A mother's intuition

So, as mentioned in my post Sweet Bug from the other day.... I called the 'new' doctor.  They weren't accepting new patients until after the first of the year because they are switching to EMRs.

I couldn't deal.  Bug had been in so much pain.

So I called her current peds office the day after that last post.  They were going to get me in with their normal ped, and I requested a different one.  So they got me in with the only male in the practice.

For a minute I felt kinda bad, making my 4 year old daughter show her butt to a guy that she's only met like twice, when she won't hardly let us see it because of the pain.

But I didn't have a choice.

So we went in, and we all went.  He asked first about what was going on.  So we explained it all.  And he asked what the other doc had said, and we told him - sitz bath.

He flat out was like 'that won't work.' Mind you, this was before he even looked at her!!!

So, he did really good with getting her attention, calming her down, redirecting her while he checked out her eyes and ears.  Then he looked at her poor little butt.

The minute he looked at it he said 'this is strep'

He let us know that they used to be able to do the rapid strep test (yes, the same one for your throat) in the office, but the FDA said they couldn't do that any longer for the butt.  So the only way to 'verify' was a 2 day lab test... which he said right off that it was a bad case, and there was NO WAY he was making Bug wait that long for relief.  He was like 'I've seen this multiple times, I promise it's what it is.'

Even with everything going on I chose to trust him.

So she got an antibiotic and a prescription cream.

We are just over a week into the meds and her butt is completely cleared up.  She's, for the most part, no longer holding her poop.  Sometimes she still does, but I think that's because she's trying to get used to the fact that it doesn't hurt any longer - after all the time that it did.

She's going poop on the potty sometimes.  I figure that we're completely starting poop training from the beginning, and I'm OK with that.

And I called a contact I have in the system we use and she is going to help ensure that I can either get in permanent with this doctor we saw, or a new office.

Because I will NEVER. EVER. see that loser of a pediatrician again.  She's absolutely worthless and I'm NOT wasting my time for someone that wouldn't take the time to really look at my daughters problem, even after multiple complaints.

It was a good thing K was with us that day, because I'm pretty sure I would have caused a scene when leaving the office.  Instead I waited to call until I calmed down.

I'm just thankful that I finally listened to my gut, that I took her to someone else, and that I wasn't crazy.  I didn't want anything wrong with her, but it validated that it was SOMETHING, not NOTHING.

And now we can move forward.

My poor little bug.

Sweet Bug

Potty training continues to go pretty well.  She has less and less pee accidents.

Poop though, that's a different story.

At first I thought she just didn't want to poop in the potty.  Then it seemed as though she was maybe struggling with constipation.

This weekend I realized I don't think any of that was true all along.

Her poor little butt hurts.  I think she's trying to NOT poop.

We've struggled with diaper rash type issues for a while.  We've tried all different kinds of things.  In the last 6 months I've mentioned it to my 'new' pediatrician who pretty much blew me off.  'Just put her in a sitz bath' was what her answer was each time I mentioned it.

I mean come on, one time the visit was for Goose and I made her look at Bug's butt.

I started to think I was crazy.

Then I was talking to a couple of mom's at work with young kids.

They reminded me to TRUST MY GUT.  That if I thought something was wrong it probably was.

So let me back up a step.  Not long after Goose was born their pediatrician was noticeably pregnant.  She went on maternity leave and never returned.  We all LOVED her.

So we had a locum tenon for a while, basically a fill in.  She was a really sweet older woman who was retired, but filled in when needed for the system that our peds are in.  We really liked her too.

Right before Goose turned a year we 'got' our 'new' pediatrician.  During the wait I had asked to change peds within the practice and they said no.

Should have known at that point.  But I try so hard to give people the benefit of the doubt.

So we met her for the first time at Goose's 12 month check up.  I don't even remember what it was exactly that she said, but when I advised I was still nursing and wasn't in a hurry to stop, she made some comment that I didn't appreciate.  Whatever.  I let it go and decided to give her a couple chances before I made my judgement.  Especially since for most sick visits I did see other docs in the practice.

Well, in the last 6 months we've seen her multiple times between the kids.

My mom put it best during a visit that she went with to help out (both kids going).  She said the ped was clinical.

Yep, she's right.  At Bug's 4 year check up and Goose's 18 month I realized just how right my mom was.  She didn't try to get the kids happy, she didn't try to win their attention, affection, or love.  She was clinical and the kids cried The. Entire. Time.  All she was interested in doing was forcing Bug to let her see her ears, or Goose to see his teeth.  You get the point.

So after those visits I knew I was done.  And yes, I brought up her diaper area during that appointment too.

Then the conversation with the other mom's.  I. Am. Done.

I delayed the change a little because I knew I needed to get her 4 year shots, and we were changing daycares so I needed them to fill out the medical forms.

Today I had to take her in for her 4 year shots as we couldn't get them at her appointment.  I knew going into it that this was the last appointment.  I already have the name of a new ped that a friend took her daughter to, and her daughter has had some similar issues to Bug.  She loves this ped, says she takes lots of time with them, etc.  So, at today's appointment I told the chick at the front desk that Bug is to the point of holding her poo, crying in pain when she goes, etc and could one of the docs, ANY of the docs stop in for a minute to check it out?

Nope.  The answer was No.

I came home frustrated.  Then for the rest of the evening I had to spend comforting my little girl as she howled in pain while trying to NOT let her body poop as her body NEEDED to poop.  Arching her back, locking her knee's, face turning beet red, teeth clenched, butt clenched.  Then it got worse because she got something out twice and I had to hold her down each time to wipe her and put something on her butt in hopes it will help.  Because she doesn't want it cleaned up, which makes things worse, so much worse.

Seriously, it's gotten so bad that there's ALWAYS a streak in her diaper.  When she goes it's a small little bit (and no, it's not hard, it's nice and soft).  So she goes CONSTANTLY.  Like I'd guess maybe 10 or more times a day.  If I bought new underwear every week I'd spend at least $30 a week on underwear.  Instead, every evening I wash poo out of underwear while I cry silent tears of worry for my daughter.

So that's it.  I'm done.  I don't know why I tried to give the benefit of the doubt when this is MY CHILD.  My little girl, my first so she's my learning curve.

Tomorrow I call the new doc.  Tomorrow I start the process of finding someone who will listen to me that something is NOT right.