GTKY self care health care edition

MelissaMiso

Yesterday I came home from work a few hours early bc I was feeling icky and the glands in my neck are swollen. I'm pretty sure Sophia so nicely gave me her cold from last week (but how can I resist when she grabs my face and guides herself in for a sweet "muah" kiss????). A few of my coworkers asked me if I was going to go to the doctor (many of them are the type to run to the doc the first sign of a sniffle). It got me wondering what all of our doctor habits are:


How quick are you to take the kidlette(s) to the doc when they are sick?

Any out of the ordinary reasons you've had to take them? (e.g. swallowed Aunt Betty's pearl earrings, stuck a bean up their nose, etc)

How often do you run to the doc for your ailments?

Has this changed since becoming a mama?

Fess up: What's the strangest reason you had to go to the ER or doctor?

MelissaMiso

How quick are you to take the kidlette(s) to the doc when they are sick?
Even though Sophia is my first, I'm not one to run to the pedi for just anything. I think being "advanced maternal age" I am more laid back. I probably would have been much more apt to take her for everything if I had her in my 20's.

Any out of the ordinary reasons you've had to take them? (e.g. swallowed Aunt Betty's pearl earrings, stuck a bean up their nose, etc)
Nothing yet, though I am pretty sure she swallowed a piece of a toy the other day (it was a soft piece of foam and she's pooping no problem...though we haven't seen it come out the other end yet. sigh)

How often do you run to the doc for your ailments?
I rarely do, unless it's an acute injury or the time I had a 104 temperature. Most things clear up in a few days. I will usually just ride things out with some OTC meds if necessary, lots of rest and fluids, and upping my garlic consumption.

Has this changed since becoming a mama?
No, but I'm definitely more conscious of taking better care of myself since having her as I want to be a good example for her and live a long healthy life.

Fess up: What's the strangest reason you had to go to the ER or doctor?
When I was 8, I stabbed my own foot with a pitchfork. Another time I fell down a flight of stairs at a theater in NYC after a weekend of performing...face first.

littleredfish

MelissaMiso said:

How quick are you to take the kidlette(s) to the doc when they are sick?

Used to be quickly, but after the 5th or 6th ear infection we gave up and started treating her symptomatically to get them to go away. It would take a pretty good fever or constant vomiting. 

Any out of the ordinary reasons you've had to take them? (e.g. swallowed Aunt Betty's pearl earrings, stuck a bean up their nose, etc) 

Nope, nothing yet. *knocks on wood*

How often do you run to the doc for your ailments?

Never if I can help it. DH has had to force me to the doctor before. With this dog bite I went because of the break, but I've been bitten by a dog before and didn't go even when it got slightly inflamed and infected. Epsom salt soaks, polysporin advanced and lots of fluids were my friends and it went away. DH gets mad at my super reluctance to go all the time.

Has this changed since becoming a mama? 

Nope, still hate going.

Fess up: What's the strangest reason you had to go to the ER or doctor?

Ping-pong injury. lol well wort of. I was playing ping pong with my sister in our basement as kids, and the ball went behind the couch. When I reached back to get it and pulled my arm back my elbow caught a huge nail sticking out of the wood paneling. It ripped a sizable gash. Although, I didn't technically see a doctor that night because the ER was so full I made my mom take me home. Stitches would have been good because I have a pretty good scar from it, but I just kept my arm straight and pressure and it stopped bleeding eventually. lol

ELF4321

I have only been to my PCP twice in the past decade for general checkup and immunization updates. Mostly because I don't usually get sick, and also because I know there is rarely anything they can do about a cold or flu, so when I do get sick, I don't bother calling.

We've been lucky to not have to take DD to the pedi other than for well visits and shots. She's only had one fever high enough to worry me or even treat it with tylenol, and that was gone in less than 48 hours, so I never took her. We did have an emergency dentist visit last fall when she fell and cracked her tooth, but other than that we've been pretty lucky so far.

ETA: My only weird injury was when I slammed my thumb in the car door so hard that it damaged the nail bed and they had to remove the nail to put in stitches. I think I was 13 or 14 at the time. DH, on the other hand, had to go a few years ago when he fell asleep on a plane and one of the plastic earbud covers from his headphones came off in his ear and got stuck in there. The urgent care place was like, yeah, we do this all the time (with 5 year olds). LOL

MelissaMiso

@littleredfish "Ping pong injury" hahaha love it.   Also, how's your finger healing now?

littleredfish

MelissaMiso said:

@littleredfish "Ping pong injury" hahaha love it.   Also, how's your finger healing now?

Pretty good! Tendon is repaired but it is very thin and fragile, so I wear a splint 23/7 now. I have minor exercises to do to keep my other joints from stiffening. He's optimistic considering that at my last appointment he admitted that he didn't think it was going to be salvageable. The bones are still broken and not set, but that is due to the severity of the infections I had. I go see him once a week now for progress, but still no decision has been made on the bones. It looks more like a finger though!

selockar

How quick are you to take the kidlette(s) to the doc when they are sick?
  Not very quick.  H is a doctor. I only do in if we need a prescription.

Any out of the ordinary reasons you've had to take them? (e.g. swallowed Aunt Betty's pearl earrings, stuck a bean up their nose, etc)
 Not yet.

How often do you run to the doc for your ailments?
 Never.  I'd have to find a sitter.

Has this changed since becoming a mama?
 I little. I did at least go to a gp for an annual check up. Now I only have time for the obgyn.

Fess up: What's the strangest reason you had to go to the ER or doctor?
 Nothing. I'm kinda boring.