Anna visits the Pediatrician

As many of you know, Anna has come down with some type of rash/eczema. Since we have a family history of different allergies and intestinal problems, her family doctor decided to refer her to a Pediatrician for a consultation. We saw the new doctor yesterday and fortunately he does not seem too concerned. He is referring us to an allergist and feels that the eczema and frequent loose stools (sorry if TMI!) could be a result of a milk allergy. At this point she is happy, healthy and is in the 75% for both height and weight. He did order some blood work to test for Celiac and to check her levels and what not. This is where my day took a turn for the worst L

We were told that we needed to try to have the blood drawn at the lab and if they could not do it, we were to be referred to the Children’s Hospital. I took Anna to the lab and the technicians looked at her arms, proclaimed that she had good veins and that she could draw the blood. So, we went into the little room that I am oh so familiar with (I get blood drawn on a monthly basis) and I had to try to hold Anna on my lap while one tech held her arm down and the other tried to draw the blood. Anna unfortunately wanted nothing to do with it. She screamed, she cried, she howled. I was so happy there wasn’t anyone waiting in the next room. She kept pulling her arm back and the tech was not able to fill the vials. She asked if she could try the other arm with a different needle and I figured that it would be best to just get it over with while we could so she tried, and the same thing happened, more crying, screaming and howling. At this point I am in tears myself and just want it all to end.

They gave me back my papers and referred me to the Children’s Hospital and while I was waiting for the forms, Anna broke out in hives. Her face was red, blotchy and covered in raised white spots. They appeared almost instantly and the techs and I were stunned. They suggested I take her back to see the pediatrician and I decided to take her to her family doctor, figuring I had a better chance of being seen (all 3 offices are in the same building! Luckily). So, I took her to my family doctor’s office and all the receptionists were shocked at her face. Asking me what had happened to her etc. I was able to have her seen by her family doctor after a short wait and she gave Anna a dose of Benadryl and we were asked to wait so she could check on her in a few minutes. Anna, exhausted and having missed her nap promptly fell asleep on me and I sat holding her on my lap and rubbing her back.

I had to give her some more Benadryl last night because the hives were back and she has started to try and scratch them. Bee and I have wracked our brains trying to figure out what was different yesterday that may have brought this on. We had not given her anything new, or changed detergents or anything else. Her family doc was going to refer us to an allergist as well but since the Pediatrician is already doing so, decided to use his referral. She also cautioned that we should have Benadryl on us at all times since the hives came out so quickly.

We came home utterly exhausted and she went for a nap while I made a cup of tea and tried to calm my nerves. There is nothing so awful as seeing your child in pain and hearing them scream the way she did. Anna is not a crier, in fact she hardly ever cries but she made up for it yesterday, the poor girl. I really wish that I had known better and just asked for the referral to the Children’s Hospital and you can bet that I will never, ever have them attempt to draw blood in a lab ever again. I have to wait a few days to let her arms heal (ugh, the bruises!) before taking her to the hospital to have the blood drawn and I am not looking forward to it. Hopefully since they are experienced and have the right equipment it will go much more smoothly.