So I Just Might be the WORST Mom Ever..

I needed to let some time pass before I posted about this because I was honestly WRECKED over it. I definitely won the award for the worst Mom in the history of all Moms... Well at least that's how it felt. I still think back on it in horror, but maybe if I share it here someone else can totally relate and make me feel better about my mediocre Mom skills...🤷

Just shy of three weeks ago, my kiddo started getting sick. Her symptoms were all general cold/virus type symptoms. The typical runny nose, light cough, congestion, very low grade fever. Nothing seemed alarming. Our freaking house has been a viral plague all winter. I swear the only thing we're good at sharing in our household is germs. 🤦

I gave my little one some over the counter meds. She seemed to improve with the medicine I was giving her. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

I'd like to mention that I have zero experience in the sick kid department (I don't know why, but stating that makes me feel a little less like a horrible parent 🤷) because my kiddo really hasn't been ill besides the common cold. No history of infection or any serious illness. I had no idea what to look for or when to take alternative action besides basic over the counter meds.

A week passed, and it seemed that my little one couldn't shake the bug she had. She didn't worsen, she just stayed the same. Low grade fever (sometimes she didn't have one at all), runny nose, snotty, whiny... Nothing that would seem in any way serious.

I figured since it had been a week that I'd call her pediatrician. I called the nurses line and described the symptoms. The nurse told me I was doing the right things...that it seemed viral... There was nothing to do but let it run its course. I hung up feeling so good about myself. I was doing all the right things... Or so I thought...

A few days later my Mom started pressuring me to take my kiddo to the doctor. I felt so annoyed.. Like chill Gigi, I've got this handled....I called the doctor... I'm following directions... I don't need your input... 🤷

A few more days passed, and my Mom was still pressuring me to take her in. I was even more annoyed...

That very same night, my kiddo had the worst night ever, and I mean THE WORST NIGHT EVER. Crying hysterically, super snotty, waking every 20 minutes. It was horrible.

The next morning I called the pediatrician again, described the symptoms again, and informed the nurse about our night from hell. Again, the nurse said it didn't sound alarming, but to keep an eye out for an increase in temperature. I felt content with that and continued to do everything I was doing.

That entire day my Mom was harping on me to take my kiddo to urgent care. I could not have been more irritated. I literally just talked to a nurse who said my kid was fine, why would I expose her to more germs by taking her to an urgent care?!? Absolutely not...but my Mom was persistent as hell (guess I know where I got that from 🤷).

Finally by that evening I was over it. Fine. Let's go to urgent care, just so I can prove you wrong...

We bundled up to brave the bitter Michigan cold and head to the nearest urgent care. I snidely described the same symptoms I had just described to the nurse earlier in the day. I was so confident that I'd get the exact advice that I had received before.

Chest sounds good. Mouth looks good. Throat looks good. Right ear looks good. Left ear...WOAH.

It took a fraction of a second for the doctor to peek into my kids left ear and gasp. "Oh, she has a really bad infection in this ear". WHAT??? The look on my face had to confuse the hell out of the doctor because I honestly thought she was trying to be funny when she reacted to my child's ear.

An infection?!?! How could this be?!? How could I miss this? And even more importantly, how could I let my poor baby suffer for over a week?!?! 🤦 Ugh. Just kill me. I am the worst Mom ever. The worst. And now I get to go home with my tail between my legs, and admit to my mother that she was right...🙄

The guilt felt like 5,000 pounds on my chest. How was I so oblivious? How did I not figure this out sooner? Did I make it worse by not taking her in sooner? I thought I knew what I was doing, but apparently I have no idea. But to be fair, my kiddo never pulled at her ears or said anything about her ears. She told me that her face hurt, but I assumed she was just really congested, or that her nose hurt from wiping it so much 🤦.

I still feel super guilty about it weeks later...My kiddo got some bubble gum flavored antibiotics and is a happy camper once again... Well, mostly a happy camper... I mean she is still a threenager after all....

So please someone tell me that something similar happened to them, so I don't feel like such a horrible Mother...