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When is sick enough for emergency?
Filed under: Just For Moms, Toddlers Preschoolers
My Mom's pneumonia is clinging on like a bad smell, dirt adhering stubbornly to the bottom of the family shoe. Atypical, the doctors say, this antibiotic isn't working. We'll find new medication for you next time. It's not contagious. It might be contagious. Sleep and drink lots of fluid.
I've been keeping a close eye on my son, who seems strangely pre-disposed to fevers at night and first thing in the morning, pushing cars and zooming toy motorbikes between bouts of red-rimmed eyes and shallow breathing. I am hoping he hasn't caught whatever weird pneumonia my Mom has acquired. Last night he tossed, feverish, toddler perspiration sticking to his hair and forming tangled blond curls. Randomly, he would burst forth with words: bike, toe, kitty, mommy, no, mommy no. I slept with him beside me, watching him through silent eyes, wishing I could simply take it out of him and bear the weight of it myself. In the morning, he was alarmingly hot. I called my Mom, who said, "You don't mess with pneumonia. Take him to emerg."
And so we sat for hours between a wailing woman with a migraine and a man who had been in a jarring accident that must have involved payment, and I pointed to healthy nature, outside. I sang songs about Fergie and her ridiculous lady humps because I can never remember nursery rhymes when I need them.
After eternity had passed, a grim Doctor felt Nolan's head, inquired after his fever, and quickly told me to give him some Tylenol and some rest.
"He doesn't have pneumonia," he said
"But how do you know?" I wanted to ask,"Why does he keep getting this fever, night after night? He is not acting like himself."
It felt like the Doctor was giving me a pat on the head, aww, paranoid mother, you are silly, I must tend to Motorcycle Man. And then I felt silly, but a fever can be serious, and his Nana had some serious pneumonia.
I left the hospital, Nolan listless with his head on my shoulder, kitty dragging along the grass. I'll give him Tylenol and watch him sleep at 3:00 AM and if I am worried, I will go again. Paranoid is better than sorry.
I've been keeping a close eye on my son, who seems strangely pre-disposed to fevers at night and first thing in the morning, pushing cars and zooming toy motorbikes between bouts of red-rimmed eyes and shallow breathing. I am hoping he hasn't caught whatever weird pneumonia my Mom has acquired. Last night he tossed, feverish, toddler perspiration sticking to his hair and forming tangled blond curls. Randomly, he would burst forth with words: bike, toe, kitty, mommy, no, mommy no. I slept with him beside me, watching him through silent eyes, wishing I could simply take it out of him and bear the weight of it myself. In the morning, he was alarmingly hot. I called my Mom, who said, "You don't mess with pneumonia. Take him to emerg."
And so we sat for hours between a wailing woman with a migraine and a man who had been in a jarring accident that must have involved payment, and I pointed to healthy nature, outside. I sang songs about Fergie and her ridiculous lady humps because I can never remember nursery rhymes when I need them.
After eternity had passed, a grim Doctor felt Nolan's head, inquired after his fever, and quickly told me to give him some Tylenol and some rest.
"He doesn't have pneumonia," he said
"But how do you know?" I wanted to ask,"Why does he keep getting this fever, night after night? He is not acting like himself."
It felt like the Doctor was giving me a pat on the head, aww, paranoid mother, you are silly, I must tend to Motorcycle Man. And then I felt silly, but a fever can be serious, and his Nana had some serious pneumonia.
I left the hospital, Nolan listless with his head on my shoulder, kitty dragging along the grass. I'll give him Tylenol and watch him sleep at 3:00 AM and if I am worried, I will go again. Paranoid is better than sorry.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
6-05-2007 @ 9:06AM
Fenra said...I don't know if I would trust the opinion of an emergency room doctor. When my nephew was only a few weeks old, his parents took him to the ER when he was screaming all night long. The doctor there said it was just a stomach ache and sent them home. Later, their pediatrician told them it was colic, and actually started trying to treat it. (Unfortunately for his parents and him, it's not very treatable.)
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6-05-2007 @ 9:59AM
nicolebarber said...I can understand your problem when to take them,If the illness is serous enough and your doctor can't get them in that day I suggest urgent care and if it's at night time I say hospital.
Never second guess yourself when it comes to the health of your child. My daughter has had the the stomach virus for over a month now every couple of days two e.r visits telling us nothing and our family doctor has now ordered test for her to see whats going on...a month later
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6-05-2007 @ 10:20AM
Leian said...I hate it when a doctor makes me feel like I'm being paranoid idiot mom. I got strep throat last summer and my then-2 daughter, who had a penchant from eating from my utensils, started exhibiting the exact same symptoms I had. Took her to a pediatrician in the group practice we go to (I like 2 out of the 3 doctors and of course had to make the emergency appt with the one I can't stand). He pooh-poohs my concern, says it's probably just a cold. Almost REFUSES to swab her throat, although it was going to inconvenience HER more than him. Takes the damn swab, has the nerve to say he's ONLY doing it because "with my luck if I don't do it she'll have it and it could turn to something worse but I really don't think she has it." How about doing it because it's warranted? How about doing it to be sure? How about doing it because it's your JOB? How about doing it for the health of a child, you a--hole?
Of course, she had it. WIth HIS luck.
He did it not because I pushed for it (which I didn't but should have) but because he was worried about HIS luck. I was really steamed and considered writing to the head of the practice. I did write, never sent it, but have it on file if this idiot acts up again. Bottom line, you're Nolan's mom, don't let any doctor make you feel like you're being paranoid. If you are, so what? As you said, paranoid is better than sorry.
I hope Nolan gets better. Please keep us posted.
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6-05-2007 @ 11:01AM
Ann Adams said...I think I'd do a followup with the pediatrician if that's possible.
I've had a lot of experience with e.r. doctors. Some are good, some aren't, and they're almost always rushed off their feet.
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6-05-2007 @ 11:27AM
Lauren said...I agree with Ann, a follow up call or visit to Nolan's ped might be a good idea.
Keep in mind what you already know about your child, Kristin. YOU know him best! If he only has a fever and tylenol works, then he is probably fine. If he has not been himself for a few days and the fever persists, then I would "persist" and make sure that a medical professional sees him and examines him to your satisfaction. We are our own best advocates!
Good luck and I hope he is feeling better soon, as well as your own Mama.
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6-05-2007 @ 11:55AM
Gwen said...Since you are back on the west coast, skip the regular emergency and go to the children's hospital. It may be further away than you local emerg, but it is so much better. The one time we felt we needed to go with our son has made a believer of me. They made sure that they got his fever down, and they did a chest x-ray to be sure. We went home with a prescription for a nebulizer and medication to open up and heal his lungs as well as an antibiotic. It was a very long night but it was very reassuring to know that he would be ok, and that we weren't being overprotective parents.
Go with your gut.
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6-05-2007 @ 12:29PM
rebecca Biernesser said...I agree with Ann to follow up with your ped. and with Gwen about going to a children's hosital.
When my son was 6 months old, he had a cold he couldn't shake and my ped. (who I love) would put him on a does of meds and they wouldn't work, we tried several more and the only thing it cured was the ear infections he kepted getting from the cold. We woke up one Sat. morning and I just knew something wasn't right and took him to the sat. clinic my group has. LOng story short, we ended up in an abulance on the way to the children's hospital and my son had RSV and had to be admitted for 5 long days.
I learned with my first child to follow my gut and I'm very lucky that I have a ped. that will actually listen to me and my children. WIth things like strep, not only does he do the swap test, he sends it off to be tested. He calls when he says he is going to even if it's 9:00 at night. He and his nurse (who is a god-sent) will fit children in and really works with you.
It's your child, follow your gut and find a dr that will listen to not only you, but your child. Also, if you have to use the ER and can't get to a children's hospital, use an ER with a ped on call...not all ER's do that.
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6-05-2007 @ 3:39PM
Sabrina said...Our son (10 months old) had pneumonia, and we'd had him on his antibiotic for about 8 days already when he stopped coughing. I thought he was getting better...but then he spiked a fever around 103F that would not go down. Our pediatrician told us to stay home and treat with tylenol, and we did for 24 hours, but the next day it still had not even gone down a little. We took him to an urgent care clinic, and they sent us to the emergency room, who in turn decided to admit him. Turns out that he had progressed so far with the pneumonia that he stopped coughing. He aparently had a antibiotic resistant strain of pneumonia (At least resistant to the antibiotic he had been on) so they had to give him several different medicines in the hospital for about 3 days. My whole point in telling this story is that it took us 3 seperate opinions before someone figured it out. I suggest you get a secnd opinion, like some other posters said, you know your child better than the doctor does. Trust YOURSELF!
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6-05-2007 @ 11:51PM
David Robinson said...I am David Robinson a retired paediatrician and I conduct a blog (http://childhoodillnesses.blogspot,com where I am happy to answer any question about sick children. I will post an answerto your question in some detail there. However, I would agree that if you are worried see a doctor - it is better to feel a little bit silly than to be sorry that you did not trust your instincts.
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