Just come back from the Dr.s after phoning to get an 'emergency' appointment for DS1 this morning.
Ever since he was little 9/10 times that he gets a cold, it's gone to his chest and he's ended up with a chest infection on top of it and very wheezy. He 'seems' to be growing out of it. (my first lovely Dr. in Bedford described it as "seaonsal asthma" - as it only ever happens when he gets a cold...which is generally during winter).
But, after a cough starting last Thursday, and getting progressively worse I suspected it could be the same thing again. Called up, got the appointment no problem (a rare thing, lovely receptionists at our doctors ).
Got there and sat down to wait. In our dr.s they've got lights with the dr.s name on, and you're given a number for the order for the patients for each dr. and when they're ready for you they press a button in their room and a little 'bell' goes and the light comes on. Glanced round and saw the light was on for the Dr. we were seeing, but realised there hadn't been a bell.
Next thing I know the dr. is out in the waiting area 'looking' for us.
Got in there, and explained what I thought was going on and that I thought it had gone to his chest
"and why do you think that" he asked me.
So I explained that almost everytime it had got bad enough for me to feel a Dr.s visit was in order it was indeed a chest infection. He looked at me as if I was stupid and said "well he's got a runny nose".....errr well I had kind of noticed that, and it only startd yesterday - 4 days after the cough began (in usual fashion for DS1)
He made me strip DS1 completely on top (all the other Dr.s just left me hold his jumper/top up to listen). And Then listened to his chest. Stopped listening to it mumbled "not on his chest", and proceeded to try and write me out a prescription for Nasal drops....telling me he was coughing because the snot (well not the word he uses but you know what I mean LOL) was running down the back of his throat.
I had to make sure he blew his nose often, and give him the drops if it seems to be getting worse. I refused the drops, and expressed relief that it wasn't on his chest......and he just completely blanked me.
I then asked for a repeat prescription for his inhaler (he's got the dark blue? one - for when he gets these colds, seems to keep his chest clear, and reduce teh effects of any infection - only time he uses it - thankfully). Anyhow, he told me "no" I couldn't have one as he'd probably grown out of it now.
Left the Dr.s feeling like a complete idiot. He made me feel like I was wasting his time - and I'm still not entirely convinced it's not on his chest again (this happened once before with a dr, before we moved house, and it didn't get better, took him back 3 days later to be told he had a nasty chest infection).
I'm not a neurotic mother (when DS1 was little DH used to have to nag me to make appointments for him as I often didn't feel it was nessecary). And while DS1 has had his fair share of Dr.s visits (almost all for the same thing - chest infections) DS2 (who'll be 2 in November) has been about 3 times!