Not all doctors. But most of them.
Yesterday morning was insanely frustrating - we were there for about 6 to 6 and a half hours. It took us four hours just to get back into a room. Part of it I understand - it was a weekend, and the only Children's ER for many areas, including all of Columbus and the surrounding suburbs. I knew when we walked in and saw how busy it was that it would take awhile. But I do have to say, after watching the doctors there... They moved kind of slow. And that was annoying - especially when it came to the lab tech who had to draw blood from Eli's foot and took freaking 10 minutes to do so while Eli was screaming his poor little head off. The first doctor we saw was also very odd. He was nice, but he made way too much small talk about the oddest things, and I don't know if he was tired or what, but he would sit there and just kind of look at us and there would be a long awkward pause. It was just... Very awkward, and very annoying - I wanted to find out what was wrong and go home.
What did they tell me after being there for that long? That there's nothing wrong with him. They blamed his reflux and told me to call my pediatrician to be seen.
I hate doctors. Not just because I sat in an ER exposing my newborn to all kinds of random germs to be told there's nothing wrong, but also because while they were telling me nothing was wrong, they made me feel like an over reacting idiot, and I HATE that. I don't feel like I'm an over reactor when it comes to kids. Sure, I worry - what mother doesn't? But when my son falls down I am not the Mom who runs right over and picks him up and makes a big fuss. I'm not saying BEING that type of Mom is wrong, but I'm the type to wait for Cayden's cues - if he stays on the ground or cries, I go over to him. But I watch first, and usually he picks himself up and dusts himself off and is fine. I'm sure this sounds horrible to some Mom's, but I think a lot of kids cry because their parent's freak out and THAT'S what scares them. Don't get me wrong - there have been times where Cayden has taken a fall and I gasp and start to get up because MAN that looked nasty, but again, 9 times out of 10, he gets up and is all smiles.
My point in that is that I don't rush off to the doctor or the ER at every little sniffle. I didn't want to go in last night (What person in their right mind wants to head out to the ER at 1:30 in the morning?) But I knew Eli's reflux pattern, I've been dealing with it for weeks now, and I'm sorry, this wasn't normal. He's never spit up this much, this fast, and this violent before. And every feeding he's eaten? That's not normal either.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they didn't find anything wrong, but just because they didn't find anything, doesn't mean I'm a crazy over reactor, and it doesn't mean that there isn't anything wrong. He could have very well had a stomach bug that they couldn't test for. And I just feel like doctors, for the most part, are quick to make you feel stupid when THEY can't find anything wrong. I think that's what makes people doubt their own bodies, but I know my body, and I like to think I know my children's bodies pretty well.
I just wish at the end of the night rather than questioning me on why I decided to bring him in, or telling me it was no big deal,and basically blowing off every question I have, they could have said something like "It can be very scary when your new baby throws up that much, but it doesn't look like there's anything seriously wrong with him. It could be his reflux, or a random bug."
I dunno. There supposed to be somewhere in the top 10 for children's hospitals (I believe in the top 5, actually), and the first doctor was spouting off about how they were the number 4 children's ER and like the 3rd busiest ER or some bullshit... I just figured they would know how to be reassuring to parents. And instead of wasting time by making stupid small talk about CSI, I wish they would have taken that time and been a little more reassuring.
Maybe it's not a doctors job anymore.
But anyway, they can't find anything wrong with Eli. He's continuing to spit up today, but it is a lot less, and he didn't seem to have reflux tonight, so... I dunno. We have a doctors appointment on Monday, and if he keeps being OK I guess the only question I have is what to do about his formula.
I need to make myself go to sleep. It's 4 AM and I'm still up because Jeremy and I napped in shifts today and it's just thrown my whole sleeping schedule for a loop.
I agree that children often only cry when they see the parents upset. How awful to have been there for that long just to hear he was fine. Obviously he's not. Hopefully your pediatrician was able to give you more information about what's happening.
ReplyDeleteI have a niece and a nephew that are twins. For the first few months of my nieces life, she projectile vomitted at least once a day. It was a lot, it was quick, and at times painful looking. Like you, they used a combination of breast milk and formula. It seemed to happen more often with the formula than the breast milk, but was not exclusive to the formula. They tried several different kinds and in the end she grew out of it. The doctors could never determine exactly why, but eventually it did decrease and eventually go away entirely.
ReplyDeleteI know that doesn't offer you any comfort in a way to fix it, but I hope it offers you some comfort in that youre not alone.
I talked to my sister-in-law last night and she said that adding 1/2 tsp of rice cereal per ounce to her bottle was what made her stop projectile vomitting. I know most people don't start doing the rice cereal stuff until the babies are a little older, but she said her doctor recommended it and it totally worked.
ReplyDeleteEventually she did grow out of it and didnt need the cereal in all of her bottles, but at the peak of it happening every day, the rice cereal was the only thing that helped.