I agree- I hate taking care of my own children. Their checkups are done by their pediatrician in Dallas- a two hr. drive. My husband always teases me because I end up spending my Wed.(only) afternoon off sitting in a pediatrician's waiting room! This year she started taking Wed. afternoons off- how dare she:) Unfortunately I have had to treat otitis media, flare-ups of post-RSV wheezing if my youngest decides to get sick on a non-Wed. afternoon. Molly's 15 month checkup coincided with a horrible flu epidemic and I couldn't leave town so my nurse gave her an MMR and HIB. My insurance covers preventive care so I sent the bill for the immunizations to them-- they would not reimburse it because I was her mother. I promise- I didn't charge for services only vaccines:) When daughter number two cut her eyebrow requiring stitches my husband who is a general surgeon sutured while I held. The story that goes along with that is that we had gone down to the office to do it but at 18 months she was strong enough that we couldn't hold her down between us and walked next door to the ER with suture kit, betadine etc and used their papoose board. Dad sewed, I held and we still got an ER bill! My grandfather, father and four uncles and husband are all physicians and I really never developed a rapport with a physician of my own. I would like my daughters to have the ability to talk to their own doctor. My husband doesn't appreciate the fact that I truly feel uncomfortable treating my children but then again if you ask him if he'd take out their appendix or my gallbladder he'd say NO WAY!-- but I think it's because he says I'd nag him to much and be an impossible patient. Kim Burlingham, MD ---------- > From: Wayne Fellmeth <> > To: Ryan Werstuik <>; x2 PedTalk <> > Subject: Re: Compiling a list.... > Date: Thursday, August 21, 1997 7:41 PM > > The question of treating your own children is a tough one. I have taken > care of my own for Strep throat, otitis, allergies and other minor > ailments. BUT! anytime I'm uncomfortable, and more importantly, my wife is > worried, I have them examined by one of my associates. > I had the misfortune of being forced to hospitalize my own daughter with > pneumonia at 18mos of age while a solo pediatrician in the Air Force in > Turkey. Not a pleasant experience! If there had been a plane on the ground > I would have flown her to Germany (the closest American medical facility). > > ----- > Wayne G. Fellmeth, MD, FAAP > Hunterdon Pediatric Associates, pc > Flemington, NJ > > > Mental Floss prevents Moral Decay. > > --- > > > group.