Medical Mom Gets in Gear: Update on B-Dawg

As some of you know, my 18-year-old son B-Dawg had a tonsillectomy this week. When you are a kid, you generally get over this surgery rather quickly, but having it as an adult is a different story. B-Dawg has been in a lot of pain. Yesterday he broke down and said he couldn't take the pain anymore; it was worse, and he couldn't sleep. I took his temperature. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever. It was time for Medical Mom to get in gear.

This latest health crisis has brought back many memories of past events with B-Dawg. He has had the most health challenges and emergency room visits of anyone in the family, and I have lost track of how many times I have sat in waiting rooms and exam rooms with and without him, and advocated for his needs. I do know that we have finally made his deductible for this year, so we won't be paying the big bucks for this surgery. Nevertheless, 20% left to us to pay will not be mere peanuts.

I first called the surgery clinic where to tonsillectomy had been done, in a town an hour away from where we live. They referred me to the doctor's office. I was able to talk to a nurse there. She said they had given him plenty of medication and he should be fine.

"But he's NOT fine," I said, "He needs something stronger."

"Well, there's nothing more I can do," she said.

"Then I need to talk to the doctor," said I.

"The doctor is very busy and probably can't talk to you," she said. 

"He can call me back later."

Soon I got a call back from the nurse: "We can give you another prescription, but you'll have to come pick it up from the office, as it has to be a written prescription for this medication." Yeah, right, I'm going to drive an hour to pick up a prescription!

"I can't do that, I live an hour away."

"Well, shall I send it to you?" (Ha!!!!! You're joking, right?)

"I'll call you back," I said. After some quick thinking, I realize that doctors do communicate with each other, and our local doctor should be able to write a prescription for B-Dawg.

I call the local clinic: "We're sorry, Doctor J. isn't in today. In fact, the only doctor working today is delivering a baby at the hospital.... But we should be able to work something out! Why don't you have the doctor call us."

  So I call the tonsil nurse back. "Please call our local clinic so the doctor there can write a prescription."

"Why don't you call them yourself?"

"I did, but they need for you to call."

"Okay, what's the number?"

Soon we got a call from our local clinic. They actually sent a nurse over to the hospital to ask the doctor for the prescription, and gotten it right away! My husband sped out the door to pick it up and fill it.

B-Dawg got almost instant relief from his pain, and was able to sleep through the night.

(Medical Mom does not take no for an answer, and you shouldn't either, if you know what you or your loved one needs from the medical world, or even if you don't, but know that more must be done. And she is very grateful for her local clinic, who came through for B-Dawg, as well as all those on Gather who have prayed and sent positive thoughts for his recovery.)