I thought a lot before finally deciding to blog about this because it's kind of personal but if it saves just one person from going through what I went through it is worth it.One of the main reasons I struggled so much with school this spring really was not related to Davie or my lack of concentration. About the time Davie was 3 ish weeks old and David's parents were visiting us I started to hurt when I nursed Davie on my left side. By the time they left I wanted to cry or rather die every time I nursed Davie on my left side.When I initially started looking it up on the internet the main thing I read was about positioning. Positioning this, positioning that, blah blah blah. So I changed my positioning a little with NO results. I was skeptical that it would help seeing as how everyone said the first 2 weeks are the toughest and other than being new to nursing I had not had any problems with pain whatsoever until 3 weeks. And it wasn't like "oh that doesn't feel good" it was a sharp "I'm on fire" pain.
As I have said a million times I don't get sick but when I do it's not always easy for me to admit it and get help or to figure out what it is. David had talked with his parents a little before they left and they suggested that maybe I had thrush. So I looked it up and decided that might be true and about a week and a half after my initial pain started I scheduled a doctors appointment. By that time I had gotten to the point where I was taking as much ibuprofen and Tylenol as I could as often as I could and I was wearing ice packs almost all day (except when I fed Davie). The night before my appointment during one of Davie's feedings I broke down and I fed Davie a bottle, not formula but from a bottle. I was so upset I just bawled. I couldn't do it anymore. I felt so guilty and upset that I had to feed him from a bottle, I think it was because he was still SO young. When I got to the doctor he checked me out and said he didn't see anything and he was pretty sure I didn't have thrush but he suggested I get a nipple shield. This was what I had heard at the appointment for Davie earlier that same morning, along with more garbage about how I might need to work on positioning.
I got in the car and cried. I remember feeling like I had just made up the issues I was having. I lived like that for another 2 or 3 weeks until Davie turned 6 weeks. By then every time I took ibuprofen, even with a huge meal, I would get a tummy ache. Tylenol didn't really help but I was taking it too. I again mentioned all the trouble I was having with my doctor and again he told me he did not think I had thrush and to get a nipple shield. David went to that appointment with me to help me try and tell the doctor what was going on because my doctor is kind of old school about things and it is difficult to get a word in edgewise with him. After my appointment David drove straight to the nearest place that had baby stuff, went in and bought me a shield.
Things did get better once I started using a shield but not all the way. Every time I fed Davie it just felt like something was off, sometimes it was pain and other times I was so itchy I'm surprised I didn't scratch my you know whats off. Flash forward some more. By Easter I had finally decided to get a non-manual pump, because of our economic status and our insurance we got it for basically nothing. That helped out immensely, but it still wasn't enough. Finally Easter Sunday David told me I should call the lactation consultant at the hospital as soon as possible during the upcoming week. I had already tried to call her on several occasions but she was never in and because I figured I could remember to call her again I hadn't left any messages. So the next week I called her again and left a message she didn't get back with me for several days. However when she did get back with me she too believed I had thrush.
HOLY CRAP! Did I really just spend the last almost 3 months with thrush and no one believed me?! I talk to her for maybe 10 minutes and she affirmed what I had suspected the ENTIRE time! What is it with me and medical professionals that they DON'T LISTEN! Anyways she called in an ointment to a nearby pharmacy and I started using it several days later. Instant relief. Almost from the very first use. Long story short is I am switching doctors again and Ladies if you feel like something isn't right don't wait 3 months without getting it FIXED. I didn't display even half of the symptoms they say you should have and other than a persistent diaper rash for one week Davie did not show any. You know you and you know your body better than anyone else don't let a doctor make you feel like you don't know what is going on just because they are a doctor an you are not, get a second opinion right away NOT 3 months later.
As I have said a million times I don't get sick but when I do it's not always easy for me to admit it and get help or to figure out what it is. David had talked with his parents a little before they left and they suggested that maybe I had thrush. So I looked it up and decided that might be true and about a week and a half after my initial pain started I scheduled a doctors appointment. By that time I had gotten to the point where I was taking as much ibuprofen and Tylenol as I could as often as I could and I was wearing ice packs almost all day (except when I fed Davie). The night before my appointment during one of Davie's feedings I broke down and I fed Davie a bottle, not formula but from a bottle. I was so upset I just bawled. I couldn't do it anymore. I felt so guilty and upset that I had to feed him from a bottle, I think it was because he was still SO young. When I got to the doctor he checked me out and said he didn't see anything and he was pretty sure I didn't have thrush but he suggested I get a nipple shield. This was what I had heard at the appointment for Davie earlier that same morning, along with more garbage about how I might need to work on positioning.
I got in the car and cried. I remember feeling like I had just made up the issues I was having. I lived like that for another 2 or 3 weeks until Davie turned 6 weeks. By then every time I took ibuprofen, even with a huge meal, I would get a tummy ache. Tylenol didn't really help but I was taking it too. I again mentioned all the trouble I was having with my doctor and again he told me he did not think I had thrush and to get a nipple shield. David went to that appointment with me to help me try and tell the doctor what was going on because my doctor is kind of old school about things and it is difficult to get a word in edgewise with him. After my appointment David drove straight to the nearest place that had baby stuff, went in and bought me a shield.
Things did get better once I started using a shield but not all the way. Every time I fed Davie it just felt like something was off, sometimes it was pain and other times I was so itchy I'm surprised I didn't scratch my you know whats off. Flash forward some more. By Easter I had finally decided to get a non-manual pump, because of our economic status and our insurance we got it for basically nothing. That helped out immensely, but it still wasn't enough. Finally Easter Sunday David told me I should call the lactation consultant at the hospital as soon as possible during the upcoming week. I had already tried to call her on several occasions but she was never in and because I figured I could remember to call her again I hadn't left any messages. So the next week I called her again and left a message she didn't get back with me for several days. However when she did get back with me she too believed I had thrush.
HOLY CRAP! Did I really just spend the last almost 3 months with thrush and no one believed me?! I talk to her for maybe 10 minutes and she affirmed what I had suspected the ENTIRE time! What is it with me and medical professionals that they DON'T LISTEN! Anyways she called in an ointment to a nearby pharmacy and I started using it several days later. Instant relief. Almost from the very first use. Long story short is I am switching doctors again and Ladies if you feel like something isn't right don't wait 3 months without getting it FIXED. I didn't display even half of the symptoms they say you should have and other than a persistent diaper rash for one week Davie did not show any. You know you and you know your body better than anyone else don't let a doctor make you feel like you don't know what is going on just because they are a doctor an you are not, get a second opinion right away NOT 3 months later.
1 comment:
OH MY GOSH! Kari!!! I'm sooo sorry! Holy crap! I'm sooo glad your changing doctors though! that is horrible experience! I"m so sorry! :( I'm glad you got some relief! This is good to know though. Hope your doin ok.
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