I guess I already have it.
Or maybe it’s not the mother’s instinct, but listening to that still, small voice.
I have had a head cold for a couple weeks now. Last week, it felt pretty severe so I went ahead and called my doctor. I didn’t know if I had an infection or if it was just something my body would work through. Either way, I thought it best to check it out.
My doctor was out of the office and, because 2 other doctors from the practice were gone as well, they told me to go to an urgent care. I was nervous… I think I went to urgent care once as a teenager and it wasn’t a great experience. I tried to be positive and headed over there.
After waiting 2 1/2 hours, I was finally called into see the doctor. He walked into the room, sat down at his desk, asked me about 2 questions and then told me I needed to be injected with allergy meds. He made this declaration without looking at me at all: not in my nose, not in my ears, nothing. When I questioned this and asked to call my OB first to confirm it was okay to take the injectable med, he became irate, and told me I must know it all then. He refused to consider another option except the injectable (his words).
I had explained that it took me nearly 8 years to become pregnant, I had a previous miscarriage, and lost a twin this time. I explained that this has caused me to be extra cautious about taking medicines. He didn't care saying, "Lots of women are in your position". He told me it was his way or no way, and stormed out of the room.
He never came back, so I waited a bit and finally went into the hallway to hear him telling a nurse, "Don't give her anything, she can fix it herself". I went back into the room.
The next thing I knew, the nurse entered the room with the injectable medication. I took one look at it and felt like I had been punched in the gut. It wasn’t the needle (I am an injection pro now; I could have given it to myself!). Something deep inside said, “Don’t let her give you that medicine”. So instead I asked the nurse for the name of the drug, called my OB, and they told me to go somewhere else immediately.
Because they ran my insurance and collected the co-pay *prior* to seeing the doctor (I have never heard of this before), they refused to reverse it. Thus, I was told my insurance would not pay for another visit to a different urgent care. My last 10 minutes in that office consisted of the front desk nurse telling me *I* had refused treatment and she felt really bad and all but that’s the way it is.
Commence uncontrollable crying.
I drove myself to another urgent care for attempt number 2. I cried the entire 45 minute wait. I had never been treated like that by a doctor. I felt shocked, degraded, sick and miserable.
When they called me back, I was apprehensive to say the least. Luckily, the second doctor was wonderful. He put Beanie’s well-being first, exploring different options to bring relief without harming the baby. I ended up with a topical medicine that went straight into my nose, not through my blood stream. He also commented on my experience with the first doctor, saying it was ridiculous to immediately inject a pregnant woman with allergy medicine when there are so many other, less invasive options available to consider. He urged me to report the first doctor, and to fight with my insurance on covering that visit. I paid cash for the second urgent care trip, and was so grateful I had the means to do so.
(UPDATE: A few days later, I went to see my Primary Care doc. She diagnosed me with a severe sinus infection, ear infections AND strep throat! No wonder I was so miserable!)When I got home, I googled the medicine the first doctor wanted to inject me with. It stays in your system, radiating the medicine from the injection site, for three weeks. So for weeks 9 – 12 of my pregnancy, I would be absorbing a medication with the following warning:
This medicine should be used with care during pregnancy as not only could it endanger the mother, but it could also endanger the life of the fetus. In addition, it has the ability to hinder the growth of the baby. Corticosteroids act as catalysts, and may increase the danger of slow or retarded growth of the fetus. The medication may even impact the baby’s immune system by hindering the development of baby’s steroid hormones after birth.It’s possible I could have taken that drug and everything would have been fine. But it is also possible the result could have been very bad. Regardless, I am thankful I listened.
On a lighter note, Ryan thought it would be fun to snap a pic when I was in the peak of my misery. I didn't even know he did it! Notice my sweet kitties trying to comfort me... too cute!
