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Boy do I feel like a crapy mom...(little long)
for not trusting my instincts. Duncan has had a cold for 3 weeks now--we went to the doctor after week one--no fever, hadn't spread to ears, no infection... just a plain old virus. Sometime this past week his drainage turned yellow--still no fever, no real signs of anything wrong. He started getting cranky and not sleeping on Wednesday and I was worried something was wrong. But I listened to those around me who said, just keep doing what you're doing-he's fine.
So fast forward to yesterday when we picked up Dunc from day care--he has drainage coming from his ear, that's yellow and crusty. So we head to the emergency pedi clinic (which thank goodness our pedi was actually the doc on call there!) and low and behold... HE HAS A RUPTURED EAR DRUM!! He had an ear infection (god knows for how long), and it got so bad it ruptured. Doc couldn't get the light into his ear very far it was so gross.
My little man is such a trooper--he showed absolutely no signs or symptoms of an ear infection and he had to be in pain He was even smiling and giggling at our pedi. I felt like such a crappy mom last night. I'm better now and we've started day two of antibotics, but I now know... It's time to listen to my gut again!
Re: Boy do I feel like a crapy mom...(little long)
October 11, 2008
Trusty Gal blog|Trusty Tales
Alexander David
11.25.09
my blog
You're not a bad mom. You can't tell when these things get out of hand, and there's all this pressure to not call the dr b/c people think it's just new moms "freaking out."
But you're making me second-guess my decision to not call the dr this weekend for Jacob's cough. Baby books say that I should probably give him some cough meds, but not to do it w/o calling the dr; but the pedi's office says not to have the on-call dr call you unless it's a true emergency that needs the ER or an urgent care clinic. I have to admit that I'd never heard of an urgent care clinic until last month. What are those things, anyway?
Oh, sorry for hijacking your post. I'm sure you're a great mom -- this happens to all of us!
Audiologist here. . .I've seen a few ruptured eardrums (although I'll clarify that I'm a hearing doctor, not an ear health doctor).
It would make me cry like a baby if I had a ruptured eardrum now, as an adult. But I will say that I've seen more than one baby with a ruptured eardrum before who were happy and playful, just as you described.
Sometimes there really is no way to know until he starts having drainage from his ear. You did the right thing. Not all colds will end in ear infection, and you don't always need antibiotics.
If I ever have a future hypothetical child, I'm going to be the opposite kind of "bad mom"--I'll be looking in my kid's ears with my otoscope 50 times a day, "just in case". eeek.
Alexander David
11.25.09
my blog
Oh Kate you're not a bad mom! It's hard to know what's going on when they can't communicate with you and at least he was happy.
Rebek-urgent care clinics are doctor's offices that operate outside of normal office hours for treatment. The ones around here can even do xrays and fill prescriptions in some cases. They are usually open from like 9-9, seven days a week. I've been in there a couple times and went in once on a Saturday with a horrible cold last summer before we went to the beach. I also rushed DH there when he cut his hand b/c honestly I didn't want to deal with the ER.
It's a great alternative to the ER or when your doctor's office can't fit you in and you're sick.
Wives Unscripted
Kate - You're not a bad mom! I agree with the whole "Not wanting to call in case you look like the crazy first time mom" thing, because I'll probably be the same way. It's got to be hard to know what kind of care to give your baby when they can't communicate with you. And when he's smiling and laughing, that makes it even harder.
Rebek - We have urgent care clinics all over the place here. In fact, I don't even have a regular doctor because we have the walk in clinics. They can easily treat you for pretty much anything. In fact, both times that Drew's gotten hurt at work (the time he chopped off his finger and when he put the huge gash in his head) he went to the walk in clinic and they stitched him right up and sent him on his way.
Mrs. Little Drew 10/25/08
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TTC since 1/2010 - Dx with Stage IV Endo
11/10 - 100mg Clomid + trigger + IUI + Estradiol + Progesterone = BFN
12/10 - Unmedicated cycle due to RE not doing treatments in December = BFN
1/11 - 100mg Clomid + trigger + IUI + Estradiol + Progesterone = BFN
2/11 - Same sh!t, different month = IUI cancelled due to no response = BFN
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"They" (random researchers I don't have the energy to quote) say that at least 50% of ear infections clear up on their own without treatment, and many doctors say they are just creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria by treating them, so I bet this is true--doctors often don't treat them. I know the doctors I work with don't want me referring for possible ear infections until the symptoms get to a certain point.
I think I had one ear infection during all of my childhood. They totally suck.