9 month check-up

On Monday, we took Abby for her 9 month checkup. She weighed in at 15 pounds, 1 ounce and is 25 3/4 inches long. I chose to go to the SIU teaching clinic. My thoughts were that an experienced pediatrician would be assisting a new doctor and wow! I would get really great medical care. Instead, only the resident came in, very nervous I might add, and seemgly out of his element. After asking me “Did she come in for her 8 month check-up?” (there is no 8 month check-up) he then proceeded to ask “What shots are we getting today?” (There are no shots scheduled at the 9 month check-up). Another weird question – is she gaining weight appropriately?” Well, in my “professional” opinion yes but isn’t that why we are here. Finally, after a barage of questions, we got to the actual physical. Paul was the one holding Abby and talk about awkward. Paul had never been to a check-up like this before so I don’t blame him at all. The dr. though, well eh should know better. He was trying to look in Abby’s ears with her sitting up. With a squirmy baby, not a good idea – one jerky move and that ear piece would go just a bit too far. I could tell the doctor was not comfortable with it and finally he said “why don’t we lie her down?” Most pediatricans that I have been to tell me what they are doing and giving assessments as they go such as “she has good reflexes” or “she has great eye movement”. Nothing from him. He started checking her hips and kept pusing her legs around to the point where Abby was screaming. Sorry but Abby doesn’t cry very easily – in fact she had blood drawn and DID NOT cry. But the dr. kept on and kept on. I could tell that he thoughts something wasn’t right. He slipped out to get the senior resident. During this little break, we tried to calm Abby down thought her little body is heaving with sobs. Senior dr. comes in and repeats almost the entire physical ending with the hip area. He showed jr. doctor how the fats rolls are identical on both the front and the back and thereofre everything was fine. Junior dr. finishes up with us and tells us we are free to go. Abby is still bawling at this point so after dr. leaves, I try to nurse her and comfort her. She still isn’t even dressed either. Well I guess we took too long because jr. doctor comes back in adn tells us that we can leave. Poor uncomfortable doctor. I thought we were finally done but as we were checking out, senior dr. runs us down and asks for our phone number “just in case we need to follow-up”. That evening, jr. dr. calls and tells us that he forgot to tell us that we need to get hemoglobin checked and then Abby should start taking vitamins. I said I had a couple quesitons. ”Did Abby need to take vitamins if her score was okay?” ”Yes, it is recommended” Then I asked what they thought was wrong with Abby’s hips. ”Oh nothing, she was just fighting me hard”.

So Tuesday we go to get her hemoglobin checked. I pick up the orders and see three tests – hematocrit, hemoglobin and lead. I wasn’t told by all these. The dr. promised me it would only take 10 minutes. 45 minutes later, we were finally called in. I told the “nurse” that we didn’t want the lead test. She argued with me and finally said “Well, it’s kinda required”. ”By who?” I ask. ”Well the state in certain areas”. I said I still didn’t want it done and she said “Well, I’ll just let the doctor know”. Okay, fine.

Wednesday afternoon, jr. dr. calls, Paul answers. He says Abby’s levels are “low” and go immediately and get the prescription which is already at our pharmacy. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him but I wish I did. The “low” level wasn’t actually in the bad zone – just above it. I would rather try to correct any low levels via diet rather than medicine. So now the question…do we get the vitamins and then just store them or do we just completely ignore the fact that the prescription is at the pharmacy?

Final irony. Jr. dr. says that Abby’s lead levels are fine. After I refused??