Special Needs and Settling

Recently, I’ve had to get to know our new doctor. He’s a pediatrician I vetted through a process I wrote about here a couple of months ago.

Since that How To post I’ve had to take my daughter in to see him for an unscheduled appointment because of strep and a UTI (which is fairly serious in a kidney transplant kid) and my son for a scheduled well visit. I was a little nervous. It can be nerve wracking beginning a relationship with a new doctor and team and hopes were so high.

I’d prepared myself to have to learn the ways of the staff and processes and I’d vowed to be patient while we get to know each other. I knew as we hit “firsts” with them in caring for the kids together we’d have some bumps. I knew I’d have to explain and be patient while they “learned the ropes” of kidney transplant recipients and their unique needs in relation to regular and not-so-regular pediatric needs.

I have to admit my shock to how they have handled the few items. Growing cultures and testing for UTIs without asking, approaching an infection with an appropriate treatment and it with it not working, our new doctor immediately said he wanted to call the transplant team. Again, he did this without hesitation and without me asking. He handed two referral forms for specialist before we left his office.

In leaving the office a few things struck me about the differences between new pediatrician and fired practice. The old practice had a lot of doctors and more layers, which of course means more time to get answers and help. It appears the new doctor handles his own paperwork, based on him handing the referrals — as I’m sure he recognized the shock on my face, as I said, “Now, what is this? Oh, wow, eh.” Our old practice would have made me call the next day and leave a message. He spent nearly an hour with us for the well visit and had great input on a couple of issues. The office is completely electronic. There’s an online appointment, lab and email system. The new office seems to want to take things off TO DO list and the old practice certainly added to my list.

I am stunned at how long we settled with what we were used to with the old practice even though it wasn’t the greatest, but I didn’t know it could be several levels better. We settled for so long and it’s easy to see that now. It feels strange to be on this side, an easier side of something that has been challenging for so long.

I’m guilty of settling. I’m guilty of it because there are so many other things to deal with that changing something when it’s not completely broken seems like so much energy and time, which is something in short supply. Sometimes it’s worth it, and that is something I need to remember.

What other things are we settling on?