Competent Medical People Surprise Me.

The medical aspect of food allergies and reflux has meant a lot of appointments with doctors I wouldn't likely choose if I had a choice. From an experience with one doctor telling me that Bryce is too "sick" to see a Nurse Practitioner for his regular medical care to another telling me to give him peanut butter to help the medicine go down to most of them not even bothering to read his chart to understand what specific food allergies he has; well, it's been quite a trip to say the least.

Feeding Therapy with Bryce this morning was probably the most pleasant "medical" experience I've had with him in a long time. This woman was delightful, beyond competent, compassionate, a good listener and very understanding. She moved our appt to the first scheduled slot for the day because there is a vending machine in the waiting room that is chock full of peanut-loaded treats. She hoped that the early hour would mean nobody would be jonesing for a Snickers bar. She also put an "out of order" sign on that same machine just to make sure. She gave me a list of food-related activities she'd like me to do at home and also in therapy and asked me to email her appropriate modifications to account for Bryce's food allergies.

She did not, at any point in our visit, treat me like I was an idiot. She was quite observant about Bryce and realized quickly where his deficits lie and where he's on track. The bonus is she's Canadian and has a lovely accent to boot. She's already emailed her initial report to me, got us slotted for 6 visits and sent me links on where to find some of items she's suggested we try at home.

These might seem like very small details to many people. When you drag your baby to multiple specialists multiple times per month, the toll that rude or imcompetent or even just lazy doctors takes on you can really drag a person down. That's why competent medical people surprise me. They also brighten my day. Thanks, H, at U of M pediatric OT!