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August 18, 2002
September 2001
I was learning how to work the system. Dr. S had served his purpose and now it was time to move on. Jaida’s neurologist was married to a regular pediatrician. When we returned from Jarod’s GI appointment his cradle crap was looking infected. It had never really cleared up and Dr. S’s only suggestion was applying Head and Shoulders to his scalp while it was still dry and gently scrubbing with a toothbrush. That did not work at all. I called and made an appointment with Mrs. Dr. Corbier or Dr. Michelle. She was a petite woman with an air of impatience. She seemed nice but she was a little abrupt. The polyester gown Jarod had worn at the GI clinic really irritated his eczema. I tried to explain that his skin was not usually that bad but she gave me some samples of the same cream I already had along with a prescription for a selenium sulfide shampoo. She also gave me a pamphlet about how to care for eczema and we were on our way. I decided that she was a good choice for us. She was thorough and knowledgeable.
After I finished some antibiotics for a sinus infection, Jarod and I got thrush. Dr. Michelle was happy to write a script for Diflucan for Jarod and an anti-yeast cream for my breasts. She said we would only pass it back and forth if she didn’t treat me as well. She mentioned Jarod’s breathing (he was still very noisy all the time) and she listened to his chest. She asked if anyone had ever diagnosed him with asthma or bronchitis; was he always this loud and stuffy sounding. I explained about the breathing treatments and Dr. K., the ENT we saw saying he didn’t think Jarod had bronchitis. She shook her head and instructed me to resume the treatments. She said it looked as if Jarod had chronic bronchitis or asthma.
I wanted to make sure the treatments were right for Jarod and maybe explore other options. I had yet to see any real improvement with the albuterol we used. I took him to see a different allergist that specialized in a non-medicated approach if at all possible. Dr. M. was a tall, rumpled man with an aloof disposition. He seemed more interested in why I had switched doctors so many times instead of Jarod’s breathing. He prescribed an inhalable steroid called Pulmicort and an adult albuterol. He basically chastised me for not “coordinating all the care” thru Dr. Michelle. We had to watch a video on how to give a breathing treatment and use a nebulizer. I was a little pissed to say the least when I left. After a week, I stopped the treatments again. I felt it was useless. What if these people didn’t know what they were talking about? After all, that’s why they call it practicing medicine. Nobody ever said they had it perfected.
Jaida had her EEG in August and we went back in September for the results. Dr. Corbier said he wanted to do an MRI to rule out any abnormalities of the brain. He said there were some “misfires” in Jaida’s frontal lobe. We scheduled it for two weeks later at the end of the month. We started vitamin therapy (Super Nu Thera) and Jaida began to speak in sentences two day later. In the meantime, the ear infections continued. A week later I picked her up from her new preschool and she was cranky and lethargic. Her teacher said she had seemed unlike her usual happy self that day. I called the doctor’s office on my cell phone from the car. I could bring her in tomorrow afternoon they said. The next day I took her in fully expecting to see Dr. Michelle. Instead we saw a nurse practitioner named Jill. She looked in Jaida’s ears and declared the right full of fluid. We left and I went straight to the pharmacy.
As the week ended, she was still out of sorts. On Friday morning she woke feverish and crying at 6:00. I took her to the ER near our house and they did a strep test, which came back negative. The doc said both ears were now infected and he changed the antibiotic to something stronger. A nurse brought her a dose of antibiotic. Before we left, Jaida started vomiting and I couldn’t find a single emesis basin in the whole room. I was sure the dose of Tylenol had not had time to absorb. The doc said it probably did and he sent us on our way. All day Saturday the vomiting continued. Nothing would stay down and I thought that her lips seemed blue but I wasn’t sure. Being the obsessive person I am, I got out the books. I was convinced it was pneumonia. I called the doctor’s office that was on call for our practice, they took down my name and number but they never called back. I called the ER we had gone to the day before. The receptionist said they were in the middle of a difficult trauma and no medical staff member was available to talk to me. We packed her up immediately when I took her temp again and the thermometer said 103.8.
This time we went to a local clinic that specialized in low priority emergencies. I gave them all the history and the medicines she was on. They did another strep test and a blood draw for a chem7. I knew from watching ER what that meant. The doctor came in and said Jaida’s white count was elevated. She sent the nurse in with a rocephin shot and a phernergan suppository for the nausea. They put in half the suppository and told us to save the other half for later if we needed it. We went home and put Jaida to bed. On Monday, she seemed better and I took her back to the pediatrician’s office for a follow-up at the clinic doc’s suggestion. They said she looked fine and Jill cleared her to go back to school. She went Tuesday and Wednesday with no sign of a problem.
Thursday was the day we were scheduled to take Jarod back to Birmingham for his upper GI. At 4:30 that morning, Jaida stumbled into our room. She went to Steve’s side and he tried to lift her into our bed. Instead, he told me to turn on the light. When I did, he said Jaida was covered in what appeared to be vomit. I knew we would not make it to see Dr. Cavendar that day or any time soon. Because Jarod had to have a test before the appointment, it was even more difficult to reschedule. Getting an appointment less than a month away with Dr. Cavendar was almost impossible. I mourned the loss of possibly finding out if Jarod had a more serious problem while I got ready to go to work. As soon as the doctor’s office opened I called and got Jaida a work-in appointment. We got there at 1:00 and waited for almost an hour and a half. In the triage room, her temp was 103.5 in spite of the Advil I had given her before we left home. Every part of her body was on fire and the nurse gave her another dose. When we got into an exam room, Stacey (the other nurse practitioner) came in. I wondered where Dr. Michelle was. Stacey looked at Jaida’s chart and asked some questions. After listening to Jaida's chest, Stacey said she wanted to get Dr. Ogunbi and she almost ran from the room. I had seen Dr. Ogunbi before in the hall at past visits. I thought she would come in, look Jaida over and just send us home again.
Dr. Ogunbi walked in and quickly introduced herself. She asked about the week’s worth of doctor visits as she made notes. She listened to Jaida’s chest and after what seemed like 10 minutes she lifted up Jaida’s shirt. I could see the concern on her face as she watched Jaida’s chest rise and fall laboriously with each breath. She said that all the trips we had made that week with no real recovery were bothersome to her. She explained that children needed to be in one place where the doctors could run tests and watch them closely. It didn’t click in my head what she was getting at until she asked if I had a hospital preference. I managed to stammer a no and she left to call for a room. I started to freak out. How would I do this? When was I going to nurse Jarod? I was barely getting enough milk during my pumping sessions at work; it was going to take direct stimulation to keep my supply up. Oh God, what could be wrong with her?
Dr. Ogunbi came back with our room number. She was explaining the tests that would be done and I realized the room was starting to get blurry. She stopped mid sentence and asked if I was okay. When I tried to talk, a choked sob was all that came out. Dr. Ogunbi hugged me and in her thick African accent, told me it would be alright. I still could not speak. Stacey came back and looked shocked to see me crying. I felt really stupid at that moment. Jaida was staring at me and looked confused by my behavior. I managed to pull it together and we left for the hospital. I called Steve on the way and relayed the story. Next, I called my mom. I was scared to death but I tried to stay calm for Jaida’s sake.
Until next time,
Kim, Jaida & Jarod
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