I Caved…I Went to the Doctor.

Those of you who know me and who have been reading this blog since the beginning know that I don’t like going to the doctor, and I won’t go unless I am sure I have some infection that can’t be quickly or effectively cured by a natural or homeopathic remedy.

I’m sure there are plenty of homeopathic and naturopathic doctors, as well as other practitioners of holistic medicine who would argue that every illness can be quickly and effectively treated without the use of an antibiotic.? And maybe that is the case.

Mommies do NOT get sick days.

But the knowledge needed to be able to do that is beyond what I have amassed up to this point; and I have to be realistic.? Most (my) health insurance does not cover holistic treatments.? I have a husband who works very long hours, two small children to take care of, and very little outside help.? It?s been said before but I will say it again: Mommies do not get sick days.

My immune system usually does its job.

I am typically a fairly healthy person.? I cook from scratch (for the most part), and use fresh and organic or all natural (depends on availability at the store) ingredients.? I used to have a sweet tooth, but that, fortunately has dwindled.? I drink lots of water, and take lots of vitamins.? I haven’t been sick (enough to warrant going to the doctor) in well over a year.? In fact, when I went for my annual check-up a few months ago, two things happened.? First, they had pulled my husband?s file instead of mine because they saw the last name and just assumed the appointment was for him, not me; and second, the doctor said she was surprised to see me because she assumed I had changed doctors since I hadn’t been there in so long.

The truth is, anytime I feel a bug coming on, I am usually able to stave it off by consuming mass quantities of Vitamin C (love my Emergen-C), drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, and eating lots of homemade chicken soup.

This has worked for me, as well as for my kids.

Sometimes illness is inevitable.

But?it is the winter, and I have a pre-schooler and a kindergartener.? Plus, I volunteer at the kindergarten once a week, so I am regularly exposed to a lovely plethora of multi-colored snot (sorry to be gross, but it is true).? So it really was only a matter of time before one of us got sick.

Well my husband, older daughter, and I all wound up with strep throat.? I got strep throat pretty regularly as a kid, and still get sore throats sometimes as an adult?but this one was a doozy.? I was feeling fine two mornings ago, my throat was slightly scratchy by 2pm?by 8 pm I was unable to eat, swallow, or talk.? Since my husband and daughter already had been diagnosed I knew I had strep too.? So I bit the bullet and called for an appointment with my MD.

The doctor’s appointment…

The next morning, I went to the doctor and experienced the typical eternal wait in the waiting room.? Seriously, it took so long, and I looked so sick that one of the other patients got up and asked the receptionist to move me to an exam room.? Another 10 minutes passed and I finally got escorted to an exam room.? The poor nurse was just trying to do her job by weighing me, taking my blood pressure, and asking for my current medicines.
 

Well since I don’t regularly take medicines, I had to run through my list of vitamins and supplements?this takes forever even when I have functioning vocal chords.

I waited all this time and now you want to be funny?? I think NOT.

After trying various methods of whispering and ?signing? the meds I broke down and cried.? I cried from the pain in my throat, from the anxiety caused by my long wait, and from the frustration of not being able to communicate with the nurse.? It took that much for her to get me paper to write down my supplements.

Then I had to wait another 20 minutes for the doctor.
The doctor came in and tried some comedic relief to lighten up the situation at hand, but all I could muster was a Maude Face.?

After all that, I was given my prescription for amoxicillin and was sent on my way.?

Yesterday was awful.? I was in such horrible pain and was so exhausted all I could do was sleep (thank goodness my husband was working from home?well, trying to?and was able to care for the kids).? This morning, however, although my throat still hurts, the body aches are gone, I have much more energy, and my brain is semi-functional.? I have give credit to the antibiotics, but also to the fact that my immune system is pretty good.? After less than 24 hours on an antibiotic, I would say I am at least 50% better.

Before I started eating good foods, taking supplements, and properly hydrating myself, not only was I sick more often, but it also took a few days for the antibiotics to take effect.? At that time, my body was unable to fight off illness and bounce back quickly.? Now, I rarely get sick, and am able to recover much faster on the rare occasions that I do.

I really do not like taking antibiotics or medications at all; but sometimes it is necessary.? Strep, and other bacteria like staph are nasty infections that need to be treated immediately, otherwise more serious and potentially fatal diseases can result.

According to the Mayo Clinic, untreated strep infections can cause scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, and severe inflammation of the kidneys.? These illnesses used to (and in some areas, still do) kill people.? If there wasn?t a need for them, medicines like penicillin would never have been invented.

I still feel that antibiotics and medications should be avoided as much as possible.? Over- or mis-use of these medications not only cause the antibiotics to be less effective in the body, but also cause the bacteria themselves to evolve and mutate into drug-resistant superbacteria, which have the ability to cause untreatable epidemic and pandemic diseases. Antibiotics should not be taken lightly.

I also want to point out again that antibiotics work by killing bacteria in the body.? All bacteria.? They do not distinguish between pathogenic (harmful) and non-pathogenic (beneficial) bacteria.? Most bacteria in the body are beneficial, and necessary for the body to function properly.? When these bacteria are killed, the body?s natural balance is disturbed.? Candida spores then take this opportunity to further suppress the immune system and cause harm to the body.? This is why many antibiotics have side effects such as diarrhea.

Whenever you take an antibiotic, it is essential that you also take supplements that combat Candida.? This can be in the form of probiotics.? Yogurt contains probiotics, but is also a dairy product.? Dairy can cause other disturbances in the body which will manifest on the skin (acne, eczema, etc.), so I prefer to take non-dairy supplements instead like Candida Quick Cleanse or Florajen.

So the moral of the story is that you really need to build your body’s own natural defenses so it can do its best to fight off infection.? But, sometimes an infection will find its way in.? When that happens, sometimes an antibiotic is the best choice.? But as always, prevention is the best.

*If you are sick, please stay home.? Do not spread your illness to everyone you work with.? If you have sick kids, PLEASE keep them home.? I know some parents work and need their kids to be cared for and watched during the day, but sending a sick child to school or daycare not only makes it harder for the child to recover, but also puts every other child, every teacher, every aide, every staff member, AND THEIR FAMILIES at risk.? KEEP.THEM.HOME. Thank you.

Edited to add (2/10/12): the antibiotic did not work. I refused to go back to the doctor so I found a local naturopath and she gave me a bioenergized homeopathic blend that literally healed my throat in one dose. Nearly a year later, I have not had a sore throat since.