand to be seen immediately if they so much as have a cough or a sniffle!