025: A most bizarre visit to the pediatrician

Last night my oldest was complaining of a sore throat and this morning he couldn't eat any breakfast because it hurt too badly. He had no other symptoms. I took a peek in his mouth and saw the tell-tale signs of strep throat. I got him into the doctor's office. The nurse swabbed his throat and then we waited for the Doc. The doc comes in and says the test came back positive.

"He's got strep?"

"No, flu."

"Flu? Really? Um... okay?"

Then the Dr. proceeded to lecture me on getting flu shots and threatened to report me to CPS. I couldn't tell if he was kidding or being serious. He wrote out Tamiflu prescriptions for the whole family, told me to get everyone in for flu shots, and left the room. A moment later he storms back in and asks for the prescriptions. I hand them back to him and he tears them up and writes a prescription for Amoxicillin. He says "It's not the flu, it's strep. The nurse marked it wrong." Then he goes out and yells to the nurse to "Come over here and apologize! Now!" We step back into the room and the nurse comes in, head hanging down and she apologizes, "I'm sorry. Flu is in the nose. Strep is in the throat." Then she sulks out. Then the Dr walked out. It was very uncomfortable. I just sat there. I didn't know what to say. "Um... how long until he can go back school?" I called out.

I understand how important it is that people in the medical profession not make mistakes. Boy, do I ever. But I really think the Dr should have handled the whole situation differently. It's also a good reminder that we have to be our own advocates when it comes to medical care. I knew something was off when he told me it was flu. Aidan't hadn't had any flu symptoms. I should have pressed him more about the pussy gunk in Aidan's throat. Anyway, we're shopping for a new pediatrician and we still haven't gotten our flu shots.