Seriously?

Aiden has been sick with a cold the past week and has had an outbreak of eczema since we've been in Maryland. In fact, I took him to the doctor's one week ago today, because as a mother of a baby about to get cochlear implants, I am scared to death of ear infections, or truly any infection that could delay our surgery date. Plus, I needed them to give me something for the eczema. The doctor told me Aiden just had a cold and it needed to run its course and recommended an over the counter lotion.

Let me preface this post with the fact too, that the reason I chose this clinic was because of its association with the hospital we bring Aiden to for his ears. It is a clinic though with a lot of family doctors, pediatricians etc., and when you call in, you can ask for your doctor, or take who is available. I'm new here, know no one, and I'm still trying to find the pediatrician I like best for my kids. This particular instance was with doctor number 2, a family doctor.

At this appointment last week, I asked if there was any fluid in Aiden's ears, and the doctor told me "not really".

"Not really? Does that mean you see a little or none at all?" I asked and proceeded to tell him about Aiden's situation.

"Nope, not really any fluid. Let the cold run its course and use the lotion for his eczema. You can get it over the counter."

Decision made. Period. Moving on to try doctor number 3. I was already planning how next time I would specify I wanted just a pediatrician, not a family doctor.

Well, today we had that chance ... doctor number 3. I had to take Aiden back this afternoon as he started wheezing and having very raspy breathing. On top of this, his eczema has spread, and from this morning to this afternoon made it to his face. The over the counter "lotion" wasn't working by itself. He needed more.

So we headed back in. As the nurse weighed him she commented how bad his breathing sounded and checked his oxygen levels. They weren't where they needed to be. Doctor #3 came in, looked at his eczema, and said we definitely needed a prescription to get it under control. Then she listened to Aiden's chest ... for like 5 minutes ... and tells me after all is said and done, that "Aiden is just a heavy breather. Bring him back in if it gets worse."

"SERIOUSLY?!?!"

I think I was in such shock that she truly said that, I didn't know what else to say. I took a deep breath, wondered why I was even back to this place for a third try, and said very calmly, "although my baby IS a nasal breather, THIS breathing NOW, is wheezing. He needs a breathing treatment. Did you see his oxygen level?"

At which time, (get this), she checked his, thought the machine wasn't working, so checked her own, saw that hers was fine, and then ordered him a treatment. Then after the treatment, she listened to his chest and said, "Oh this is weird, now I hear him wheezing. We need to get him some medicine and continuous breathing treatments!"

No *&#@!

If it wasn't after 5pm and I would've known another office to bring Aiden to, I would have picked up my things and walked out. But he needed medicine now, and we got it. We came home with a nebulizer machine, Albuterol to use in the nebulizer, steroid creme for his eczema (to put under the "lotion"), and Prednisolone which will help both the eczema and his breathing (which by the way, can both be onset from a virus and go hand in hand ... hmmm, imagine that).

Oh, and on top of this all, Aiden has "some fluid" in his ears (at least she didn't say "not really" when I asked), but nothing red or pussy, no infection. I told her, "some fluid" is not allowed in a cochlear implant candidate, especially one so close to surgery. She asked me when the surgery was and then commented, "Oh, how nice, ear surgery right in the middle of winter!" AHHHHH!

Hmmmm .... three doctors ... three strikes .... and this clinic is outta here! Oh, I need a good pediatrician for my baby!

A mom from the parent-infant program we attend, gave me the name of this pediatrician out of Georgetown University Hospital, who provides pediatric services for families with deafness. How wonderful is that! A pediatrician who truly understands! Problem is though, it's over an hour away on a good day of traffic! Of course I'd love for Aiden to be one of her patients, but reality is, when your child is running fever and feels like crap, the last thing a mom wants to do is put them in the car and drive for over an hour!

I'm calling Aiden's surgeon tomorrow to give him an update on all of this. He is also in the process of getting us an appointment with a top ENT there at Hopkins, because of Aiden's EVAS/LVAS and his branchial cleft sinus on his neck. Maybe I can get in and see this ENT sooner than later. I'm interested to see what the surgeon says about all of this. Will they need to put in tubes to get rid of this fluid if it doesn't go away? Even though his ears aren't infected? My last ENT put him on antibiotics immediately (when our pedi. refused to) when Aiden had just "some fluid" back in Texas. I pray none of this affects his surgery in any way. We only have a little over six weeks to get our boy healthy for his big day!