Need a good pediatrician

Kathy - posted on 12/12/2009

Thank you so much for sharing. I am going to check the website you gave and let you know how it goes. Once again, thank you.

Jessica - posted on 12/07/2009

Hi Kathy,

I'm sorry you've hit a wall w/ that Dr...it's def time to find a new one...I'm in DE, but let me ask ya...is your son's Dr a regular pediatrician? I found Jake an awesome developmental pediatrician, at Kennedy Kreiger Institute in Baltimore. (about an hour..hour 1/2 away) We've only been once, because it's pretty hard to get in there quickly (waiting lists everywhere so start calling!), but we’re going back soon. But Dev Peds pay particular attention to development (obviously!) and symptoms of things specific to delay, whereas a regular ped might not, most likely, unintentionally. Check this website out!



http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/g...



This is just my little story n opinion, but I have been through, and to, so many doctors.. and specialists..and therapists...and organizations..with Jake. Since birth. Right up til last week. At birth, he came out, went to NICU w/ a team, I "met" a million Drs those 3 looong days, each one on their new rotation, coming in completely fresh and unknowledgeable of Jake's situation. We were sent home w/ follow-up appts and orders, and thus began our crazy rollercoaster ride of appointments, meetings, questions, applying and filling out form after form! Just last week, Jake got his feeding tube replaced for a smaller "button", by a Gastroenterologist (G.I.) I've never met! (I was informed ahead of time of course! but I'd never met her) This Dr was different from the original "tube placer" 3 months ago, who I'd heard of but also never met. Yet, neither is the regular G.I. that we see in the office. This has unfortunately been the case w/ hospitalizations over the last 2 years, where he'll have Dr.'s names on his paperwork that I've never even heard of.

My whole point of this babbling, is the one Dr. I should always be able to rely on, in my darkest hour(s) of despair and fear, who is familiar up and down, in and out, and around Jake's body.. and mental state, who will catch what I don't and suggest what I might never find, is his pediatrician. I switched once, when Jake was 4-6 mos just for that reason, and have stuck w/ his current one, because he was the Dr that would call on a Sat just to make sure he was ok. However, Jake's issues got really big, really fast, and there's only so much I can expect out of the man, as he isnt' a specialist. But luckily, he is more of a partner, who respects what I say and ask, and thinks it’s great that I’m pursuing another specialist. He will write scripts for tests I come up with after researching things online and explaining why I want it. As a matter of fact, after 3 years of banging my head against a wall regarding diagnosis like "global dev delay" and "failure to thrive" and "hypotonia", he saw my frustration and said just tell me what you think this is and we’ll find a name for it. I asked him to add CP, at least mild, and Sensory Integration Disorder. I immediately got approval for 3 things pending. His ability to listen and trust allowed us to get what we needed…since none of his specialists had an answer. This breed of Dr seems to going extinct, but they’re out there. Keep looking!

Unfortunately, the ped is the Dr who has to fill out ALL of the paperwork we MUST have in order to get other services, go to school or daycare, get test after test, etc. and it's really tough to get things accomplished quickly in a pediatrician’s office. A tip is to fill everything out that you possibly can. Then they only have to sign it or fill in immunizations, etc.. Oh, also..I call specialists I want to see directly, and I tell them I’d like to set up an appt. A lot of offices will contact your ped for a referral, so you can get around some things in order to get what you want for your child.