The Frustrations of the "Almost" Dr

Today I waited two hours for a scheduled appointment at the doctor's office with Anja on a gorgeous +24 afternoon. Sometimes it's hard to see our regular family doctor (who is, in case I hadn't made it clear, fabulous), so you see someone else in the practice. About two weeks ago, Kirk had taken Anja to see the same doctor for a case of peri-oral dermatitis, which is essentially a raised, bumpy, scaly patch all around her month; it's not life threatening to be sure, but she's had it all summer, we've tried everything we can at home for it, and given it's on her face, I don't want it to scar.

Before visiting the doctor, Kirk hauled out his dermatology books and identified what it was and the treatment needed. At the appointment, he didn't, however, say he knew what it was, what treatment it needed or in fact that he was a peds resident. Understandably, he doesn't want to step on toes (I, however, have no such compunction and told the resident what treatment we thought it needed and why - after that long of a wait, I possessed no such social graces). Anyway, he didn't argue with the doctor and brought home a 1% hydrocortisone that we had already tried. Needless to say, it didn't work.

So today, it took us an hour and a half to even get in the exam room. When we get in there, we see a resident who, while very nice, didn't have a clue what she was doing. Hence, most likely, the long wait. I understand, given that Kirk is a resident, that sometimes having residents adds on time, but really? Then, we had to wait for another half an hour for the doctor to come in and say it looked better than last time (how in God's name would she remember what a rash two weeks ago looked like??), that she wouldn't treat it with anything else, and Anja's skin "would likely never be perfect," and that if Kirk really wanted he could get her seen at the hospital's derm clinic. Clearly, she didn't like me pulling the "he's a peds resident" card.

Still, if what you had prescribed didn't work, and nothing has changed, and you can't keep using hydrocortisone because it thins the skin, why wouldn't you try something else? I don't think "her skin will never be perfect" is an acceptable answer and I'm not being a crazy "these days" kind of mother. No, a moisturizer doesn't do a damn thing. Yes, I've tried an anti-fungal. Yes, I've tried vaseline. Yes, I've tried a polysporin. Just give us the $#%^&*& prescription! Clearly, also a doctor who doesn't like someone who isn't just a drooling idiot who doesn't know her head from her ass (even though I'm married to one - especially because I'm married to one, I so get it).

Needless to say, after we walked out of clinic, smoke was coming out of my ears. And all could have been easily solved if he could write his own bloody prescriptions. ^&**%%$$!!!