We Needed a Doctor, Now

Miles Walked: 12.5	Biked: 50.9	Bused: 2.1	Drove: 0	This week
36.3	106.9	12.6	3.6	Since August 14, 2011

For those that know us, Brent's urge to take our children to the doctor is a matter of fact. There is no question about whether a runny nose or sore throat needs a visit to the physician, it does. There were two incidences this week where we needed a doctor for sick visits and we needed them now. Our regular pediatrician is on Route 60 at the HIMG building. We could get there if we walked many blocks and took the bus that goes straight to his door. It would require an appointment most of the time and walk in hours in the evening, thus complicating the bus issue, as we would need a specific bus and the time between pick ups is usually an hour. It's near 90 outside and the child is sick, would you walk them to the bus stop and take them? No, we wouldn't either, unless we absolutely had to, which we don't.

We have the very good house placement of being a five minute walk from our door to the Cabell Huntington Hospital (CHH) door, if you go the way the birds fly and if you don't, add an extra five. The family practice at Marshall University Medical Center (MUMC), adjacent CHH, has walk-in hours from 8-11AM and 1-4PM. We used them twice this week. First for London's sore throat. It turned out to be allergies. Second for  Oliver's raspy breathing, a bit more serious. He has some respiratory stress and was told to get back on his nebulizer with albuterol and take an oral steroid twice a day. He has a history of these sorts of spells.

Oliver with his nebulizer mask

For London's ailments, she and Brent walked the longer route there, waited, were seen and walked back in under an hour. Today, for Oliver, Brent turned down my idea of taking the stroller and carried Oliver the more direct way (between homes and down a rocky run off). His total trip was 45minutes. Then Brent biked to the pharmacy (approx. 1.5miles round trip) for the steroids and a bag of Twizzlers and came home before biking back out for work. He really does make family his priority. Having a career with flexibility also makes this possible.

Not driving our car didn't compromise the care for our children. I have been meaning to call the MUMC to establish care with their pediatricians, but the family practice walk-in has served us well for now. The other issue with our family, being the size that it is, we are always going to the doctor. I hope these visits are not a sign of another endlessly ill winter, as it's only August. Last year we got started in October and didn't emerge till June. That's right, we have had just over two and half months with mostly well family members.