The appointment from hell.

So we took both kids to the doctor this morning. We figured we'd get them both their shots and physicals done, and while we were at it, get Orren's heat rash looked at, and Erin's ear that she kept complaining about hurting. If all went as planned, we wouldn't have to go back for 6 months, until Orren's 2-year-old appointment.

Well, it didn't go like that. First, we got there to find the waiting room full, which is rare for a morning appointment. Then we see Dr. B going from room to room, trying to find a computer that works, and overhear him telling his office manager that he's already an hour behind, and it's only 9:30. Great. As it turns out, he was right. It was exactly one hour after our scheduled time when we were called. Hey, it could have been worse. Afternoon appointments are known to be 2-3 hours behind schedule, but it's a small price to pay for a doctor who takes as much time as necessary with each patient. (We still try to get our appointments as early as possible to minimize our wait, though, and it usually works!)

So anyhow, before we were called back, we were called to the desk and informed that our insurance would not pay for Erin's physical and shots until after her birthday. Her birthday is 10 days from now. 10 days. We're really gonna split hairs that closely? It's not like she's 1 or something. She's about to be 7. 10 days is nothing. In insurance language, though, 10 days means they don't have to pay, so we said we'd reschedule her check-up and shots, but would still like her seen today for ear pain. They said that was fine, and we proceeded accordingly.

Now, I must remind you that Orren is scared to death of the doctor's office ever since he had to get blood drawn for routine lead screenings at one year old, and had to be strapped down to a board in order to keep him still through it. He fought EVERYTHING. They couldn't get an accurate weight, measurement, heart rate, or anything on him because he fought them so hard. What's worse is that Thak was the one who went with Orren, while I went with Erin, and when I came in to check, he said Orren was 31" tall. I looked at him and the nurse like they'd lost their minds, and said, "Measure him again. He didn't shrink." So she measured him again, and got him at 34", which is shorter than he actually is, but closer, and he was fighting us so hard it wasn't going to happen to get another measurement, so I just accepted it. (Orren is actually 35" tall, which puts him in the 97th percentile for height. They got him at 34", which puts him in like the 80th. Either way, he's still tall.) He's skinny, of course, but we didn't think it was cause for any concern. Dr. B said we need to fatten him up, though. We've got the opposite problem of most families in this city. Our kids don't gain weight easily at all, and we feed them mostly fruits, veggies, and brown carbs, so they're really thin. Dr. B said more dairy, more fats (healthy fats, though, like olive oil or avocado), and do not even THINK of using any reduced fat dairy products with either of these kids. That's the first time anyone's ever told me to fatten my kids up, but I know they're thin, so I can see his point. On the good side, we're nowhere close to outgrowing the rear-facing weight limit on either of Orren's carseats.

OK, so that's Orren. Erin had to get her ears checked out, and as the doctor who saw her in Florida said, she had a ton of wax. I asked Dr. B if we should go to a pediatric ENT for a wax removal, and he said absolutely not. We would do it right then, in-office. He had both nurses come in and tend to it, and it didn't take TOO long. By the way, you would be shocked by how much gunk can come out of a little kid's ear. It was insane. Erin did great with the whole process at first, but after the first few syringes of water went in and out (because that's how they do the wax removal. They put drops to loosen it, then flush it out with water.) she started to get dizzy, and wanted it to all end. Then there were some pieces, which turned out to be the result of severe swimmer's ear, which would not come out, and Dr. B said it was unnecessary to mess with it further at this point. He prescribed her some drops, and that was that.

By the end, Erin was crying her eyes out, begging for it to be over with, so she was glad to get to leave. She was so dizzy that she couldn't walk, and had to ride out to the truck in Orren's stroller. (Thanks, Britax, for a 55 pound weight limit, and a tall seat, on your Blink stroller!) Oh, and a big f-you to the people along the way who thought it necessary to give dirty looks to me and Thak for pushing our 2nd grader in a stroller. Could we have made her walk? Sure. She probably would have barfed everywhere, though, because she was so dizzy and nauseous. Wasn't it much nicer that we could just put her in the stroller, and take her out to the truck that way? I think so.

OK, flash back to Orren now. Apparently the minor heat rash he's developed is getting infected because he's scratching at it a lot, so Dr. B prescribed two creams to stop the itching and clear up the rash. Otherwise, he had to get two shots, from which he seems fine, but of course, totally flipped out at the time. Other than that, I don't really know what else went on with his appointment because I was dealing with Erin, and Thak was dealing with Orren. It was Thak's first time to do a dr's appointment basically on his own, though, so I'm sure that was interesting. At least he and Dr. B get along well, them both being Iraq veterans about the same age, and all.

So yeah, it was pretty much the most chaotic dr's appointment I've experienced since having kids, but it was also the first time I took both kids in at once to actually get stuff done. They always both go, but other than this time, only one was actually seen at a time. This was the first time they both had appointments at the same time. It was very chaotic indeed.

We go back in two weeks for Erin's shots. Actually, she only has to get one this time, which isn't bad. She's still dreading it. Poor thing had to get her ears flushed out this time, and shots in two weeks! At least Orren's good for another 6 months!