Re: bad doctor assumptions

[Guest guest]

Thought I'd share one of my more dissappointing moments:

I called the pediatrician one night when my son, who had been having CFS for 6

months (couldn't hold more than a plastic spoon to eat), suddenly spiked a 106.9

degree fever.  That's like an emergency fever - the kind where you don't wait

30

minutes to get them to the hospital - you freakin ice them down. 

But the wierd thing was, he was bright eyed, cheery, and was speaking normally

(for the first time in months).  That's what I described to her.  I said he

looks great! I wouldn't have suspected he was running a fever at all.  He was

being so precious, and asked me to come sit with him to watch tv, and before I

even touched him, I felt the heat radiating from his body. 

I was debating on whether to take him to the hospital or cool him in the tub,

and because he looked so good - better than he had in months, I decided cool

down and worry about it later if anything changed. 

They decided the thermometer must be broken.  That was the answer, not 106.9

fever and looking good (despite 'unanswerable' fatigue and all kind of

neurological symptoms for 6 months).  I did say to her, though, that I'd never

felt somebody's body soooo hot - it has to be right - he's burning up.  So

while

I had him in the cool tub, my husband went out and bought 2 different kinds of

thermometers, and by the time he got back, the temp was down to 105.9 - and all

3 thermometers were registering the same thing.  I didn't bother to call back

and report that - I wish I had.  Even 105.9 can send a 5 yr old to the ER, but

I

didn't consider that a brain-melting emergency and decided to do the

tylenol/motrin thing and watch.   He burned at 102 for a while and the next

day,

felt great, and was up and about for the first time in months. 

I regret now not taking him to the hospital, just for proof (after cooling him

down just a degree).  Just to show them.  Because as far as anyone is

concerned,

it didn't happen.

I know it was probably HHV6 just spiking (few things can spike a fever that fast

and high and not look deathly ill), and afterward, he was so much better for

several months.  I could have had an HHV6 test drawn there in the hospital.

They should have sent me to the ER, but they just wrote it off as a broken

thermometer, and I was so relieved to have his temp down that I couldn't see

ahead and know what documenting it could have meant.  When he got sick all

over

again, no one listened to the fact that a 106.9 fever made him better, so I got

a job just so we could afford to go see Dr (and me finally get to be

treated for 'pandas' - another 3 year story lol).  I had finally figured out

that no matter how bad he got, no one here was going to help.  Why didn't they

even wonder?  Why did no one give thought that here this mom's been calling and

calling and going to doctor after doctor for months, and then suddenly he spikes

a high fever and gets better?  Duh - chronic virus.  Duh!

Oh well.  But that's just another bad assumption story.  Thought I'd share. 

(Again and again lol - I know some of you just might get tired of me ranting

about that fever lol - but it was scarey!  Burned into my memory, no pun

intended.

But she's really usually quite a good doctor - but of the modern mainstream

instead of when they didn't " wait and see " on ear infections, didn't treat

aggressively.  I believe the modern mainstream  " don't overtreat " is fine for

healthy bright-eyed children (and maybe not) that only have a rare ear

infection, but any child with chronic infections should be aggressively

investigated - not just popped w/their vaccine while they have an ear infection,

rash, but hey, no fever.  That's the era Dr Goldberg came from.  In the

early 80s, they didn't do that - they were big on preventive medicine, and you

didn't see autism as much.

________________________________

From: Robyn & Greg Coggins <rngcoggs@...>

Sent: Fri, December 3, 2010 11:13:29 AM

Subject: RE: (unknown)

 

No need to apologize...I was speechless due to the doctor's response. As my

husband always says, where do we think the doctors who make " Cs " and " Ds " go? I

think we just found one!

From: and Freeman <freemanbk@...

<mailto:freemanbk%40ns.sympatico.ca> >

Subject: RE: (unknown)

<mailto:%40>

Date: Thursday, December 2, 2010, 12:34 PM

What an idiot! Wish I would have chosen science instead of computer

studies....

From: <mailto:%40>

[mailto: <mailto:%40> ] On Behalf Of Lynn

Capone

Sent: December-02-10 3:37 PM

<mailto:%40> ;

commonbonds <mailto:commonbonds%40>

Subject: (unknown)

How is this for an eye-opener about the general public does not have a clue

what autism is really about(even doctors)?

I called the pediatrician's office on Sunday night because after eating at

a restaurant, my son had a bad bowel movement that did not get on his

backside, but after it happened, he developed a large rash all over the

lower part of his body.

The doctor on call asked for his age and weight (12, 72 lbs). Asked what

happened.

I also explained that he is on the spectrum, diagnosed with neuroimmune

disease,

and was on a limited diet due to allergies and ate at a restaurant, but did

not eat anything out of the ordinary and what had happened after. Also,

because he is on certain medication, I wanted to double-check before I gave

him anything that could possibly interact. The doctor sounded irritated &

replies, " The rash was probably caused when the diarhea got into his

diaper. " I told him that he does not wear a diaper. " Oh, you can give him

Benedryl " .

I was surprised but not surprised that a trained physician hears the word

autism and assumes a 12 year old wears a diaper. It makes me wonder what

they are teaching in medical school these days and reaffirms my belief that

people are losing IQ points. I had to laugh this one off because sometimes

I tend to get upset.

Lynn