Urgent Care: Not Recommended

Even a Familiar Urgent Care

At this time I was convinced my son had a milk allergy, and the doctor recommended to try Soy Formula.

He did great on it, saw an immediate difference in temperament.

Still spitting up a great deal, but he was no longer having constant diarrhea (which was the case on my breast)

Three weeks later.

I was changing his diaper when I noticed he was very blotchy all over in different areas. Around his belly button, under his chin, on his arms and legs.

I had never seen this before in my first child, especially something to come on so suddenly. 

I took him to Urgent Care. The very one I had worked at two years prior. I knew the doctors and they knew me so I thought I could trust them to not treat me how I had seen them treat others in the past. 

Well little did I know they had a new Nurse Practitioner. One who didn't know me.  

 I Told Her

I know how they see me. Doctors.

It drives me nuts, the way that they don't take patients (or advocates of patients) seriously anymore.

I understand there is a lot of overreacting and hypochondriac patients out there. 

But we put our trust in them. We put our lives in their hands.

We pay our insurance, who pays them. We pay the co-pays.

We deserve for our voice to be heard and respected.

I did not receive that respect there.

As nice as she was to Connor and me. I still felt like I was getting the brush off treatment. My concerns were not being heard. 

I had mentioned what formula he had been on and at that point I was having doubts that Soy was the right one. 

Even if he did have a milk allergy, more times than none babies will be allergic to Soy as well. 

Also I had read thousands of testimonies that it was not good for them. I'm pretty disappointed in my doctor for suggesting it, instead of the hypoallergenic formula or just one with partially broken down proteins like Similac Total Comfort or Enfamil Gentlease. 

My concerns fell on deaf ears at this Urgent Care. 

Misdiagnosis 

A heat rash. In September. 

This is what a heat rash or "prickly heat" looks like.

70 Degree weather in Michigan. 

And she had said it was a heat rash. 

I already had doubts when I left this place. I googled pictures of it and it wasn't even close to what Connor's looked like. 

I don't even know how she got her license with that bullshit diagnosis. 

My theory with her, and for most doctors lately, is they look for the easiest and simplest explanation. 

So when you're still having issues and you have to return to the doctor's office they can collect more insurance money.

I hate to think this way, to be cynical of the very people we trust to take care of us when we don't know how to take care of ourselves.

But I am fed up with the way the system has been lately.

Wait For Your Pediatrician 

Mine was not available that very day, but he would've been two days later. So instead of waiting for my doctor I took him to an Urgent Care and had to take him to our regular Pediatrician's office anyway.

So twice the bill.

Your pediatrician knows your baby. If your baby seems to be happy, I would wait for your regular doctor.

The rash did not affect my baby at all. He was still a happy baby all smiley. His skin just looked scary.

It also wasn't getting better with baths and loose clothing. It was definitely not a heat rash. It was getting increasingly worse.

Following advice on my sister who had said regardless of his crankiness on my breast milk it is healthier for him. I gave him my frozen breast milk I had been saving in the freezer. 

Immediately I saw improvement of his skin getting lighter again. By this point the rash had completely covered his chest and stomach but with the breast milk it was lessening in redness.

By the time I brought him into the pediatricians office, it was almost non-existent save for a few dots here in there.

I luckily took pictures of his rash since day one and was able to show him to the doctor. He took one look and knew it was hives and to get him off the Soy. 

He gave me samples of Alimentum, the hypoallergenic formula that has completely broken down proteins. These formulas are much more expensive $27 dollars for a 12 ounce can.

Even with coupons from the Similac Strong Mom's program it is extremely hard to afford. Eventually I discovered he didn't actually need it, thank God.

 I will go into that in my next post, Finding The Right Formula: Trial and Error. Make sure you read if you are also having problems making a formula decison.

Conclusion

You may find a decent Urgent Care with reliable doctors, but if your baby is acting fine then it probably isn't something serious and not worth risking horrible care and wasting your money.

Did you have a horrible Urgent Care Experience?