Day before yesterday (Tuesday), I took Otter to the doctor because she was still having problems with her throat. This is a week after the first symptoms started. When she first got sick, I called the doctor and couldn't get her in until late that afternoon. About an hour before we would have left for the appointment, her fever broke. I called the doctor's office and they agreed with me that it was probably just a bug and that since she didn't have fever, it was most likely NOT strep.
She got better but not well. She was home the next day and then back at school. She spent most of last weekend fighting off a mildish asthma spell but was still having throat issues. Tuesday morning, I called the doctor and managed to get her an appointment - with the fall-back doctor, not our regular one. The doctor's first thought was that it probably was strep. But the test showed that it was NOT strep. She said that they would also test for mono but that it was a long-shot, and it was probably just a virus or possibly allergy. She said that Otter just needed to take motrin if she felt like she needed it and whatever allergy medicine she preferred. And that it would resolve in a day or so.
Well, they were supposed to call me yesterday afternoon with the results from the mono test. No call.
This morning, I called them right after the office opened and spoke with someone who said that they would call me back very soon. That was just after 8:00 a.m.
At just before 5:00 this afternoon, they finally called me. It's not mono. Which is a good thing, and I really didn't think it was.
However, THE STREP TEST WAS POSITIVE. I'm not sure if this is the test from Tuesday, or if they (and this is what I think based on what the girl told me when she called) messed that one up and re-ran it today when I called them. They called in a prescription for an antibiotic, I ran to Walgreen's and got it so she could start on it tonight. Tomorrow, I am going by the doctor's office and they are supposed to have an excuse for her for school tomorrow - because she's still contagious until she's been on the antibiotic for 24 hours. They are also giving her an excuse which covers the two days last week.
So, she's been sick for over a week now with something that could have been treated and cured already. I'm not blaming the doctor's office for the fact that she didn't see them last week - although they did tell me that it wasn't necessary to bring her in since the fever was gone, that was really my decision in the end. What has me frustrated is that we were told Tuesday that it was NOT strep. But on Thursday, it is.
2 comments:
This is so frustrating. We have less than stellar health care here in our area, so it all sounds familiar! It has certainly taught me patience and persistence. Unfortunately, I now don't trust doctors or other health care providers as much. You have to be so careful these days with advocating your own care. It should not be this hard! Can you imagine what government health care will be like. Oy!
I'm glad she is getting her antibiotics now. You don't want to mess with strep.
I have been known to "speak my mind" to doctor's offices more than once. Especially when we were trying to get the asthma diagnosed! I don't even want to know what it would be like if the socalized medicine ever passes.
She's much better now, fortunately.
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