Right On Track

My youngest little one just turned 4 months old and, as any mother knows, that is a milestone when it comes to wellness visits and immunizations. Looming in my near future was the dreaded thought of having to get the baby into the doctor for that visit.....and the other 3 children!

It turns out that my other 3 children were due for their check-ups the same month! After some careful and strategic planning, I made their appointments. As luck would have it, the doctor was willing to fit them in....all of them on the same day! A few of my friends thought I was crazy, but it made total sense to me get it over with. I was right.

Our doctor's office is Pediatrics of New York, located at 11 East 86Th street. The kids have been going to this office since before then can even remember! I actually remember switching to that doctor when my second child was a baby. I was so upset that the insurance had required me to change doctors, but can also remember how happy and relieved I was once I had visited for the first time. We have seen many of the doctors there and are quite fond of most of them. Of course we have our favorites, but it is nice to know that we can feel comfortable with all of them.

The last year or so had been a little bit tough for us when it came to the peds office. The office had been making so many changes in staff, and reception, and doing some remodeling, that it threw us for a loop. For a while, there were some inconsistencies that worried me, but I am so glad that we toughed it out and didn't change doctors. Once the dust settled, all went back to normal....and maybe it is a little better. Although we were quite sad to see our favorite doctor leave last December, we have been more than happy with who we have seen in more recent months. I suppose we just had to be a little patient while they updated for the good of their workplace and for the care of their patients!

So, on that Monday morning, I packed up the troop and headed to the doctor's office. It was a beautiful day for the older 2 children to take off of school. It happened to be one of those unseasonably warm days where we even ended up taking of our light sweatshirts. I couldn't have asked for better luck. We piled into the reception area, where we didn't have to wait too long before they put us into the biggest room in the place. We all went in at once.

They began with 2 medical assistants taking heights and weights and giving eye tests to all 4 of them while the baby hung out in his diaper and the rest of them were in blue exam gowns. It was quite a sight! In fact, I took a few pictures that I would have posted if not for embarrassing my 10 year old daughter! It was pretty funny to see them all struggling to get undressed and covering one eye to do the eye test and guessing their stats. Like a circus. The baby was entertained the entire time.

Then the doctor came in. Dr. Duszka. She happens to be our current favorite. My children have grown to love her, and so have I. She took her time with each one.....plenty of time. She spoke to them and asked them questions and smiled and played and examined them, all the while speaking to me and answering any questions I had. She is always very thorough and patient. I think that with a mom like me, patient is the best thing to be! I always feel like I am bothering them. She never lets me feel like that.

After examining them all, and getting a few prescriptions for dry skin and eye drops and such, came the announcement.....shots! At least 2 each! Just the whisper of the word made a few of them cringe. Lucky for me, some are too young to catch on too quickly. Dr. Duszka made that as pleasant as possible too. She was so quick and comforting that it really wasn't that bad. 10 total shots didn't seem that bad at all with her doing them! I guess that was the true test.

After we stocked up on stickers and Dum Dum lollipops, we left the office and headed to the dentist. Yep. You heard right. The dentist. Why waste a day off from school and work? On the way to the dentist I thought about how integral a part your child's pediatrician has in your life. Besides the obvious job of taking care and prevention for your child's health, a pediatrician takes a large role in the parenting aspect of things. I can remember, a while back, wanting to lie to the doctor about things that I had done or thought regarding my childrens' health but thinking that I better tell the truth so I can get a straight answer. I am now the kind of mother that doesn't get embarrassed anymore. After a ton of visits where the doctor says "keep up the good work, Mom", I start to believe I am doing good work!

It feels good to hear the doctor tell you that they are right on track for growth, or to keep doing what you are doing. It feels good even when they aren't quite on track, because you have someone helping or guiding or teaching you with advice and kindness. It feels good to check off all the little developments and advancements your infants make. It feels good to be able to ask questions that may even be a little silly and not be laughed at. Most of all, it feels good to be reassured over and over and over again, that what you are doing is "right".......if there really is such a thing.