I have great respect for doctors. My great-grandfather was a doctor, my great-Uncle was a doctor, and I grew up around them so I know how much dedication it takes and all of that. However, it seems like the profession is changing. Doctors have more patients than they can handle. They also are enticed by pharmaceutical companies with "gifts" and incentives. Also, finding a "family doctor" is hard these days. There are hundreds of specialists and you have to get referrals from the pediatrician or general practioner in order for insurance to cover it. Those are some general observations I have made.
Now....what do I mean when I say you must be "your child's advocate" and why do I feel the need to post this? After going through what I have gone through I am determined to make sure that it doesn't happen to anyone else. I am breaking it down into five rules and I will try to be as brief as possible in explaining each one:
Rule #1: Doctors DO make mistakes. Luckily, I have a medical background and so I know a little bit about drugs and bugs. :) I worked in Chemistry and Microbiology in the laboratory for five years. That means I know a little thing or two about laboratory testing too. When my daughter started to see different doctors I made sure to keep copies of her laboratory testing and made a binder to hold it in. I also started to question doctors when they wanted to repeat testing. It broke my heart everytime she had to get her blood drawn. Not only that, but the insurance company started to give me a hard time about it as well. Make sure that you keep track of what tests they do and ask them why it has to be done. Once I asked the liver specialist why they were repeating a certain test and he came back saying that he didn't realize it had already been done. He went into the computer and was able to obtain it. Don't be afraid to speak up about it. It is your right to know. If the doctor gets perturbed then perhaps you need to find another doctor.
Rule #2: Follow your gut. It is my belief that mothers have been blessed with a special gift. You can call it "motherly instict" or "divine nature". Don't ignore it. There has been soooo many times when my children have been sick and the doctors did not believe me. However, I persisted and lo and behold something WAS wrong. The best example is with my daughter who was finally diagnosed with Wilson's Disease. She had all these abnormal values in her laboratory testing and although she acted and seemed healthy I knew that there was something wrong. I am so glad that I persisted. If I would have listened to the doctors who knows what the outcome would have been. We would have continued to feed her high copper foods and her liver enzymes would have continued to increase. I would have ended up with a very sick child.
Rule #3: There are alternatives to medicine. There are some doctors and parents who don't think twice about administering a drug to a child. Just like you should be careful about what they eat, you should also be cautious about the drugs you give them. Do your research. There are some drugs that are recalled or even have terrible side-effects. I have already posted the information on the ADD drugs my #1 took and all the trouble we had. Also, I think it's important to note that there are many herbal remedies out there and they work! My youngest had really bad teething and my friend gave me some chamomile. It was in liquid form in these plastic capsules. She said she kept them in her purse. Let me tell you......it worked!! I think it is possible to combine traditional medicine and alternative medicine. I do it and it works for me.
Rule #4: Stand firm in what you believe. Right now I believe that vaccines injured three of my four children. I think it's because they were given too many too soon. I have done my research and I don't feel comfortable with the schedule that the doctor wants to follow. I am following a different schedule that I feel good about with my baby. So far he is doing great and he is the healthiest of all my children. There is an epidemic of autism in the world right now. I am trying to educate others (including the doctors) about my experiences. I am hoping that one day someone will listen. I just wish that they would have enough of an open mind to really listen to me. They always just get defensive when I try to talk to them about it and then proceed to use scare tactics to get me to give my baby the 6+ vaccines that are due that day. I also have mothers who feel threatened for some reason. I guess they feel like I am offending them when I say that vaccines can injure some kids. I don't mean to insult anyone.... I just try to warn others of what happened to me. It's not until something hits home that you really take notice. Know what I mean? So....whatever it is that YOU believe, stand firm in your decision. If you know that your child wouldn't benefit then speak up. If you see that they are not taking things as proactive as you'd like then speak up!
Rule #5: Do your research. There are so many resources. You have the library, book stores, the internet, and physicians. Read all that you can. Ask lots of questions. Find out all you can about doctors in your area. Look them up online and find out their history. It doesn't hurt to get a second opinion if you question something. Most people spend days of research and looking when choosing a car. The same care should be taken when choosing a doctor. The best place you can go is usually a Children's Hospital. If there is one in your area then you should consider it. They usually have specialists in many areas and are experienced pediatricians. My daughter has a TEAM of doctors who are caring for her. It is also a great environment and if your child has to spend a lot of time there then you want them to be comfortable.
My final thought is this....don't be afraid to speak up if you don't understand something or if you disagree. The treatment of your child is a team effort. You and your doctor should have the same goal: the well being of your child. However, in the end you know your child better than anyone, and a doctorate is no match for a mother's love.
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A mother's love has no boundaries.
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2 comments:
The doctors and professionals try to put everybody into the same-sized peg holes. Legitimate or not, there are a lot of reasons for this.
Anyway, you still need to be your child's advocate. The doctors are going to say things like, "I give my own child/grandchild that shot," or "If you don't complete your shots, I will make sure your child cannot enroll in school this year." You just need to know your limits, and have back up plans, or alternate routes planned.
Even people who understand the flaws of the system get suckered by the doctor's "grandfather" approach. Also, the blackmail tactic is going to become more common now that parents are becoming educated about what can happen to their child by introducing toxins into their little body in the attempt to prevent them from contracting a harmless disease that is only being kept alive in our society by the vaccination that is being given to the neighbor's child.
Ok, first of all - you need to write a book. Wow, what a great writer you are! You have a talent, have been given knowlege and experience --- write a book! Love you!
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