Well, I was hoping for some answers by now, but the appointment yesterday did not go as well as I had expected it too. (Insert Murphy's Law here) When the Pediatrician told me that she wanted Layla to see a pediatric allergist she gave me two names. One was at Hasboro and the other happened to be the same doctor I see for my own allergies and asthma. I chose the one I knew because even though I didnt think he had much bedside manner, he is quite intelligent and my asthma has been the best as it ever has been. So I scrambled there after work yesterday only to wait with both children for 55 minutes before we even got in to see him. Once inside, we waited another 20 minutes. This Mommy was not a happy camper. When he did come in, he seemed hurried and wasnt really listening too much to what I had to say and seemed preoccupied with typing her history in his computer rather than really listening. I asked him to check her ears as she had been tugging on them. He looked at me perplexed and then checked them only to say, "Well they seem alright and she didnt cry when I checked them, but I dont do much of this so follow up with your pediatrician if she has any more symptoms." WHAT? I am sorry..WHAT? You are a pedi allergy specialist and you are unsure of how to check a child's ears? Have I gone mad?
My next frustration came when I asked about her skin test and he told me that she wouldnt be skin tested, that he would do a blood draw. I explained to him that when I had called to get the specifics about the appointment, they told me she would be skin tested. He said no, a simple blood draw would do. (At this point I was pretty aggravated) I tried to ask about the blood draw and what it would tell us and he said something about Celiac's disease (Which I knew because the pedi GI had faxed those orders to him earlier in the day), he said a few more things which I didnt understand and then he disappeared. When he came back, I tried to ask him about our formula issues and if he knew of a solution or a way to prescribe it so that our insurance would cover it. His response was that he didnt know much about formula that I would have to ask the pediatrician and .. I quote.."Why dont you put her on soy?" That was the straw that broke the camels back. He obviously had not listened to me at all, or read her records and history and HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS DOING! I explained to him that she did not have a MILK ALLERGY that she was allergic to the PROTEIN in MILK and that that protein also existed in SOY, LACTAID and the million other formulas we had tried. (Can you sense my frustration here?) Obviously we had exhausted all the other options before putting her on the $50 a can formula which finally seems to be doing the trick. At this point, I wrote him off, grabbed the girls and headed to the lab to get the blood work done, which had I known, could have been added to the draw we had last week and saved the child another traumatic experience.
So as you can see, I am ticked. Completely ticked. This doctor may be intelligent with adults and allergies, but hasn't a clue as to how to treat a child with severe food allergies. At this point I am ready to call Boston. I have an appointment with her Pediatrician early next week and I WILL be discussing this option as I have had enough. I know that her condition is nothing serious, but it is a condition and I need to get to the bottom of it so that I know what to feed the poor kid without giving her severe bouts of diarrhea! At this point, she is not getting the proper nutrients and her immune system stinks because of it. At least in Boston, I drive up, see the 3 different doctors on the same day, the next day they discuss and by the 3rd day we have a diagnosis and I move forward. This has been going on for months and I am nowhere near closer to figuring it all out! Never mind, dont you think I should have an epi pen? (This thought just occurred to me!) The child has a peanut allergy.. shouldn't I be equipped with an epi pen? I am flat out aggravated to say the least.
That being said, I am headed home after work to enjoy this New Year's Eve with my husband and children. We decided not to trek it to New Hampshire as it is snowing and to be honest, all four of us are exhausted! I am looking forward to a night of cozies with my family and I am extremely looking forward to a day off tomorrow! Hopefully I will have some new pictures to post of the girls in the snow as my brother sold me his camera. I was having way more fun with it than he was! LOL He sold it to me for a great price and I am very excited to get learning and get shooting! Thank you Robbie Dobbs!
Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true in 2009!
xoxoxo
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