Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dang Ear Infection...Dang ER...Dang Doctors!

A few weeks ago we went to the doctor because Colton had gunk leaking from his ear but wasn't running a fever.  The Dr said it was an ear infection in both ears, gave us a prescription for Amoxicillin for 10 days and sent us on our way.  A couple days after finishing up the 10 days of Amoxicillin we ended up back at the Dr because his ear was leaking again (no fever)...Kyle thinks it didn't heal up the first time all the way.  So I take Colton in the morning, pick up the prescription during my lunch and take it to day care to give it to him.  I get there to pick him up in the afternoon and they point out a rash on his face.  I start looking around and notice it is on his back, chest, arms, etc.  On my way home I call the after hours nurse and she says it is probably a 'non-allergic rash' from the Amoxicillin this go round, and to give it to him like normal that night.  So I do as she says and give him the medicine and he goes to sleep...for some reason we decided to let him stay in our bed that night...we never let him start out in our bed. Well around 11:15 we wake up because he has this horrible raspy cough out of nowhere. It kind of scared us so we woke him up, but the coughing kept happening and started sounding worse.  I called the on call nurse and she said shouldn't be a big deal just watch him and take him in the morning.  So we are up playing with him for a bit and he starts rolling his tongue around mouth kind of weird and keeps coughing.  Then he gags. We looked at each other and Kyle said we needed to take him to the ER.  So we put on normal clothes and get in the car and hurry to the ER. 

We get there, check in, go back for evaluation in triage, and they send us back to the waiting room.  Where we waited...and waited...and waited...for 3 1/2 hours!  It was 3 1/2 hours before we went back to see the DR, then another hour or so before we actually saw a doctor.  The DR was in there for a whole 2 seconds, said the rash looked like an allergic reaction--by now the coughing had stopped--wrote us a new prescription, and sent us on our way.  A total of almost 5 hours totally wasted in the ER.  The only thing quick about the entire process was when the lady came in to ask "cash or credit on your co-pay."  I could have hit a fool!

In the morning I called Colton's doctor and told him what happened and wanted to make sure the new prescription was ok to give him. When they finally called back they actually tried to tell me it wasn't an allergic reaction and to give him the Amoxicillin again.  I was firm about not trying a third time so they said to try the prescription the ER dr gave us.  So here we are today...hoping...praying that this works!