Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Still Paying Our Dues

We continue to pay the price for being so healthy for so long around our house. Following Daughter's oral surgery two a half weeks ago and then her apparent UTI a few days after that the luck just continues to pour out for us. It wouldn't surprise me if all that follows was somehow contracted either in the surgery center or the doctor's office when we took Daughter in for diagnosis and treatment of the UTI. I hate taking my kids to the doctor because within a few days of a visit they seem to get bizarre and unexplained illnesses.

A few days after the diagnosis of Daughter's UTI, Son was rushed to urgent care for diagnosis and treatment for his Pink Eye and there was some sort of simultaneous virus he apparently had as he also had fever and some cold symptoms. Three days later Daughter developed a mild fever and transient cough and a couple days after that began having the eye boogers that we recognized as Pink Eye. It was Friday night, of course, so off we went to urgent care again where the Pink Eye was confirmed and a follow up on the UTI showed that although her symptoms seemed to disappear, she now had blood, pus, and protein in her urine and a bladder infection was diagnosed. After two hours at urgent care and an hour wandering around Walgreens with Daughter and her pussy eye waiting for the prescriptions to be filled, we were home armed with medication. This was the first time our kids have ever needed antibiotics. Daughter ran temps of 102.5 off and on for the next couple days. And the snot. My Good Lord, the snot! It flowed freely, I think from every orifice on Daughter's body.

We thought we were on the right track, but awaited the results of the culture on Daughter's urine to be sure. We decided Daughter had three different things going on at once. Pink Eye, a bad cold/virus, and a bladder infection. A couple days later we get the phone call with the report that the lab confirmed from the culture that we are treating the bacteria with the right antibiotic. The next day Daughter woke up with her body covered at least 60% with hives. I was certain it was the medication. The urgent care office we went to told us it wasn't the medication and to keep giving it to Daughter. I told them I was sure it was the antibiotic as that is the only thing different in the equation. They then told me just to stop taking it then, as the culture didn't show any bacteria that was necessary to treat. What about the "blood, pus, and protein in her urine?" They couldn't answer sufficiently, just that their final answer was that she didn't need the medication and they couldn't comment on why the physician that diagnosed the problem three days previous solemnly and gravely told me it was a bladder infection and this could be serious if not treated properly and lead to a kidney infection.

I set up an appointment with Daughter's regular doctor immediately and ordered the urgent care reports to be sent to him. He reviews the stuff and tells us that the lab never completed the culture and so nothing was confirmed. The sample was apparently contaminated somehow. Yet this is not at all what the urgent care reported to us. This seems incredibly negligent to me. And so we got Daughter to pee in another cup and the doc ordered a culture and a complete urinalysis to see what is going on.

By this time Son had the mysterious snot virus and the fevers. Now he has snot flowing freely from every orifice. Daughter continues to have hives. And her mysterious bladder infection goes untreated until we have confirmation on what the real problem is.

And I am off to telephone and harangue urgent care about their negligence. If I don't drown in the snot first.

2 comments:

Tracy Rambles On And On said...

Yeesh. When it rains it pours! In your case it pours snot.
I was always amazed at the amount of snot that could come out of these tiny little beings too.
I will tell you what my husband, the doctor, always tells people about urgent cares: They are not your regular doctor. They will run tests and give you medicine but do not concern themselves with the follow ups. They view it as a quick fix. Get em' in and get em' out. While they're nice to have, always follow up with their regular doctor to make sure everything was done right.
And the hives probably were from the antibiotic. Especially if she's never needed them before (which how in the world did you manage that???). I'm allergic to sulfa medications and I break out into hives and sunburn type rashes whenever I take them.
I hope everyone feels better soon!

Maternal Mirth said...

I hope you all feel better soon ...

and QUITE the visual there ... drowning in snot. I have the sudden urge to blow my nose.