Some doctor brags

Ok, so it's not so uncommon to have horrible doctor experiences and difficulty getting past the "door bitch" as it was SO appropriately put by Donna in talking about the secretaries that work at doctor's offices. Regardless of whether your doctor has sent you there, talked to the specialist, and agreed you need to see them "asap" sometimes that means that you get an appointment 3 weeks out. For an infection. Um....

Anyway, I have to agree with her post completely! It's so hard to get a specialist appointment quickly sometimes and when you're talking about things like possible spinal cord injury, infections, and being able to keep your food down it really gets annoying when that person that you call up that really knows NOTHING about your or your child's medical history is the one that decides how soon you should see the doctor.

Well, since that happens ALL THE TIME, I thought I would share some experiences I've had here lately which I can brag on some doctor's offices for. After all, it's not often that they have the GOOD things pointed out (and, well, that's usually their own fault! LOL).

Dr. Nadkarni, a WONDERFUL Indian woman that at our first appointment with Brianna put us at such ease about such a major thing going on that I really appreciated her! She saw us immediately after diagnosis then and again when Mike called her to say we were adopting 2 kids with heart defects she gave us immediate appointments for when we got home. She doesn't waste time, but is very kind and optimistic. Dr. Nadkarni suggested we continue nursing Brianna instead of pushing calories like crazy when she was newborn because she understood that kids w/ Ds need help with oral motor and that that was a wonderful way to get it. She might have some "old fashioned" viewpoints but I've never walked out of her office and not felt like she answered all of my questions and treated my kids with respect as EQUAL human beings that are indeed worth the same treatment as any kid with just 46 chromosomes.

Yesterday I saw Dr. Nadkarni for Emma and she continues to blow me away. She came in and immediately exclaimed how CHUNKY Emma looks! She said the child I brought in 2 months ago had just bones, and "if you not see this child before you think she skinny but I know she not skinny now. She getting fat. It good to see!" She listened to Emma and got excited that Emma didn't want to have her touch her. "She lives! Her person is coming out now!"

And then she told me more about the heart. "Emma heart not like Brianna. Same condition, very different. This child very weak, sick. She need fix NOW. I talk with Dr. Q and first he say not to operate, too risky. He listen to cardiologist over there and she say No. I tell him though. I tell him that I see this child 2 times before and first time she not smile. She not cry. She not look at my eyes. She laid and she stare. She's skinny and not healthy at all. Time two she's different. She fussed when I touch her, she looked in the eye. She not fat like now but she started. She wanted MOM and she knows who mom is. She's smart and she want to live. I tell him this and I tell him she have no chance without heart fixed. I tell him leave open small hole and fix rest. She can live like that. I tell him this is not US baby with good care. This is baby with no care and she need fixed. She need it now and he need do it. I tell him fix it and he say Yes!" So... the rest of the story as to why 2 months ago we were told noone would operate and now... we have our surgeon.

"She worth it, her parents know risk. They know she might not do good, they know there's no options and want her to have chance at healthy. You give this to them and to the little girl. She alive. You give her a chance at healthy." I don't think I could have said it better. Thanks, Dr. Nadkarni, for your heart and your desire to see children flourish!!


Also, another office we dealt with these past 2 weeks is the ENT in Tampa/St. Pete. I first talked with the scheduling person on my way home from the opthalmologist on June 3rd and explained briefly what was going on. If there is a brief story. It goes something like this... "My daughter needs her tonsills and adenoids removed and tubes put in. She's seen an ENT on the East coast but she also is about to have heart surgery. The surgeon is in St. Pete and wants her to have her ENT surgery done there. He suggested Dr. Orobello and wants her to be seen ASAP to get this done before her heart surgery. Can I get an appt with Dr. Orobello." Her answer? Yes, how about tomorrow at 3? WOW.

Also with this very same office I called to get her actual surgery date after dancing around a bit to get cardiac clearance. First they said July 11th or something like that. I explained again and said "I'd be happy to have the surgeon call if that is what is needed for an earlier appointment, I understand that everyone probably wants things done quick and you may need the doctor's say so." See... I try to be understanding :) With that the "first available" moved from almost 5 weeks away to 10 days. Amazing! She did this WITHOUT me calling anyone, she took my word for it (and a look at the medical chart I'm sure) and here we go in just 7 more days.

So... there's my two brags on doctor's offices. If you ever need a cardiologist in Orlando/Maitland or an ENT in Tampa/St. Pete/Brandon, These two get my vote by a long shot!!