Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Mother Knows Best

Not too long ago I developed a sinus infection. Naturally, working in
the ER my doc prescribes me an antibiotic and I start taking it,
wishing and hoping to feel better before the multitude of studying
piles up. In fact, I did get better. One week into my 14 day antibiotic
treatment I was feeling 100% better, no more sinus infection.


On that day,  I was at work, carrying on with my duties when I starting itching pretty consistently. I had just taken a patient upstairs who was, well let's
say, lacking in personal hygiene.  So I chalked the itching up to
that, washed my hands really well, and got busy working. A few hours
later I noticed red spots popping up all over me: my arms, my legs, my
stomach, my neck.  And they itched like crazy!

Not wanting to scare my patients I asked to go home early.  There’s something
about your care giver having red spots all over her body that just doesn't
send that comforting feeling. So I went home with prescriptions for
steroids and antihistamines in hand. I kept taking my antibiotic.

A few days later I still have the spots, I'm distracted at school, I
can't sleep at night, they were driving me crazy! And the medicine
prescribed for the spots made me sick so I wasn't taking that anymore.
I was still taking my antibiotic.

I called my mother one day walking home from school. I mentioned the
fact that I had spots and they weren't going away. I also mentioned
that I was taking an antibiotic for my sinus infection and that I have
been taking it for a week.   Mom replies by telling me that of
course it is the antibiotic and that none of us kids have ever been able to finish
an antibiotic without some sort of reaction. 


Apparently, this is the first antibiotic that I have had to take in my
entire adult life. So, all of that to say:  listen to your mom.   Ask your
mom.   She probably knows your body better than any doctor around, and maybe even better than you!

Aren't mom's great?

 




Katie

4 comments:

  1. Yes, that's right - mom's know what's best. Especially our mom! She's a researcher and educates herself on things so that we never had to just rely on doctors. The whole neighborhood would call her for diagnoses while we were growing up - and that was before internet! She would pull those medical books off the shelf and get informed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I call and ask her everything! She's the best.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You girls do have a pretty awesome mom. I know that I love her!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My mom knows everything too! Especially about stuff from my childhood that I was too oblivious to take notes on.

    I'll be happy to have another go-to mama. :)

    ReplyDelete

Leave a comment!