Caleb was very ill again last week. Because this is his third major episode in 3 1/2 months, Caleb's pediatrician recommended that he be seen at the Gastroenterology clinic. I scheduled the appointment last week when he was still quite ill but they couldn't fit us in until today. I knew he'd be better by today since he's usually always better by the fifth day.
So, I took him out of school, figured out childcare for the girls and drove all the way to Tacoma. When we checked in we were told that we were going to see the Nurse Practitioner. Grrr...I wanted the MD! I felt very prepared for this visit with a detailed timeline, details about each episode and a list of my questions. The long and short of it is, I left feeling very frustrated with zero answers or explanations. They did another x-ray, said it looked good, did a bunch of blood work and sent us home to continue the medication that he's been on for the past three and half months. We were told that if it happens again to call. Oh, that's helpful! I had hoped that they would be able to tell us how we could prevent this from reoccurring, something different than what we are already doing. I repeatedly expressed my concerns and explained how and why this was different than any other case I'd ever heard of (of course my experience is limited to other "mommy" stories) and she agreed saying that she was perplexed, that this was most definitely "atypical". Grrr...that doesn't help me! She then said that because it was quite odd, that she would run it by one of the gastroenterologists. Why couldn't I have just seen one of them in the first place! I guess I knew in my gut that this visit would amount to a big waste of time and money but I think I was hoping my gut was wrong.
The good news is, Caleb is currently feeling just fine. We'll keep doing what we've been doing and we'll just have to hope that he stays that way!
4 comments:
I'm so sorry that Caleb is not feeling good again and that you aren't being taken seriously by the doctors. Just keep pushing...you know Caleb best and what he needs. Good luck!
That stinks Tara. I hope your "real" doctor can finally get to the bottom of it. I can only imagine how frustrating it may be.
Wow Tara, I'm so sorry. I thought that it would be a much more productive appointment, too, which is why I encouraged it so strongly. Sorry.
Sorry to read that Caleb's been sick again. Hope you find a better solution. Maybe asking for a referral to a gastroen--- would be helpful now after you've just seen the dr. I love seeing the pictures of the kids, but Alyssa gets short-changed. I only get half of her picture before it changes. Wish I could do better with our blog.
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