I was talking to a friend today about a recent doctor’s visit that left her feeling upset. As a parent, you quickly learn that not all doctors are the same, and bad doctors visits do happen. My husband is in the medical field, and I’ve learned from him as well that not all doctors are good doctors.
When I was on vacation last week, I had a bad experience myself. I was out of state, and my son woke up one morning with pink eye. Since we were staying with family, I was worried about him passing it to the other children. I called my insurance to see where I should take him, and they suggested a walk-in clinic at Walgreens. I figured that a place like that would be fine for our needs. I was wrong!
My son is prone to ear infections. He has gotten several lately, including one just two months ago. It is so frustrating! So, one of my main reasons for taking him in was so that we could check his ears too. Pink eye and ear infections seem to go hand in hand. Anyway, I was pleased by how quickly they got me in to see the Nurse Practitioner, but quickly realized that this women was not the greatest person for the job. I told her that my son was prone to ear infections, and I wanted her to check his ears. He had been fussy since we walked in, and he is not a big fan of doctor’s offices. So, he usually cries when seen by a doctor. This NP told me that she could not look in his ears because he was crying. I immediately questioned her saying that he always cries when our pediatrician looks in his ears, and he’s always been able to diagnose ear infections. She still argued with me that the ear canal is red when a baby cries, so you can’t tell if they have an ear infection. I let it go thinking that I was still right, but that his ears were probably OK since he had not complained to me about them. I regret that decision. I wish I would have asked to speak to a supervisor right then and there.
Turns out the just a few days later, I took him into his pediatrician once we were back home and he seemed to be getting worse, and both ears were infected! I was furious and am fighting with Walgreens to have them reimburse me. We will see what happens. My pediatrician was furious as well when I told him the story.
The moral of the story? Follow your gut. I wish I would have been pushier, and asked to see someone else. And, I don’t think I’ll be visiting a Walgreens clinic again anytime soon.
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