Modern Medicine

My pediatrician office is the bomb!  They are open literally 365 days a year.  So no matter what day my kids are sick (which usually ends up being a weekend or holiday) we can have the doc take a look without having to rush to the ER.

That being said, on the weekends or holidays our personal physician is usually off, and we get the doc-on-call.  All the docs are fabulous, but no one knows my family like our personal doc.  This last round of illness underscored this fact- with thick, black ink.

I took Emma to the doctor on Sunday.  Fever, stomach ache, head ache and sore throat.  Strep throat.  I would bet the money in my pocket on it.

However, the doc on call wasn't as quick to jump on board with my "medical expertise."  He ordered a rapid strep test.  It came back negative.  So, he sent off a test to be cultured, said he suspected it was a virus and sent us home.

My Mommy Antennae were twitching like mad.  It was strep.  I knew it was.  But, what could I do?  So we went home.

Within hours my other two fell to the Germinator as well.  Destiny was in motion:  we were all staying home from school & work Monday.

Monday Emma developed a rash to go along with everything else.  I revisited my initial diagnosis and bumped it up to scarlet fever (I consider to be a part of strep throat).  I called the doctor.  Her culture still had not come back, so over the phone, they were still going with "virus."

Tuesday morning, Emma was positively miserable, the other two were grouchy as all get-out, and I was exhausted.  The thought of spending Wednesday at home with them again- with no sign of them feeling any better- was more than I could take.

I marched Emma back to the doctor's office, and got our regular, personal physician.  After the briefest of explanation of our plight, the doctor whisked in his nurse with a rapid test for Keith.  His test glowed like Three Mile Island.

I smiled with relief:  my babies were getting medicine and would soon feel better, AND, I was RIGHT!  Today we spent the day curled up on the couch watching some of the "stoopidest" cartoons ever produced.  But it has been apparent that they feel so much better from the medicine!  Which has made this mommy feel so much better, too.

My only lingering frustration is that, had the doctor believed my Mommy Instincts and prescribed the antibiotics on Sunday, we would have been back to work and school on Tuesday.  Instead, we missed two additional days, and had additional doctor co-pays.

But I will not be bitter.  I will be thankful for modern medicine that is working to heal my babies.  And I will be thankful for my Mommy Instincts that pushed the envelope when I didn't quite feel right about the initial medical diagnosis.

May we all enjoy our day tomorrow back in the "real world"...