That's right...you read correctly. This is one of those cautionary tales about listening to your motherly instinct. I am so glad I did this time or we may have ended up in the hospital! It started last week as Anderson developed a little cough on Monday afternoon. I called the pediatrician and spoke to the nurse who recommended that we try an over the counter cough suppressant for a few days before coming in. I really felt like he should have been seen, but didn't want to be difficult. He was still very active, so I said OK and we tried the O.C. Robitussin. Then it seemed better on Tuesday, but Tuesday night before bed it seemed to turn into a wet cough. I called the Dr. again only to be reassured that it was now a "productive" cough. It was good for it to be that bad because it meant stuff was coming up and out.
By Thursday morning Anderson was running a 102 fever, and I knew something wasn't right. Our pediatrician's office just started a new walk in clinic from 8-9:30 every morning for acute illness. I was there by 8:15 only to be told they were full. I was furious! I told the nurse he was running a high fever and had a wet cough...she insisted they were full and told me to sit in the hallway next to a phone so that the appointment nurse could call me on it and let me know what time to come back that afternoon for an available appt. I wanted to scream! They wanted me to sit in an open hallway with no way to contain a 16 month old and wait for a later appt! I was livid, but I knew Anderson needed to be seen, so I waited hoping that they would realize they needed to take us immediately. After 20 minutes of chasing a sick baby and the phone never ringing I told the front desk that we would be in the sick waiting room so that I could at least keep him in one room and for them to please come and get us when they had their appt. time ready. She rolled her eyes and acted like she was going to be doing me some big favor to come and get us. Finally after about 25 more minutes they informed me that I could be seen at 3:30 that afternoon. I just sneered and nodded. I had them book the appointment, but I knew in my bones that we had to get to a Dr. before then. I could feel Anderson's fever getting higher. On the way out I ran into a friend with her baby who had also come in trying to be seen as a walk-in. I told her they were full, so she went in to try to make an appointment. Later that afternoon she informed me that they took her as a walk-in...literally 5 seconds after we walked out the door...nice, huh?
So once in the car, I decided to take Anderson to Medcenter. I had a friend who was the office manager and felt like if I needed to call in a favor I could. It turns out they took us right away and agreed with me on the seriousness of him needing to be seen.The Dr. came in and examined a screaming Anderson. He told me right off the bat that both of Anderson's ears had infections and that his throat was irritated and he was in need of a breathing treatment pretty much immediately. He also told me that I might want to call my husband because they were going to do a chest x-ray to check for possible pneumonia. I thought my legs were going to come out from under me. I sat in the floor with Anderson trying desperately to calm him as I held a mask with mist coming out of it over his face. He was crying and now I was crying too. This was incredibly hard since the motor was so loud. This is a child that still cries when you turn on a blender or a vacuum. At one point he cried so hard he lost all color and stumbled. I thought he was going to pass out. I called Jeff and told him to drop everything and meet us there. Luckily he did and was there to comfort our son and myself in just a few minutes.
Long story short, they did the x-ray, which was equally as traumatic for Anderson as the breathing treatment. He had a spot of Pneumonia in his right lung. If we had waited until that afternoon to see a Doctor, it would have been much worse! He was put on prescription cough medicine and antibiotic drops. He has been one sick puppy! To make matters worse he also managed to cut two back molars this week and develop a nasty case of diaper rash. We are on day 4 now and he is feeling much better. We go back tomorrow for a follow up xray, so please pray that it is all gone!! Needless to say we are changing pediatricians, and I have told pretty much everyone I know in Tuscaloosa not to go there and why! I can't believe that happened to us. We love our Doctor, but have long had issues with the front office staff. However, after this we are gone. I'll be getting Anderson's charts this week, and I believe Jeff is scheduling an appointment with the office manager and our Dr. to talk about what happened and why we are leaving.
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