Go with your gut

This is a post I meant to post before I left for vacation, but I was too busy packing and taking care of a sick baby and teen.

I posted previously that Carter had an ear infection in both ears. Well, he never really got better. I made 4 trips to the doctors' office in 12 days. (And no, I am not one of those people that takes their child to the doctor every time they sneeze.) My title for this post is 'go with your gut' because if you don't feel your doctor is right, get a second opinion. Doctors are human, and they do make mistakes.

Here is a recap of our 12 days:
Day 1- I took Carter to the doctor, and he had an ear infection in both ears. We didn't see our regular pediatrician (Dr. F) because he was booked up, so we saw another pediatrician (Dr. C) in the same clinic.

Day 4- Carter was getting worse instead of better. We went to another pediatrician (Dr. H) in the same office. (Our pediatrician is very popular.) He checked Carter's ears and said they looked better. He said he just had a cold on top of the ear infection.

Days 6-7- Carter was almost back to normal. He was playful and laughing.

Day 8- He starts acting fussy again.

Day 9- Carter has a fever of 103. I call the pediatrician's office and they can't get him in until the next day.

Day 10- Fever is up to 104. We see Dr. C again. She looks in his ears- says they are fine. She looks in his throat- says it's a little pink. She gives him a flu test- it comes back negative. She says it is just a virus and he should be better by the time we leave for Disney World. (in 3 days)

Day 11- Here is where the go with your gut comes in. Carter is a very happy and playful little boy. By this point he was crying nonstop, and by crying I mean screaming. I was getting very worried because I have read too many blogs about sick children that don't get better and end up having cancer or another horrible illness. (I am actually no longer allowed to blog hop because of this. I am also banned from WebMD.) I called my sister and she talked to my BIL (a doctor) and they told me that viruses can last for a long time and be very painful, but to definitely take him back to the doctor if I felt he needed to be seen again. (My sister was very comforting.) I decided to take Carter to my general doctor. Monte and I have both seen him, and we really liked him. He is very thorough and takes time to explain things.

Day 12- I take Carter to see Dr. H, and guess what? Carter has an ear infection in both ears AND strep throat!!! Needless to say we will not be going back to Dr. C. Dr. H put Carter on a really strong antibiotic, and by the next morning he was feeling a lot better. By the time we got to Disney World, two days later, he was happy and having fun with Mickey Mouse. I am so glad that I trusted my instincts and got a second opinion.