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When to get a 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion!

I’m sure there are plenty of us out there that have at one time or another gone to their doctor and come away feeling unsure, confused, disappointed or simply unhappy with a diagnosis.  About 4 years ago I took my little 6 week old son to the local doctors because he was crying a lot, not settling at sleep time and vomiting A LOT ! I was exhausted from continual breast feeding because i was worried that my baby would be undernourished, besides that was the only way I could get him to sleep and to get him to stop crying.  However those sleep times were short lived and lasted at the most 2 hours ! The first doctor i visited told me that i was worrying over nothing and that my babies behaviour was normal !! NORMAL !!

The next night I was at my wits end and took my son at 2am to the children’s emergency room at the Hospital, we sat and waiting for 2 hours when finally someone came and asked a few questions then disappeared after they informed us that they would need to take blood samples…After another 2 hour wait the nurse came into the room,  the agonising task of getting blood from the tiny veins of my 6 week old baby was unbearable for my husband and I and was obviously a painful and extremely distressing episode for my son!  After another 2 hour waiting period the doctor came to deliver the news that there was nothing wrong with our baby !

After suffering another week i dragged myself, half asleep and exhausted to my family doctor and begged him to help me find out why my son was vomiting so much and why he wouldn’t sleep for long.  Finally, a diagnosis that made sense … he was diagnosed with chronic infant reflux !! He was scripted for Losec (an adult reflux control medication), we had to chop a tablet in half put the tablet in the syringe and mix with luke warm water, then came the task of trying to deliver the medicine and get him to keep it down  ! From that point i researched and researched all possible solutions and management tips.  The first thing I found that was absolutely essential, was to stop laying my baby flat,  as soon as i did lay him flat he would vomit or “spill”.  By eliminating a prostrate position for my baby i was getting fantastic results …he was sleeping through the night almost straight away !! Eventually we got him off the medication and managed just with elevation.

That time in my life was one of the most distressing times i have ever experienced ! I felt helpless, embarrassed, let down and a failure as a mother … thank god i had the will to keep looking for an answer …