Mother's Intuition

Last night as the ER doctor said my daughter was not sick enough to keep in the hospital because she looked "well hydrated" and was talking and moving around "not looking septic", I started to feel like an idiot.

Why, oh why! did I feel the urgent need to bring my 2-and-a-half year old daughter to the emergency room?

Friday I took her in to see the pediatrician because I thought she had a urinary tract infection. Yes, my little girl who was potty-training did not want to go potty and would cry and scream when I carried her in, she lay listless on the couch, and she ran a high fever (over 101 axillary). Travis asked me what made me think it was a UTI... Hmmm.

The doctor started her on Keflex, a standard, run-of-the-mill antibiotic. I thought, "Yeah! Now maybe I'll get some rest tonight!" (In case you didn't know, I'd spent the last week with one or another member of my family sick with a virus that included headache and high fever- starting with Megan, then Travis, then Zoë, then Miranda on the same day that Megan got sick with the UTI).

Of course, that doesn't happen. Megan was up most of the night. I kept the tylenol and motrin going, but she was still pretty sick on Saturday. I was worried- two doses of antibiotic should show some effect, right?

So I called the doctor's office and got the on-call physician. Unfortunately, she is not one I respect
or trust very much. The nurse took the information and called me back saying the doc was, essentially, more worried about the follow-up, and that the antibiotics could take 24 to 48 hours to work.

I bit my tongue. Yes, they take that long to clear most of the infection, but the only people who I know that still run fevers and feel awful after being on an antibiotic 12-24 hours later are those in whom the drugs are NOT working! But, I thought maybe it was different with children (whom, with other than my own, I have almost no clinical experience). So, I held out... and spent another sleepless night. Between Megan and Miranda, I think I got 45 minute stretches of sleep that night.

Sunday, Megan seemed to be doing ok, so I dosed her up with her antibiotic, and her ibuprofen, and we attended church. I could tell almost the moment the ibuprofen started to wear off, she got cranky, feisty, and very difficult.

She played some after her nap (and after more antipyretic), but she definitely wasn't her spunky self. Then, around 6pm, she took a nose dive. She didn't want to move, she only wanted me to hold her; she didn't want to drink or eat (not that she'd been doing much of that all day) and I was starting to get worried. So, I called the pediatrician's office again.

Same ol' on-call physician. She said to go to the ER.

Now, my feeling on this is that she should've tried to see if she could get some labs back first! They'd taken a urine sample for culture and sensitivity studies (to see what her infection was treatable with). She didn't even do that!

Of course, I'd given Megan ibuprofen and her antibiotic just before I'd called the pediatrician. So I dropped Miranda and Zoë off at some dear and kind friends' house and headed to the ER. I insisted they take Megan's temperature as soon as possible- I was afraid the medicine owuld kick in enough and then we'd be relegated to the "bottom of the pile". I should know better- we're no longer in Houston, going to the main pediatric hospital that serves 3 million, but to little Memorial Hospital of South Bend that serves maybe 300,000... we had less of a wait there than I did in my first pediatrician's office in Texas!

Her temperature was 102.5, an hour after the dose of ibuprofen. They gave her tylenol, and we were sent to the waiting room. You heard what the doctor said of her after he got the blood test and new urine test back. Yes, she has a UTI, no she's not sick enough to stay here. If you really want, we can try a new antibiotic...

YES! I wanted to shout. WHY ELSE AM I HERE?! But, I then was feeling stupid because he even said, "well, it takes 24-48 hours to see improvement".

We gave Megan her dose of medicine last night as she protested going to bed (it was 10pm). She took a bit to settle down, but I think she was finally asleep by 11pm. I woke up once to give her some ibuprofen at 3am, she still had a fever.

This morning, I went in to wake her up, and she looked up at me. There were still dark circles under her eyes, but she smiled and was happy to come downstairs. She didn't eat anything, but after her medicine (Yuck!) she started getting dressed, going potty by herself, playing, fighting with her sister, singing/shouting at the top of her lungs. I think she was feeing MUCH better! And, that was only 10 hours after her first dose of new antibiotic!

So, the scientist in me thinks, but that was a full 48+ hours after she started the first antibiotic. Then, the mother in me says, "But, she's better NOW, after her new antibiotic!"

I remember at one point in the ER last night, asking if I did the right thing by bringing her to the ER. It will be expensive, although I am so grateful for the good insurance we have. But, it was scary, and a huge hassle, and all for something that really could've (should've?) been done over the phone.

This morning I called the regular pediatrician's office. After some checking and so forth, the nurse called me back and said Dr. Barrett had reviewed the labs and studies, and that the infection was NOT sensitive to the Keflex, so continue with the new antibiotic.

Mother's intuition? I knew that Megan wasn't getting better. I knew the antibiotic wasn't working, but I had to "trust" the experts who were saying it would take "a little longer". I wanted a new drug on Saturday, 24 hours after she started the antibiotic. I suppose I could've waiting until Monday morning when I would've called my pediatrician and would've then been switched to a new drug. But, I think my money and time were well spent in that I got the medicine earlier, my daughter and I were both able to get a better night's rest, and there was less risk of the infection spreading to her kidneys.

So, to all you moms out there not satisfied by the answer of your doctor, KEEP ASKING! Don't feel stupid (remember, I am educated and trained in medicine, but as a Mom, I'm still in a power-differential with a doctor, and I feel that self-doubt). You have been blessed to know your child better than anyone, and you have been given the stewardship to know what is best for them!

Now, does this look like a sick little girl to you?


She certainly had fun coloring on the nurse's tray.


She was drawing pictures of a brown bear and a little girl with a hat.


I must say, she is one tough little cookie!