The boy had his latest check up yesterday. How'd it go? Funny you ask. My son seems to have developed an allergy to his doctor. The symptoms: massive full-scale FREAKING OUT.
Words really can't describe. To say that he screams and sobs and climbs whomever is holding him like a cat in a tree, or that it takes three adult humans to hold him down so that the doctor can measure his head, doesn't do justice to the panic (and volume) produced in that room. Our doctor highly coveted in NYC and so nice; unfortunately one time she had to look in his ears when he had an ear infection and it hurt. That's all it took to turn my sweet, happy-go-lucky baby into a... again, words can't describe.
I'm not sure how to help him out. We've bought some "going to the doctor" books (which he couldn't care less about). Do toy doctor kits help? (It's not the instruments he's afraid of, it's the doctor herself.) It's so bad we've considered switching to a different practice but it doesn't really make sense. Eventually the new doctor would do something that hurts and then we'll be back to square one. Plus our current doctor has something that no other office does - a shot genie. Yes, they have a man on staff whose SOLE JOB is to administer injections. I'm phobic of needles (you'd think the epidural would have gotten me over that...) but I'll allow Isaac near me. Since the boy is so terrified, I figure pain-free shots are the least we can offer. If anybody has tips on easing doctor panic, let me know.
In other news, my kid is a monster. At 18 months he's a staggering 36" tall. That's 3 friggin' feet! (For my international readers, 3 feet equals 0.9144 m, according to the internet.) It's no wonder I keep throwing my back out - at almost the hundredth percentile, he's literally off the charts. (Did I mention that I'm only 5'3"? ) In one month he's grown 4 inches. I'm starting to wonder what's in our water.
Oops, he's awake. What to do with a toddler on a rainy Tuesday? The possibilities...
7 comments:
You and your husband both have theatrical training. Is there any way you can use makeup and costumes to disguise the identity of your doctor just for your son's visit?
"No, that's not a doctor. That's Goody Proctor."
Your 18 month old is bigger than my 2.5 year old. :)
4 inches in 1 month!? wha!? Um I don't think you have to worry about his eating issues anymore, he seems to be getting quite enough nutrients.
Could either the new or the old measurement must be wrong?
I have no idea what to do about doctor phobia, but I expect we'll be there too after my sons (minor) surgery next month (although he is quite enjoying his recent appts as they mostly consist of a groin grope LOL).
The 4" in a month is definitely hard to believe! But we measured him two separate times last month - 32" both times - and yesterday at the doctor AND at home he was 36". He's outgrown his shoes and all the shorts he could wear last month. I'm pretty sure he's juicing...
Hey Tor, not to ignore the fact that your son is HAVING SURGERY. Why's he having surgery?
Wow that's amazing, what a supercharged growth spurt! (Didn't mean to doubt you, I just know the nurses here can be a bit haphazzard with their measurements LOL)
Oh he recently suddenly developed a hydrocele and hernia, hence all the appts of docs groping his groin. So he currently thinks docs are all about giving him a very good time LOL but he is gonna get a shock in August when they fix it (single prob causes both issues). Minor day surgery, but still I am not looking forward to it. Or the 2yr checkup a few months later and his belated 18month vacc. Docs are going to go from givers of joy to inflicters of pain.
If I remember, I think I will try treat distractions for those visits - star stickers, chocolate, a DVD. Even if it backfires and starts hating those things then that's still a win!
Yeah, my kid was 34" at 18 months, so I totally understand about having a freakishly tall kiddo (and I mean that in a good way).
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