Excuse me, doctor

We went on a trip to see the pediatrician today. It was that time once again to strap her in and cover her up entirely 😄

I swear, I would bubble-wrap Arabella if I could. Walking in and out of the office building was like playing a game of "avoid the yucky germs", and "dodge the lady's sneeze in the elevator". Sometimes I realize we're not so crazy, after all. 

Well, maybe just a little crazy...

"Dad. Please. Help. Me." 

The pediatrician checked her vitals, weighed her and took her measurements. Belle's just over 10 pounds (4.6kg) and 57cm long. 

Overall, we had a good visit, but for some reason the doctor continued to warn and scare us. "Everyone in the household should get the flu shot," he said. "Influenza can be deadly!"

Crazy doctors, right? Well, he's not so crazy either, it turns out. 

Influenza, or the "flu" is a respiratory infection, and outbreaks happen every year. In 2009 we had our last 'pandemic' (called H1N1) - because from time to time there is a change in the virus, and no one is immune. 

Influenza can cause all kinds of problems like pneumonia (lung infection) and bronchiolitis (infection of the tiny airways causing difficulty breathing). Although rare, the flu can in fact be deadly, and it tragically happened to this family from Mississauga. 

Sometimes influenza can do unexpected things. That's why doctors urge everyone to get the flu shot, despite the fact that it's 50% effective. Getting the flu shot might mean not passing the virus to someone else, I've learned. If Kiera and I are immune, we're less likely to pass it along to Bella, and that's very important at a time like this.

It's frightening for us because Arabella's airways are already so damaged, and if she came down with something like pneumonia or brochiolitis it would be a very bad situation.

Then we spoke about Arabella's reflux drug (Omeprazole) and my desire to take her off the drug entirely. It's a drug that alters Bella's overall gut health, as it suppresses the acid in her stomach.

"I wouldn't play with that one," said the doctor, "Now is not the right time for that. Do you want her to eat? This is a crucial time for her right now, and I wouldn't touch that one if I were you."

Sigh.

"But Arabella's not taking the bottle anyway!" I protested. "That drug is garbage! What about her immune system? What about the decrease in her mineral and vitamin absorption? What about her gut health? What about all the studies that question those drugs' effectiveness?"

"Don't be her doctor - just be her dad," he shot right back. "She'll likely have a lot of feeding problems in the future, and if she was my daughter I would keep her on that drug. But at the end of the day she's your daughter and you can do anything you want."

"Darn right she's my daughter," I thought to myself. 

We weren't arguing (in case it sounds like that), but I was definitely pushing his buttons a little bit 😛. And he still didn't really convince me! These drugs don't prevent reflux, they just ease the burning sensation when babies reflux or throw up, and I think we can solve that with other methods and remedies. Maybe we need to see a homeopath...or maybe I need to relax a little more. 

But I'm just getting to know this doctor, too. I barely trust the guy. And I'll be honest with you - I don't trust most of them because I feel like they stick too much to 'protocol'. They're too conventional. "Oh, you have a symptom? Take this drug. Showing another symptom? Try this drug next." It feels like they're playing a game of Whack-a-Mole with my little girl.

Well, I'm sick of it. Where's the drug for that, huh? 😄

So excuse me doctor, but this is my daughter and I've been through hell and back with her. I've seen what some of these drugs do to her and I'm getting tired of watching other side-effects randomly pop up. If she's taking a drug, I want to make sure it's absolutely necessary. I want to make sure there isn't something else we can do first, either. I want to be sure about it all...and I'm not so sure right now. 

I'm not a doctor but I read case studies and scientific journals about some of these drugs. I dig, and I gather my information properly. I have people in my family researching for me, too. My dad works as a Toxicologist for the government of Ontario and he has access to all kinds of reports. 

I know what's out there, man, and some of these reflux drugs scare me. They're not worth the risk in my opinion. 

A few of these doctors probably think that I don't know better, that I'm just a goofy dad. But when it comes to Arabella's health I take nothing more seriously. As a parent, sometimes you do have to put on a white coat and play doctor.

So you're darn right this is my daughter. Her name is Arabella, and you can call me Doctor Dad 😉