I’ve always prided myself on being healthy. And I’ve been pretty proud that my kids have been so healthy too.

I never knew if it was all the cookie dough we eat (ha) or the fact that we stay in shape by swimming and jumping on the trampoline so much, or maybe it was the fact that we’re totally resilient to germs because I don’t get into all the antibacterial stuff. Who knows. We’ve always been complete strangers to doctors, just seeing them enough to keep up on immunizations and to pop out a baby every couple years.

Man, I thought we had it made.

That is, until this last year. Our good health luck has run out. The well is dry as a bone. We’ve hit every doctor from the regulars to all the specialists:

the ENT,
the neurologist,
the geneticist,
the radiologist,
the dietician,
the dermatologist,
the urologist,
the doctors who do MRIs,
the doctors who read the MRIs,
the doctors who do ultrasounds of kidneys,
and those ones who take x-rays of everything from legs to toes to bladders, just to name a few!

Oh, and we can’t forget all the trips to the dentist and now the orthodontist.

The pediatrician and all his staff know us on a first-name basis. It seems that I have conversations with the on-call nurse there pretty much every day. She answer’s the phone when she knows it me and says, “hey Shawni, what is it this time?” and we have to laugh a little by the fourth time I call in a week…but sometimes I’d rather cry than laugh. The nurse at the blood-draw lab cringes when I walk in with Lucy (she loves her but knows how tough her little veins are to find amidst the chub…and is well aware of her feistiness).

I keep thinking we’re done. We’re gonna be all healthy again. But it just keeps going.

Let’s take last week alone:
Claire wakes up in the middle of the night with croup, followed by Grace the next night then Max two nights later. Then Lucy gets a fever. A really bad one….mingled with these weird mini convulsions that really scared both of us (another trip to the doctor). Then Claire’s preschool nurse calls to let me know she has a fever of 103 and I need to wake up fever girl #1 (Lu) to go pick up fever girl #2 (Claire). Then Claire’s cold sores pop out again (another trip to the doctor to see if it’s impetigo or just the cold sores in the midst of Halloween parties). And then we find out Claire has “reflux” to explain all her UTIs lately and that she’ll have to be on yet another antibiotic (she’s been on five of them in the last few months), but this time it has to be every day for SIX MONTHS! Then on my own fun trip to the doctor for a blood draw I find myself laying on the floor, completely disoriented, waking up from fainting…twice. Totally and completely out cold…smelling salts and everything. That’s the worst.

If I sound like I’m complaining I am…just a little.

Do I know it could be a lot worse? Yes. And man am I ever glad and thankful it’s not.

I’m so thankful for modern medicine…I really am.

But I could handle not seeing another doctor for a while.

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14 Comments

  1. Oh Shawni!! That totally sucks!!! It seems like it’s always a feast or famine thing. I hope that the famine comes soon for you!
    Why are you fainting? Are you ok?

  2. Shawni, Lindsey had reflux in her kidney. I’m assuming that is the kind of reflux you are talking about since you mentioned UTI’s and not the stuff coming back up through the throat. I loved her doctor. He ended up doing a procedure and it is fixed. I feel for you if you had to get a VCUG test! Lindsey wanted to die when they were doing that to her. Oh, I’m so sorry you are having to deal with all of this. Good luck and call me if you want any more info about what we did with Lindsey. She hasn’t had one problem since.

  3. Goodness!!! My friend’s daughter had urinary tract reflux or whatever its called. Poor thing! And all the other stuff…I think a little complaining is OK!

    We had a few scares this past year (persistent weird very high fevers in Caroline all the lab work, blood work, the works) as well but not as much as you!I do count good health a blessing. In fact, I will go and write that one on a piece of paper and stuff it into our “Thankful Turkey” we made for FHE this week.

  4. Michelle, the fainting thing just happens every once in a while with me…I have a super low heart rate which I think makes it more common. I’m fine though…just sick of doctors!

  5. Oh Shawni!!! Why oh why didn’t you call me to go pick up Claire?!! I would do it in a heartbeat you know. Sleeping children should NEVER be awakened…especially with a fever!!

    I sure hope all starts to calm down soon. If Oral Surgery is ever on the docket though…you know who to call!!

  6. Wow I thought I had a tough month with doctors and one sick child and two sick parents! I didnt think that I could do what I did with any other children, but your story proved me wrong!
    Cause you do it with 5 kids! : ) You are AMAZING! Hope you all get better!

  7. That’s awful! I can totally relate to much of your post. We’ve spent tons of time at dr appts since C was born. In the next month, C is getting tubes in his ears, B has to get her tonsils removed, and B also has to get dental work (and be sedated). Ugh! I hope everyone in your house is feeling better and back to health very soon!

  8. sorry about all that shaser. doctors are no fun…i agree and i have seen my fair share of them too. i’m glad you found out what the deal is with claire even if she does have to be on antis for months.

  9. Seriously, that is a lot of Doctors and lots of illnesses. but of course you are always good even when you complain he know and recognize it could always be worse. I am hoping for fewer dr. visits for all you. What’s this with your low heart rate…is that okay??

  10. How ironic that the reason I cannot come to your class today is…Drs! I have two kiddos going to the doctor this morning! I had procrastinated registering waiting to find out if my sister could come too and then I ended up with kiddos home sick. I guess there is always NEXT time! Grrrr…..

  11. Holy moly. You have had it rough in the dr. department. Some years are harder than others, aren’t they? Hopefully you will find 2009 a little gentler and healthier! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

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