The Doctor Visit

I made an appointment with a pediatrician last week for Peyton's check-up thinking that my parents might be here to help babysit while I take Peyton.  Going to the doctor for the past 6 years has been a depression trigger for me. After Hannah was about 3 I avoided it.  I only took Abigail once after she was born I think.  I just hated filling out those developmental questionnaires.  I hated the looks I got from the other parents and kids.  I hated the doctors because they couldn't even examine my daughter much less help her.  I think I had so much to deal with that it was just one more thing that I couldn't handle.  When I took Hannah she would always be belligerent...screaming and kicking and fighting everything they wanted to do.  She wouldn't stand on the scales.  She wouldn't stand still to get her height.  She would run around the halls making loud noises and crying and so forth.  I knew she was scared and didn't understand why were there and I was stressed out.  She even slapped one of the docs once. I think that was when I decided I wouldn't go back unless she was really sick.  I was horrified and embarrassed because they seemed horrified.  They were not equipped to deal with a kid like her.  Perhaps I should have changed doctors but I couldn't think about stuff like that... I was just trying to crawl up the muddy pit from day to day.

Here's a picture that I took of part of a receipt/report from the doctor dated 2-11-11...just three months ago. It says, "referral to TCH special care clinic 720-777-6739 cleared for surgery".  Hannah had to see the general practitioner in order to get a clearance to get general anesthesia for her dental surgery.

The referral to the "special care clinic" was because he couldn't do a darn thing with her.  He couldn't check her ears, eyes, tongue, listen to her heart, anything.  I can't believe I kept this receipt...I must have thought that I would look back on it "one day" and remember...I just didn't think that "one day" would be 3 months later!  Ok, so let's get to the good stuff.  Mom and Dad couldn't make it today for the appointment.  I thought about canceling the appointment but then I thought, "I'm going to take them all. They will do great. I need to do this."  So today I took Hannah, Abigail, and Peyton to the pediatrician's office for Peyton's appointment.  Hannah followed us right in the office, sat down and started looking at a bird book and looked out the window and was so calm and so well-behaved while the doc and I talked.  Abigail was also very well-behaved and did not interrupt us every minute.  We had to go into another room to weigh Peyton and Hannah didn't follow us but I heard her say, "Mom...Mom..." and then I heard one of the nurses say, "Mom's in here, honey. Go in there."  After the visit, Hannah walked out and sat in the waiting room and watched the fish without trying to reach in and catch one and without climbing on the tables and jumping off and without running out the door into the parking lot without me!  She just sat there like a normal child waiting on her mother to pay the bill.

After the doctor visit I was overjoyed.  I had no stress in my chest no stabbing pain in my neck from the anxiety no worries at all.  I couldn't believe I just took my three girls to a doctor's office with no issues!!  After that we went to the duck pond and Walmart.  When I was in Walmart I just walked where I needed to walk and Hannah followed me.  Sometimes, I didn't look back to make sure she was there.  I felt no stress.  I felt no staring eyes.  I felt no pain.