Yesterday we had Redding’s 3 year old check-up and he is great! He is quite an interesting boy and despite his highly dramatic aversion to loud noises, the verdict is that he is great.
Our regular pediatrician takes a special interest in preemies, which is why we picked her. Yesterday she had a medical student from the U of M with her, his name is John.
Since Annabella was there and she and her story are a particular favorite with our pediatrician, she said to John, after he’d had the opportunity to listen to Annabella and Redding’s hearts and lungs, “Can you guess what makes Annabella so special?”
She did not consult me on this game.
He looked a little bewildered and guessed, “Her heart?” Yes, awesome. That’s what you want to hear from a medical student who was just listening to your kid’s heart…
“No,” our pediatrician said, “that’s not it.”
“Chromosomes?” John tried again, sounding less sure of himself.
Seriously? What is wrong with the two of you? Are you utterly lacking a sensitivity chip? Does the medical student not think I know what children with chromosome problems are like?
Seeing the disgust on my face, our pediatrician then cut in before it got even more ugly with, “She was a preemie! How early, Dawn? Like 24 weeks?”
And we briefly talked about her hospital stay, her time on the vent, etc. We moved it along. Nothing to see here folks. Please do not point out to the almost 7 year old that she is any different from other children… Please don’t make the mother wonder about her child’s heart or why a medical student would think that she appears to have chromosomal damage…
UGH.
Note to pediatricians: This is not a fun game to play in front of educated parents or sensitive children. Thank you.
Jun
16