
I was standing in the hallway of the pediatrician's office waiting for my sons to be weighed before their appointment with a new doctor in the practice when I saw our normal doctor, Dr. B, pass through in between patients. His schedule was full by the time I had called today, so I agreed to see the new doctor to figure out why two of my three guys had so suddenly come down with high fevers, dry coughs and become completely lethargic.
"Hey Dr. B," I stopped him. "Do I get my kids the H1N1 vaccine or just the regular flu shot this year? I can't decide - I've heard so many arguments for and against it."
"Normally, I wouldn't push the vaccines, but this year, I'd say get it if you can find it. We're having a really hard time getting a hold of either the shot or mist."
It was settled. I trust Dr. B. He, like me, raised three boys and will tell me what the American Academy of Pediatrics would recommend and what he, as a father, would personally do in any given situation and then let me decide.
*
I was expecting that strep throat may have reared its ugly head once again and wasn't the least bit surprised when the new doctor said she wanted to do a strep culture to check for it. But when she also suggested that my oldest might have the Swine Flu, my heart screeched to a halt.
Say wha? Swine flu?
Then the new doctor said she could test for it but wasn't going to because she "couldn't treat him for it if he had it anyway" because he wasn't considered an at-risk patient.
Um.
"Shouldn't I know whether he has it or not?" I asked. "Shouldn't his school know whether he has it?"
"We can do the test if you want but it's not a pleasant test..."
Oh, so now I'm the bad mother for putting my son through a possibly unnecessary test to see if he has the Swine Flu. THAT THEY WON'T TREAT.
I thought the whole scary/weird/unnerving thing about the Swine Flu was the fact it's KILLING children (and young adults) who are seemingly HEALTHY as opposed to the regular, seasonal flu that, in most cases, usually affects the elderly and unhealthy. But you won't treat my child?
He tested positive. Positive for H1N1. Positive for strep throat.
*LOUD SIGH*
So I asked her, when do I worry then, since you won't treat him? He's had a temperature of 103 for four days now and it doesn't come down with Motrin and Tylenol in his system. When does he "qualify" for medication? Her answer baffled me: "Well, the CDC says not to medicate an otherwise healthy child with Tamiflu until he requires hospitalization." And that would be WHEN? "When he starts having difficulty breathing or can't hold liquids any longer."
!%$#@!*!?
I just don't get that. I don't think my son should have to require being hospitalized before being given medication. Why should it get to that point?
As much as I just want to karate chop, junk punch and rip out the beating heart of our healthcare system right now and feed it to the CEOs of major health insurance companies, I really need to just focus my energy on my boys right now.
Lucky for them.
And also on notifying an elementary school and a holy rollin' preschool tomorrow without panicking the shit out of them... *winces*