Pediatrician & Doctor Appointments on the Island

Well, I was able to secure an absolutely wonderful pediatrician for the kids.  She actually came recommended by a nurse associated with the PR Cleft Team down here.  And I am ALL ABOUT using doctors that come recommended.  This pediatrician did the most thorough exam I have ever seen as a Mom (& as a nurse).  I was very impressed!

This doctor visit actually came at the right timing as Zoe has been battling a terrible rash in a not so great place for the past 2 months (flaring up every couple of weeks).  The doctors she saw in the states seemed to just want to put a band-aid on the problem... but our new pediatrician was very concerned and took this very seriously and is working to find out the root of the cause through blood work & cultures.  In the mean time, Miss Zoe, is on 2 oral medications and 2 creams.  I am feeling very confident that she will get treated adequately & fully this time.

She also found an issue that she wants Noah followed up on as well.  We have an appointment all set up for that as well.  The pediatrician actually gave me her personal cell phone number and told me I could call her any time day or night!  Seriously?!  Who does that?  

By the end of the doctor visit, I was in tears... just so overwhelmed and touched by the care & concern that this doctor had shown me & my children (she must have spent over an hour with us).  She put her hand out to me, held my hand  & said, "Do not cry.  I am your children's doctor but I am also your friend.  You will be well cared for in Puerto Rico.  You need not worry about anything.  You call me for anything and I mean that."  She then squeezed my hand, smiled, and said "Now stop those tears or my other patients will think I did something bad to you!"  Which made me laugh!  Our family has been so blessed by such wonderful medical care down here on the island.

Oh!  And our new pediatrician used a chart and based on their current growth records, she predicts that by the time each of the kids reach the age 20... Noah will be 5' 10" and Zoe will be 5' 1" (I found that to be so interesting especially for Noah... time will only tell & it will be fun to look back and see if she was right!)


Side note regarding doctor appointments down here:  Set appointment times are no such thing here in PR.  You are given a time but it does not really mean anything.  I know... so why do you get a time, right?  I am finally learning their system after several days sitting in offices ALL DAY LONG (Thank goodness for iPads, crayons, stickers, & lollipops!)  Each doctor office has a different set of rules they play by... but here is an example for our pediatrician's office.  Basically, if you want to be seen by the doctor, you call the office super early in the morning (like 6:30am) and leave a message on their voice mail.  When the receptionist gets in at 12:30pm, she checks the messages & assigns you a number.  You then call the office at 1:00pm to find out what number you have been assigned.  If you are assigned numbers 1 or 2, you know to arrive around 1:30-2:00pm.  If you are numbers 3 or 4, you know to arrive 2:30pm-3:00pm.  But... even with that all being said... no matter what number you get assigned everyone must have arrived inside the office by 4pm (this is the cut off time).  And then... its a first come, first serve.  It sounds very confusing but I am understanding it more.  When we made Noah's specialist appointment, I went in person to the office to make it and when I got the "time" I asked the receptionist (who could actually speak very good English) "OK, how does this really work?"  She smiled & chuckled a little and said back to me "The office opens at 7am.  The cut off time is 11am.  If you want to be seen timely, then get to the office before it opens."  OK!  Got it!  (Honestly, I think this is how most other offices work).  I think the constant in doctor appointments down here is this... You are going to wait a long time regardless.  But, you can see the doctor pretty much whatever day you want.  Sometimes you have to find that silver lining...