When as a Mom Do You Know to Take Yourself to the Doctor?

I am probably not a great example. I pretty much never go to the doctor. The last time that I went for a sick visit was literally about 15 years ago. Seriously, if I feel THAT bad, the last thing that I want to do is sit in a waiting room for gosh knows how long before the doctor can get to me. I had a pretty miserable cold this week. However, there was no way that I was taking off work and paying a doctor copay to have them tell me to get lots of fluids and rest :)

I get infected throats and tonsillitis and sinus infections a lot. Whenever I know I've got one I get to the doctor quick smart. I can't afford to be out of action for long, and I know that a round of antibiotics will clear up the infections. Plays havoc with my yeast levels though.

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I get infected throats and tonsillitis and sinus infections a lot. Whenever I know I've got one I get to the doctor quick smart. I can't afford to be out of action for long, and I know that a round of antibiotics will clear up the infections. Plays havoc with my yeast levels though.

I don't know. It has been years since I have been to the doctor for sickness. I don't think any of my kids have been to the doctor for sickness in at least 4 years. When my youngest was a baby, she had croup really bad, and we took her in for that. Before that, it had been probably 4-5 years since they had gone. I have been able to treat everything else at home with no problem and quick results. We use homeopathics and essential oils. Oh, and we pretty much never use OTC drugs either. I think they just perpetuate illnesses by being so hard on your body. BTW, we also don't vaccinate, which I think makes our immune systems stronger. If I felt like it was out of control and I didn't see improvement, I would go in.

Well when my knee kept collapsing and I was falling over I decided to go to my orthopedic surgeon. An MRI later I tore my ACL in half. Apparently if I can get from point A to point B alive I don't go. When I can't move I go in.

I mean, come on, so I fell off a ladder holding a half a sheet of plywood and watched my knee bend at a very strange angle. No reason to think a doctor should look at that, right? So I went in a month later.....

I, and looking at my story ask yourself if you should really listen to me, would not consider going in at all with your symptoms.

Oh, I also proved you can work front line without going in for bacterial pneumonia. Did you know your body can fight such things off?

I don't go to the doctor until I feel like I am dying. :)
The last time I went I was admitted with "acute respiratory failure, anemia, and pneumonia". I was hospitalized for 4 days. The time before that I went to the hospital and was told I needed to get my gallbladder out and had surgery the next day!
I really don't go to the doctor unless I just can't make it. I can deal with a cold, body aches, stuffy nose, just being sick. It's when I feel like I just can't get better that I finally give in.
L.

If your teeth hurt then you've got a sinus infection-possibly impacted sinuses. I've had that three times this past year and it is miserable. I waited so long the first time that my teeth actually shifted out of position from the pressure. My bite has not been right since last May which of course is causing other problems. Now when I feel this coming on I RUN to the doctor. Antibiotics are the only thing that will help me.
Depends on how much you want to spend. Urgent care for me is $100. While a doctor visit is $40. For that $60.00 difference I could find a sitter.
Moms need to take care of themselves. You are not doing yourself or your family any favors by allowing an illness to linger.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon. Take care of yourself!

Go tomorrow if you can. You probably have a better shot at childcare on a weekend in terms of a spouse or friend being home. If you are not improving after 7+ days that is a good sign to get to the doctor.

BTW, I use heat and massage on my face and by my ears to try and get my sinuses to drain (plus OTC decongestant and nasal spray). A good night of sleep may help too. Some kind of a heat wrap by the neck and ears feels so good (for me muscles tense up on top of the congestion).

You have already gone fro a week with symptoms, and if they do not get drastically worse, I would wait until Monday.

I hate going to the doctor, and I try to avoid it at all costs. Unless I really think it's serious, I usually don't go. So, if it were me, with your symptoms for a week, I'd wait until the weekend was over before I call the doc. Rest, rest, rest, neti pot for sinus/runny nose, Mucinex, hot tea, chicken soup, steamy shower, and SLEEP if you can. If you still feel like crapola Monday, call the doc and see if they want you to come in. I hope you feel better. :)

Go to the Doctor, or Urgent Care.

Ya know, once I was sick. Common cold. It was not going away. I had a lot of coughing and phlegm.
Well so I finally went to the Doctor.
I had Pneumonia.
Not to mention, I am Asthmatic too.
So, that was very.... not good at all.
I was, sick.

You should go to the Urgent Care.
You can, get a secondary infection.
That can sometimes occur, too.

Or, what if you have the Flu?
Or something else?
Just get yourself, diagnosed.

I would bet you have a secondary infection by now. The teeth aching is a big indicator. I think it's time for a doctor's visit. Of course, you can't do anything for a virus but your virus has probably now turned into a bacterial infection (i.e. sinus infection or something else). If you have been feeling bad this long, and now worse, it's definitely a secondary infection. You'll probably need antibiotics.

I'm a big fan of waiting until I land in the ER (3 times this year-woop woop!), but what I would recommend to anyone else is go to urgent care so you get an antibiotic and feel better in 24 hours.

For myself... I usually know what's going on.

For example... I get pneumonia every winter. Some years are worse than others. I have a lung capacity of about 3x that of a normal person (even smoking, I can still hold my breath for 2 minutes). So I just chill out at home and take care of myself UNLESS I get a fever over 103 or my lungs fill up halfway with fluid. Last time that happened "my" doc was on holiday, and the sub didn't know me well enough. Listened and "clear" (aka too plugged to wheeze), and the air meter read "normal / good". I had to insist on an xray and he did it only after argument. Sure enough... my lungs were almost 2/3s occluded. He freaked a little bit.

I'm a strep carrier (apx 80% of those who work in healthcare are either staph or strep carriers... our systems just get used to being hosts). I know immediately when the strep has decided to try a new advance. So if salt water doesn't take care of it (strep is halophobic), I pop round for a z-pac.

If I KNOW what it is, I just pop into my doc's office in the morning. He's gotten used to me. If I go in saying x, he'll write me a scrip -or call up the specialist to get me there in the afternoon-, and then run labs "just to make sure". It's always been what I've thought it probably was.

If I DON'T know what it is... I go to the ER. Because they mystery things always happen over the weekend, don't they?

I don't go unless I have an identifiable problem, like a UTI. Or a major fever. Or a serious injury.

I have a deductable of > $6000 so I don't go if there is a chance that they'll send me home and tell me to rest and drink more fluids.

If I were you, I'd wait until Monday, unless you've had a fever for a few days, then I would guess a sinus infection which could benefit from antibiotics and the sooner the better. If no fever, I'd wait.

Yes, it's gone on way too long. I always worry about everyone else catching it. I hate to be sick, and in your case, enough is enough! :)
Go to the doctor and I hope you're better soon!

I'm like most of the posters. I'd rather just rest and drink plenty of fluids before spending the money to see a doctor. One thing I learned when I was pregnant was "plenty of fluids" means an 8-ounce glass of water on the hour, EVERY hour. It really flushes things out! I literally would watch the clock. Then I'd keep a bottle of water by my bedside in case I woke up during the night. Yes, you will spend lots of time in the bathroom, but I'd rather make several trips to the bathroom instead of the doctor.

You can even make it a game with the kids. Show them how to set a timer and tell them when it goes off, you need a glass or bottle of water. They will love having something they can do to make you feel better.