Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Paranoid Parent or is There Really Something Going On?

I hate not knowing when to call the doctor about things. I mean strep throat, ear infections, and bladder infections become pretty easy to diagnose after a while. At least in a child that can actually tell you what's hurting. It does get a little hairy before say 2 or 3 years old.

But what do you do when there's not constantly something going on? You've got a few things that make you go hmmm, but nothing that you're sure warrants a doctor's visit.

So this is what I'm facing with Kaitlyn. She doesn't tend to be a very sickly child. Not a whole lot of sick visits. Maybe once a year or so. This winter seems to have been particularly tough on her. The bladder infection and then a month later strep. A few stomach viruses thrown in there too. But it's the things that have been going on with her for a while. She gets stomach aches what seems like a lot. I don't know at least once a week she tells me she's been to the nurses office. It's all different times of the day. I used to think it was to get out of reading, but she's gone during math even which is her favorite subject. I've talked to the nurse about her visits. He doesn't seem to think they are a lot. I mean I suppose there are kids who are probably there more with nothing really going on but are just trying to get out of doing something. I guess Kaitlyn doesn't seem to be one of those kids. But gee, the nurse will see me in the halls occasionally and ask me how Kaitlyn is. I don't even know if he realizes I have another child in the school. And he's new this year too. He seems to really know Kaitlyn though. And then she gets these stomach pains with me too and at Grandma and Grandpas. Maybe it's just a nervous stomach. Nothing ever seems to really bother her. Not much complaining going on with her. Things seem to roll off her back pretty easily. But maybe she's internalizing everything.

This morning she said her stomach hurt before I sent her to school. I tend to blow it off as oh you just ate too fast, or you're hungry (if she hasn't eaten yet). But should I be concerned about these stomach pains? Could there be something more going on? Is it just a side effect from her antibiotic she's on right now? Well, that can't be it, because she hadn't even had her medicine when she complained of the stomach pain and then why would it happen so frequently. Gosh, what if it's worse? What if it's Cancer? Okay, now I'm just being silly, it can't be something like that. But wait, she just fell asleep sitting up on the couch today. It wasn't a particularly rough day for her or anything. It was a half day at school. We went out to lunch just the two of us. Came home and did homework. She went to bed at a decent time last night. Okay, Kaitlyn how are you sleeping? Are you sleeping good at night? No, I'm waking up. Well, why what's making you wake up? I don't know I'm just waking up. Hmmm, well what does that mean? Do I call the doctor? Is this and her stomach problems related? Am I just a paranoid mom? Do I call the doctor? What do I do? I just don't know. Will the doctor think I'm crazy? Can I even get into the doctor? They book up so quickly. She can't even explain what the pains feel like in her stomach. Wait, she's looking a little pale today. Joe, does she look a little pale to you? No? Huh, so I'm seeing things. Grrr, am I just a paranoid parent or is there really something to worry about...