kiwords

Look back at the history of medicine; the patient has always and will always suffer for the current medical fashion. I could go on and on with lists of historical evidence, but I will spare you. But just one; when you were about 7 you and The One True Josh had sore throats. Ever vigilant against strep, I hauled you both to the doctors office, requesting a culture in those olden days there were no rapid strep screens, so there would be a 48 hour wait for results. Cultures taken, the doc then said "So I will just give them both a Penicillin shot and you won't have to worry about it". I declined and said we'd wait for the culture, we argued for about a half an hour, and he finally fired me as a patient, because I wouldn't let him give you both possibly unnecessary antibiotics. Such was the fashion of the day - first, don't disagree with the doctor, and second, treat antibiotics as candy. For the record you and TOTJ didn't have strep.

I know you have had this same argument many times with your pediatrician, but he has been enlightened enough to not fire you. BUT, the medical fashion (with some good reason) today is NOT to abuse antibiotics, so your checkbook and your kids will suffer in the prevailing medical winds. Medicine always wins, but the patient often loses.

We went through something similar last week. My 7 year old was feverish and coughing and a sad pathetic dishrag on my couch unless he was coughing. When he was coughing, he was trying to somehow choke his very toes up through his mouth and turn himself inside out, an action which leaves no room for breathing. I called to ask for codeine (silly I know. I exhibit these drug seeking behaviors frequently, at least twice since I have had children). No, instead I had to dress my sad little dishrag and drag him to the doctor for chest x rays, throat cultures and lots and lots of waiting and germ spreading. At one point my son, who I barely have to bend to look at eye to eye anymore, asked me to carry him. So we got our codeine but not without paying for it in cash and 7 year old suffering.

I hope you are feeling better soon, Kira, along with your kiddos. You made me laugh out loud with the bit about licking all the doorknobs and pens.

Sorry, not sending chocolate, because one winter I had strep 3 times... never had it before, or since... and that was the ONLY time in my life I couldn't eat chocolate. My dr laughed when I went in for my 3rd test of the winter & told him "skip the test, chocolate burns when I eat it, so it's strep". I was right, it was strep. My kids have never had it. That winter they were 3 & 6, carriers maybe?
I hope you all feel better soon!

PS I LOVE @Aimee's suggestion about licking the dr... nurses too. Especially the one you talked to on the phone. =)

YIKES! I hope you all feel so much better soon. But thank you for the laugh. :D

Frustrating!

I was pleasantly surprised last week to discover that my doctor no longer makes you come in for pink eye. The nurse just asked me a series of questions and then they called in a crazy-expensive, teensy, wee bottle of antibiotic eyedrops. Much preferrable, on the whole, to having to take her in and put her in a body bind in hopes of not spreading her pink eye, or trading it in for whatever other bugs are currently going around town.

Hope you all feel better soon.

Thanks for letting me know about my comment form! I didn't know you could change it. . .shows you how much I know about anything. I'm just obssessed about my header and the size of my photos, but I can't even get those the way I want. I hope your family has a good Christmas! Love Raphi's penguins.