I couldn’t wait until Friday’s appointment with our family doctor, as Matthew’s condition wasn’t improving. He was experiencing symptoms like swollen glands, a sore throat, and a mild fever. To make matters worse, he had started snoring while sleeping.

The issues began on Tuesday night, just a day after we had taken him to the local splash pad at Town Park. By Wednesday night, his breathing had worsened, and he was struggling to breathe through his mouth due to the swollen glands and sore throat.

We arrived at the Southlake emergency room around four o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday. We were warmly welcomed and immediately taken into triage for an interview, as there was no one else in line before us. It was impressive how quickly the emergency room cleared, creating the illusion of a short wait time.

During triage, we were asked about our symptoms. I shared my concern about the snoring sound my child makes while sleeping, which I can hear from another room. It worries me because it suggests he’s not getting quality sleep to help with his recovery.

I was taken aback when a hospital staff member jokingly suggested that maybe I was the one not getting enough sleep, not my child. I quickly clarified that it was my child’s well-being that concerned me, not my own rest.

I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday nights by Matthew’s bedside, monitoring his breathing. The second night was no better, as he also had a mild fever. The nurse who checked Matthew’s vital signs might have been trying to lighten the mood in a stressful environment, but the comment felt inappropriate given the circumstances.

When your child is sick and you’re exhausted from worry and lack of sleep, having someone insinuate that you’re selfish for seeking medical help can be hurtful. It’s crucial for healthcare professionals to show empathy and understanding toward concerned parents in these situations.

I was quite disturbed by the situation. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would react if I made a joke like that about them. I might as well have been sent straight to the Exit Zone.

We left the emergency room around eight o’clock that evening. Matthew was diagnosed with strep throat, a bacterial infection of the throat.

This time, we were directed to the Yellow Zone instead of the Southlake Fast Track zone. It would’ve been helpful if someone had explained the difference to us, but it seemed like everyone in the waiting room had their own interpretation.

Patients are sent to the Yellow Zone when the triage nurses are unsure of the diagnosis, while those with obvious symptoms, like a broken bone, are fast-tracked to treatment.

The next day, Friday, we visited our family doctor. He confirmed the strep throat diagnosis but warned us that Matthew’s case was severe. We were instructed to monitor him closely for the next forty-eight hours. If the antibiotics didn’t work, the infection could spread to his bloodstream.

And so began another forty-eight hours of disrupted sleep (sarcastic remark).

COMMENTS

Michael said: June 17, 2012 at 09:09

“Hi Anna, Strep throat is a pretty common illness among children. Sure the flu gets more attention out there for it’s commonality, but Strep throat is probably also high on the list of common infections. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve had it. A good doctor will be able to look at a throat diagnose it correctly. My old doctor, Dr. Climpson-Kennedy, was able to do this instantly. She was always 99% sure it was strep, took a throat swab for testing and prescribed the medication. Your son is probably snoring loudly through the night as his breathing has changed a little bit to compensate for the swollen glands due to the strep throat. This is probably keeping a good mom like yourself rightfully up at night worrying. Keep an eye on your son, but he should be feeling better in no time with his medication going to work. Remember, children do get sick (e.g. flu, pink eye, colds, strep throat, etc.) commonly especially in common environments where other children are (e.g. daycare, park fountains, etc.).”

Anna Lozyk Romeo said: June 24, 2012 at 02:15

“Michael, thank you for your detailed comment. Yes, I will remember that. I should have known, as I used to get sick all the time when I was little many moons ago. As you said, the antibiotics did the job. In two days, we didn’t even have to give him Tylenol so he could eat his meals. He started eating normally but less. His breathing improved over the following two days. However, on the sixth day, we had to bring Matthew back to the doctor. He had a major rash – every inch of his body was covered in red, and it happened in just a few hours. The doctor said it was a bad reaction to the medication, specifically Amoxicillin. We stopped using it. The doctor made a note, and we notified the pharmacy. The doctor said that 6 days may be enough. Now, here is something interesting. We never received the test results from the hospital. My husband called Southlake and found out that in the case of strep throat, the hospital’s procedure is to call the patient and ensure that the antibiotic is taken to cure it. In our case, nobody called, and the results were not sent to our family doctor. At the Southlake emergency room, the doctor did not wait for the swab test results and prescribed an antibiotic anyway because Matthew had all the signs of strep throat. Now, here is a flaw in their procedure. They did not call us because the swab test was negative, meaning no strep. But then, if there is no strep throat, who notifies us to stop the medication that was prescribed at the hospital? I think I should write Southlake a note to revise their procedures.”