That goes for alot of situations....Mostly when our children don't listen to us. But in this case, I am talking about Pediatricians. Why don't they realize that we know when there is something wrong with our child....When something just doesn't seem right....When a cough is more than just a cold running it's course.....
Why don't they listen?
Ella's been sick going on 3 weeks now. Runny nose, croupy and phlegmy cough and a fever that comes back about every three days at 101 to 102 degrees. I decided to take her in on Christmas Eve to make sure that she was fine before the long weekend. I said to the doctor that I was worried about her lungs mostly because her cough was so bad. She listened. She found nothing. "Sounds all clear. Just a cold running it course", she said.
Why don't they listen?
A week later on New Years Eve, I took her in again (before the long weekend). This time to Urgent Care at 6pm (only opening), because her doctor wasn't in that day and no other doctor would "fit her in" if she wasn't a patient of theirs. Same symptoms...nothing got better. I stated my fears that I again was worried about her lungs. The doctor was in the room literally for 3 minutes. Took a listen. Again, found nothing. "Sounds all clear." This time, she prescribed the antibiotic Azithromiacin. Its a strong antibiotic, double dose the first day and then single dose for the next 4 days. I thought for sure this would kick it.
4 days later....Nothing had changed. The antibiotic should have done something by now. By this point, I am thinking over the last 3 weeks. Besides the runny nose, cough and reoccurring fever, every night she is up for at least an hour with an uncontrollable cough, has a drastic loss of appetite, energy level drops every couple of hours easily, and by the end of the day she is irritable and at her wits end. I know that I can't continue giving her Tylenol, antibiotics and her inhaler they provided like I have been.
So this past Monday, I made a same day appointment. Nothing had changed and the antibiotic was not doing a thing. I went armed with a list of all I had noticed in the last 3 weeks with her symptoms. I was determined for them to do something more than just take a listen! Her doctor then took a listen (grrr). This time, Ella happen to cough while the stethoscope was on her. The doctor had an "Ah-ha moment". She finally heard something! "Let's take a chest x-ray", she said.
Sure as sh*t.....My child is fighting Pneumonia!! WHY DON'T THEY LISTEN??
I think it is more like what they call "walking pneumonia" where it is a respiratory nuisance. But thank God that it hadn't gotten any worse than that or that she needed to be hospitalized!! (Melody, I have thought alot about you this past week. I cant imagine my baby being in the hospital all hooked up and stuff.) We got a prescription for the antibiotic Augmentin. 2 doses for 10 days and I can already tell a difference. No fever recently. The over night coughs have stopped and lessened during the day. Although the cough has remained, and will probably stick around for a while (per the Doc), there is a slight improvement.
All of this frustration could have been avoided if they just listened to me 3 weeks ago and did more than stick a stethoscope to her chest. The long nights up...the irritability on all parties involved in this house...hours at a time spent at the doctors office.....By the end of the last time I took her, I was spent. I was exhausted and literally could not take anymore information into my brain. I just wanted to shut down and hope that that was the last time I would have to take her in.
I know I am not a doctor, but I AM a mother. I know when something is not right with my child. I just think that should have counted for something sooner than it did.
