Alex's first year check up.

So, Alex had his first birthday checkup last week. He weighed in at 24 pounds and 30 inches tall. (Roughly 75% for both.) (And I checked- very close to Claire at this age.) It was a rather frustrating checkup. It really cemented the idea that I need to find a new pediatrician, and fast. It's not that I don't like the doctor, or the nurses. Because I do in general, they are nice people. But the way their office is run and their general practices leave much to be desired. For this particular checkup, I had rescheduled from the week before. I accidentally scheduled it during playdate. So I rescheduled to the following week. When I rescheduled, I requested our doctor, like I always do. That's the first irritating thing about the office. They don't assign you a doctor. So if you want the same one all the time, you have to specifically ask. Now, I'm not opposed to seeing a different doc for a sick visit if it means we get in right away. We did that several times when our UT pediatrician was on maternity leave. And I did like the other doctor that we would see too. But I expect to see the same doctor for my kids' well visits and the majority of sick visits if possible. I expect to have ONE doctor that I am assigned to, that is my doctor. So I requested "our" doctor when I rescheduled the appointment. When we got there, I had to fill out some paperwork about autism and lead exposure. Claire started making a pile of toys at my feet. They called me back within minutes, which was great. But we left a pile of toys in the waiting room, which I felt bad about. And they took me down the wrong hallway. I thought that was odd. There are two hallways off different sides of the waiting room in this particular setup. And the nurse was different, but I have had her before. So I figured maybe they were just changing things up a bit. I don't know the way they run. My UT ped was very orderly- one nurse assigned to one doctor. I got to know nurse Debbie as well as I knew Dr Hull. Dr Hull always used certain exam rooms. Nurse Debbie almost always called me back when I had to leave a message for nursing staff, and she knew who I was and who Claire was and who Alex was. So, our MO office hasn't been that way all. I have seen two doctors and one nurse practitioner and several different nurses. I don't even know who answers the phones there- it always seems to be someone different. The two hallways seem to be separated, but I've had every room on the one hallway and seen different people in them. So it doesn't seem as orderly and organized. So back to the visit. The nurse measures Alex (who they don't even know is Alex. They constantly call him Mark, even though they say it's written on the chart- so apparently they don't bother reading the chart first.) and does his lead test and then tells me Dr P will be in to see me. Um, what? I made the appointment with Dr W. So the nurse goes out and tries to figure out what's going on and if Dr W can see us. Dr W does end up coming in, but she is there for literally 5 minutes. She asks if I have any questions, doesn't even look at the autism worksheet (not that I am worried, but I expect that if I fill something out you will at least look at it to see if there is something I should be informed about), and leaves. The nurse comes back in with the nurse from the "other" side and together they tag team and stick Alex 5 times in the thighs with his shots. It was harsh. I understand trying to get it done quick, but it seemed possibly more traumatic. And neither were very compassionate about it. Debbie always seemed to care. She would talk to the kids and apologize and be very friendly. These nurses- not so much. They are older. Maybe that makes a difference? Anyway, so after all the pokes, we are done. It was a quick appointment, which was nice, but the whole thing just left a sour taste in my mouth and a desire to find someone new. If every time I go in, I leave feeling disappointed, I think it's time to find something else. I don't care if I have to go to Wentzville or Lake St Louis (30-45 minutes away). It's worth it to me to have better care, not to mention a newer, nicer facility. You can feel the drafts coming in the windows of this building during winter. Not so great when you are sitting there with a naked 6 month old on your lap (happened when we first took Alex in).