The Journey of Parenthood…

Do you have a Primary Care Physician???

For as long as I can remember anytime a form asked for my “primary care physician” I’ve always put my OBGYN. I am very good about going to my yearly check-ups and thought I was on top of my health check game. I thought a yearly physical was done at the OBGYN and that they were my dr. I never even knew I should have another one!

Now that Kye has started school he’s brought home lots of cute artwork…but also some germs that we aren’t used to in our home. While Kye’s 100% fine…Zach and I feel horrible. I woke up yesterday feeling sick but not where I had to stay in the bed all day. This morning I woke up feeling hardcore sick. I had a 100 degree temp and decided to call Southern OB on my way to take Kye to school. I called them right when they opened and the girl who answered told me another nurse would be calling me back. I went ahead and drove up there since I was already out and figured I could just run in and be seen by someone really quick. When the nurse called back I told her I was there and she said that I needed to go to my primary care physician. I told her “isn’t that you guys?!?!” Um. Guess what? It’s not.

Turns out all these years I should have had another dr. as well as my OBGYN. I may sound stupid but I really didn’t know that! I haven’t been to see a doctor due to sickness since back when Zach and I were dating and I did not feel like sitting around his office all day waiting to be seen. I told the nurse that I didn’t have a physician to see (obviously I’m blessed b/c I NEVER get sick enough to go to the dr!) and she told me she’d call me back.

I didn’t want to sit around waiting and I knew as soon as I got home she’d call and tell me to come in, because that’s how stuff always happens. So I took a chance and went up to Kye’s pediatrician’s walk-in clinic that we always go to when he’s sick or has any issue. They see adult patients too and I figured they know me well enough that they might get me in. I got there right when they opened at 9 and explained my situation to the girl at the counter. She was really nice but said Dr Griner has a new patient form I’d have to fill out and then wait a week before I could be seen. She said she’d send him a message and see if he’d let me go ahead and be seen since I’m pregnant and have a fever. He wasn’t in yet so she said she wasn’t sure how long it would be.

I had my tablet with me and I’m reading The Help (which is SO good) so I didn’t mind just waiting there. She told me to let her know if Southern OB called back and we’d go from there. An hour and a half later they let me come back! They are all SO nice there and I thought they’d let me get seen…and I think it’s smart to have my “primary care physician” be the same person who the kids will see, makes everything easier right?

They did a strep test (blech) and took my temp. Of course the strep came back negative and I no longer had a temperature. You know how that is. If you don’t go to the dr you only get sicker yet when you do go you never have something wrong with you. Hence the reason I never go! Being pregnant and sick made me go to the dr because I wanted to make sure I didn’t have anything that could hurt the baby in anyway and I wanted to get rid of whatever I have as quickly as possible. I am really pretty shocked that Southern OB didn’t tell me to come right in…I thought anything pregnancy related they’d want me to do there?!?!

The PA I saw at the walk-in clinic gave me a list of everything I can do and medicine I can take while pregnant (I think Stacy gave me the same list awhile back too) and told me she wanted to go ahead and prescribe me with amoxicillin just to make sure. She also told me that if Zach has similar symptoms then he should take Zantac or something similar to help.

While it’s never fun to go to the dr. I’m glad it all happened because I now know that I need to be getting my yearly work done at the obgyn and have a yearly visit with my new primary care physician 😉 I don’t like knowing that I haven’t had a check-up like I should for over five YEARS. Kinda scary! I know the obgyn takes blood work and stuff and would probably find anything major but I still am looking forward to having a good solid check-up at Dr. Griner’s too. Plus now I know who to put when those forms ask!!!

I ended up getting to Kye’s school 45 min early but figured why drive 15 min home, sit at home for 15 min then drive 15 min back? I just relaxed in the car and read more of The Help and waited. OF COURSE once we got home and all settled Southern OBGYN called back…four hours after I had called them. She said the dr. she spoke with said I needed to come in and that they could get me an appointment for this afternoon with the one midwife I dislike up there. She was really apologetic about it taking so long and I understand that they deal with babies and that I’m sure a lot more important stuff was happening today. However, I’m SO glad I decided to go by the walk-in clinic. I told her I already had seen someone and she said she’d update my chart and if I had any more issues to let them know.

I can’t stand being sick but am so glad I got all of this handled today, that I learned something new about staying on top of my healthcare, and that I got some medicine to help me feel better! I’m hoping that all my sleep and rest today will help me to wake up feeling refreshed tomorrow…or at least by Friday! Thankfully my little wild child is still moving a TON letting me know that this sickness of mine hasn’t slowed him or her down in the least 🙂

Emily Parker
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1 Comment

  1. Forddygirl
    August 25, 2011 / 12:20 am

    I just had my 1st yearly physical EVER 2 weeks ago. And i only did it then b/c our insurance pays for it 100% AND (more importantly) puts $100 on your account to go towards any claims that come in that they normally wouldnt pay b/c you havent met your deductible yet or something 🙂 Luckily, it all came back normal! Yay!But yeah, i didnt get a pcp until about 2 years ago when i was sick and preggo w/ Rhyan and my obgyn had to refer me to someone. I knew i needed one, but hadnt a clue who to go to! HA! So dont feel bad! 🙂

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