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tripdad
04-11-2005, 05:14 PM
last wednesday, i left straight from work to a poker tournament my wife and i play at each week. about an hour into it, my mom, who is babysitting, calls and tells me my youngest daughter(just turned 1) has not stopped screaming since she woke up from a nap just after my wife had left.

so, since my wife had about twice the chip stack i had(dumb luck), i volunteered to go home to see if i could get her calmed down.

when i got there, she was still crying, and just wouldn't stop. mom had mentioned she had tugged at her ear a couple times, but there was no fever. and for the previous 2-3 days, my other 3 daughters had passed around an upset stomach that resulted in a bit of vomitting. not knowing which was bothering the youngster, i called her doctor at home. he said to take her to the "fast track" at the hospital emergency room. if she had an ear infection, he wanted the antibiotics started immediately.

so, off i go. we get registered in and all, and by that time, the wee one calmed down considerably, and seemed OK. the nurse proceeded to get all the necessaries...blood pressure, heart rate, etc...which made my daughter cry some more. "next", says the nurse, "we need to get her temperature with an anal thermometer." i asked why it was necessary, and she told me that it was more accurate than other means of getting a child's temperature. "thanks, but no thanks" i said. we'll wait until morning to go to her doctor. he's never shoved anything up her ass. so, i left right then.

now, it may very well be more accurate to get a temp that way, but is 1/2 a degree off accurate going to change any doctor's diagnosis? when my triplets were born, they were in intensive care for the first 10 days of their lives, and no doctor ever stuck a foreign object in their butts. they had constant temperature monitoring by something they stuck on their foreheads. they also taught me to take their temperature at home using a thermometer under the arm. there is also a device that takes a temperature immediately from the inner ear. any of these could have been used with very little discomfort, not to mention it was quite obvious by touching her forehead that she did not have a fever.

all i wanted to know is did she have an ear infection. i couldn't see how inserting something in the poor girl's ass had any bearing on that. was i wrong for leaving, or did i do right by protecting her? <font color="white">BTW, she did not have an ear infection, nor did she have an upset stomach. she had a pebble/small rock in her shoe. </font>

cheers!

[censored]
04-11-2005, 05:21 PM
I don't really see what you were protecting her from unless you think the nurse was going to be getting off on putting the thermometer up her ass. That being said it does seem a bit strange.

thatpfunk
04-11-2005, 05:35 PM
Are you serious? Not exactly responsible parenting.

uw_madtown
04-11-2005, 05:39 PM
Taking a child's temperature by rectal thermometer is not uncommon.

Dynasty
04-11-2005, 05:43 PM
Is this summary correct? You took you child to the hospital for good reason, the nurse wanted to take her temperature rectally, and then you decided to leave and postpone her medical attention until the next morning?

Are you insane?

There's nothing wrong with taking a temperature rectally. You've got issues.

asofel
04-11-2005, 05:45 PM
[ QUOTE ]
last wednesday, i left straight from work to a poker tournament my wife and i play at each week. about an hour into it, my mom, who is babysitting, calls and tells me my youngest daughter(just turned 1) has not stopped screaming since she woke up from a nap just after my wife had left.

so, since my wife had about twice the chip stack i had(dumb luck), i volunteered to go home to see if i could get her calmed down.

when i got there, she was still crying, and just wouldn't stop. mom had mentioned she had tugged at her ear a couple times, but there was no fever. and for the previous 2-3 days, my other 3 daughters had passed around an upset stomach that resulted in a bit of vomitting. not knowing which was bothering the youngster, i called her doctor at home. he said to take her to the "fast track" at the hospital emergency room. if she had an ear infection, he wanted the antibiotics started immediately.

so, off i go. we get registered in and all, and by that time, the wee one calmed down considerably, and seemed OK. the nurse proceeded to get all the necessaries...blood pressure, heart rate, etc...which made my daughter cry some more. "next", says the nurse, "we need to get her temperature with an anal thermometer." i asked why it was necessary, and she told me that it was more accurate than other means of getting a child's temperature. "thanks, but no thanks" i said. we'll wait until morning to go to her doctor. he's never shoved anything up her ass. so, i left right then.

now, it may very well be more accurate to get a temp that way, but is 1/2 a degree off accurate going to change any doctor's diagnosis? when my triplets were born, they were in intensive care for the first 10 days of their lives, and no doctor ever stuck a foreign object in their butts. they had constant temperature monitoring by something they stuck on their foreheads. they also taught me to take their temperature at home using a thermometer under the arm. there is also a device that takes a temperature immediately from the inner ear. any of these could have been used with very little discomfort, not to mention it was quite obvious by touching her forehead that she did not have a fever.

all i wanted to know is did she have an ear infection. i couldn't see how inserting something in the poor girl's ass had any bearing on that. was i wrong for leaving, or did i do right by protecting her? <font color="white">BTW, she did not have an ear infection, nor did she have an upset stomach. she had a pebble/small rock in her shoe. </font>

cheers!

[/ QUOTE ]

you do know what response is coming soon? just warning...

vanirra rice
04-11-2005, 05:45 PM
You know what I think? You want to be the only one who gets to stick something in your daughter's rectum and you let your jealousy cloud your judgement.

tripdad
04-11-2005, 05:45 PM
i've been through ear infections before, and was almost certain this was not one. kids pull their ears for lots of reasons, and when there is an infection, there is almost always a fever.

cheers!

tripdad
04-11-2005, 05:51 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Taking a child's temperature by rectal thermometer is not uncommon.

[/ QUOTE ]

i am aware of this, i just don't understand why it is. if an ear thermometr is good enough for a family doctor, why isn't it for a hospital? if a stick on probe thingy is good enough for a newborn intensive care unit, why isn't it good enough for a non-emergency section of an emergency room?

cheers!

Edge34
04-11-2005, 05:51 PM
I'm not entirely sure what you were "protecting" the kid from. First, she's certainly not old enough to be as uncomfortable with the idea as her father is. Second, this is a medical professional we're talking about here, and your own doctor told you to take her here. There's a reason they're doing the job and you (and most of us) aren't, and that's because they know what they're doing.

Doc wanted to see what was going on and said to get it on antibiotics right away if it was an ear infection. Taking the child's temperature is going to be part of the diagnosis.

Where did you get your medical degree from? Sorry to come off like an ass, but I really have no idea what you were so worried about.

stabn
04-11-2005, 05:51 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Taking a child's temperature by rectal thermometer is not uncommon.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nor does it cause harm. The kid will never remember, and really, it is not like the thermometer is the size of a dildo.

adamstewart
04-11-2005, 05:54 PM
Read this link (THE ENTIRE THING). (http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html)

There is some info in that link that is very applicable to your questions.

That said, you went to the hospital for their help and advice. I think you should have taken it. You'd have really been sorry if this turns/turned out to be something serious.


FWIW, it seems you have some problems with the notion of having things inserted into one's anus. (Please note that doing such does not equate to homosexuality). Measuring infants' temperatures via the rectum is not unusual. Further food for thought is that in a few decades you too will/should be undergoing regular rectal exams by your physician...


I'm not a parent yet, but I think I can at least rationalize your protectiveness over your children. Kudos for that, anyway (kinda).

I think in the future it would be mutually beneficial for you to have a thorough, open-minded, discussion with your health practitioners regarding any health questions you have. It will help everyone find a common ground, and the 'ideal' treatment course will from there.....


Adam

adamstewart
04-11-2005, 05:57 PM
perhaps different hospitals/centers have different protocols (insurance, legislation, patient care issues).... and protocols may change with continued, updated information.

I don't know for sure... but these are possibilities.

7ontheline
04-11-2005, 06:09 PM
You're an idiot. I hope your daughter is OK. I hope next time your wife takes care of her.

Klepton
04-11-2005, 06:12 PM
i thought this was a "LOST" thread discussion of episode "do no harm"

you made me waste 2 minutes

tripdad
04-11-2005, 06:14 PM
let me say that, in the interest of being as succinct as possible, i left out some things. first, my daughter had calmed down on the car ride to the hospital, and for the 20 minutes or so we waited to register, she seemed just fine. she wanted to read books/play, etc. she only started fussing again when the nurse started getting blood pressure, etc...i felt very confident in my decision to leave, and would not have if i felt i was putting her in danger.

i felt strongly there was nothing really wrong with her. there have been other times when my other daughters had sporadic fevers with no other symptoms where the doctor told us to give it a day or so on tylenol and call back if the fever comes back, etc... and i thought something really was wrong. in one instance, i was insistent that she see a doctor that day, and it turned out to be a UTI, and that daughter had to get a spinal tap to make sure it had not become meningitis...when she was 6 months old and in the hospital for 5 days.

so, this was a PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, and i'm not one to take sickness lightly. sometimes a fathers instinct is as good as gold, as it was in this case(did you read the results in white?).

cheers!

wayabvpar
04-11-2005, 06:17 PM
On a related note- how can you tell the difference between an oral thermometer and a rectal themometer?

Answer in white-
<font color="white">The taste </font>


As for the OP, I think you made a huge overreaction. Rectal thermometers are used all the times on kids. I don't understand your reluctance to allow a health care professional help your child. It wasn't like they wanted to perform some risky surgery!

Edge34
04-11-2005, 06:21 PM
[ QUOTE ]
so, this was a PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, and i'm not one to take sickness lightly. sometimes a fathers instinct is as good as gold, as it was in this case(did you read the results in white?).

cheers!

[/ QUOTE ]

1) When posting results in white, its normally done with excess space so as to clue in the rest of us. Just adding a sentence didn't separate anything enough for me to see it.

2) You're too results-oriented. You'd probably feel like a tool if it hadn't been a rock in her shoe.

3) I still think you have anal issues. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Dynasty
04-11-2005, 06:23 PM
[ QUOTE ]
sometimes a fathers instinct is as good as gold, as it was in this case(did you read the results in white?).
!

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason people are reacting the way they are is becasue your "instinct" only kicked in when your child was going to be anally penatrated. So, people don't think this has anything to do with your paternal instincts to protect your child. They think you oversensitive to anal penatration.

smiely
04-11-2005, 06:25 PM
[ QUOTE ]
if an ear thermometr is good enough for a family doctor, why isn't it for a hospital?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now, I haven't had an ear thermometer used on me for many years, if ever, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but would a family doctor use an ear thermometer on someone that they suspected had an ear infection? Wouldn't that just cause more damage and discomfort if there was an ear-related problem?

tripdad
04-11-2005, 06:33 PM
[ QUOTE ]

The reason people are reacting the way they are is becasue your "instinct" only kicked in when your child was going to be anally penatrated. So, people don't think this has anything to do with your paternal instincts to protect your child. They think you oversensitive to anal penatration.

[/ QUOTE ]

i may perhaps be oversensitive to anal penetration, but i really don't think so. my wife has no real problem with it, and i can remember getting a suppository or two when growing up, and i'm sure i got a rectal temperature taken as an infant before the other ways were even invented. i am no less a man because of those things. now, one time, my wife tried to put a finger in there, and i didn't like it, and won't let her do that anymore.

the problem i have in this case, is that it was completely unnecessary. they could have simply looked into her ear. if it was red, then they could have proceeded accordingly. they didn't even need to check blood pressure and heart rate. plus, one can get a temperature by other means. why must they give maximum discomfort to take a temp?

cheers!

astroglide
04-11-2005, 06:51 PM
[ QUOTE ]
why must they give maximum discomfort to take a temp?

[/ QUOTE ]

dude, it's not a louisville slugger

[censored]
04-11-2005, 07:02 PM
[ QUOTE ]


They think you oversensitive to anal penatration.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to admit that I am guilty as this as well.

Edge34
04-11-2005, 07:03 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
why must they give maximum discomfort to take a temp?

[/ QUOTE ]

dude, it's not a louisville slugger

[/ QUOTE ]

And look at the handle of the guy who posted it.

Somehow I dobut they're going to assault your child's ass with anything that could potentially harm her...like I said, they've got the med school educations...

SpearsBritney
04-11-2005, 07:08 PM
I wouldn't let anyone put anything in my daughters ass without proper negotiations first.

Inthacup
04-11-2005, 07:10 PM
the problem i have in this case, is that it was completely unnecessary. they could have simply looked into her ear. if it was red, then they could have proceeded accordingly. they didn't even need to check blood pressure and heart rate.

these are PROFESSIONALS. You're convinced that they should only be checking for an ear infection because she tugged on her ear? last time I checked, you weren't tripdad M.D., so you're in no position to deem what is necessary and unnecessary.

BradL
04-11-2005, 07:12 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Are you serious? Not exactly responsible parenting.

[/ QUOTE ]

BradL
04-11-2005, 07:13 PM
Are you a doctor?

BradL
04-11-2005, 07:16 PM
[ QUOTE ]

these are PROFESSIONALS. You're convinced that they should only be checking for an ear infection because she tugged on her ear? last time I checked, you weren't tripdad M.D., so you're in no position to deem what is necessary and unnecessary.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said. Much better put than my "are you a doctor?" question.

-Brad

Edge34
04-11-2005, 07:17 PM
But not quite as prick-ish as my "Where did you get your medical degree from?" line... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Chairman Wood
04-11-2005, 07:24 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't let anyone put anything in my daughters ass without proper negotiations first.

[/ QUOTE ]
When can we begin negotiations? Conference calls or in person?

BadBoyBenny
04-11-2005, 07:46 PM
I would have called her doctor again at home and found out if this was the recommended procedure. The nurse should at least be able to give a logical reason why the other temperature taking methods are not sufficient.

Blarg
04-11-2005, 08:47 PM
[ QUOTE ]
i've been through ear infections before, and was almost certain this was not one. kids pull their ears for lots of reasons, and when there is an infection, there is almost always a fever.

cheers!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not at all true. Some people have chronic sinus infections for years, for instance, without fevers. Sometimes they don't even realize it. A friend of mine had that, bad enough that eventually she had to go through all kinds of surgeries. A sinus sounds as good as an ear to me.

Besides, haven't you ever had an infected toe or something? I've had some pretty fierce infections without running a temperature.

Blarg
04-11-2005, 08:49 PM
[ QUOTE ]
let me say that, in the interest of being as succinct as possible, i left out some things. first, my daughter had calmed down on the car ride to the hospital, and for the 20 minutes or so we waited to register, she seemed just fine. she wanted to read books/play, etc. she only started fussing again when the nurse started getting blood pressure, etc...i felt very confident in my decision to leave, and would not have if i felt i was putting her in danger.

i felt strongly there was nothing really wrong with her. there have been other times when my other daughters had sporadic fevers with no other symptoms where the doctor told us to give it a day or so on tylenol and call back if the fever comes back, etc... and i thought something really was wrong. in one instance, i was insistent that she see a doctor that day, and it turned out to be a UTI, and that daughter had to get a spinal tap to make sure it had not become meningitis...when she was 6 months old and in the hospital for 5 days.

so, this was a PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, and i'm not one to take sickness lightly. sometimes a fathers instinct is as good as gold, as it was in this case(did you read the results in white?).

cheers!

[/ QUOTE ]

But you didn't know that.

You were just gambling.

I suggest you have anal sex as soon as possible so you can get over this hang-up.

daryn
04-11-2005, 09:36 PM
your daughter will become a porn star specializing in the as[/b]s. that is all.

elwoodblues
04-11-2005, 09:37 PM
[ QUOTE ]
The nurse should at least be able to give a logical reason why the other temperature taking methods are not sufficient.

[/ QUOTE ]

She did. She told him (correctly) that it is more accurate.

elwoodblues
04-11-2005, 09:42 PM
You might consider your fatherly instincts to be great, but somehow I doubt that you'd be posting this story if it turns out the next day your daughter had a 105 degree temperature and appropriate medications could have been administered the night before to relieve her.


[ QUOTE ]
when my triplets were born, they were in intensive care for the first 10 days of their lives, and no doctor ever stuck a foreign object in their butts

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you ever think that maybe the procedures for (presumably) premature newborns is different than for a 1 year old? My understanding is that they don't recommend anal thermometers for newborns because they are a lot smaller than 1 year olds and the thermometer can't safely be inserted far enough to get an accurate reading. They'll still do it if they need to get an accurate reading, but will rely on the less accurate armpit for the day to day readings.

Dead
04-11-2005, 10:19 PM
You are a bad father.

Skipbidder
04-12-2005, 12:01 AM
[ QUOTE ]
If she had an ear infection, he wanted the antibiotics started immediately.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reasonable.

[ QUOTE ]
So, off i go. we get registered in and all, and by that time, the wee one calmed down considerably, and seemed OK. the nurse proceeded to get all the necessaries...blood pressure, heart rate, etc...which made my daughter cry some more. "next", says the nurse, "we need to get her temperature with an anal thermometer."

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably said "rectal" thermometer, but not relevant to the story.

[ QUOTE ]
I asked why it was necessary, and she told me that it was more accurate than other means of getting a child's temperature.

[/ QUOTE ]

She's right. It is the most accurate. The pediatricians care about temperature to tenths of a degree to a considerably larger degree than internists. I can't really tell you why--my youngest patient on the floor right now is 81. /images/graemlins/smile.gif If you are really interested, I could do a lit search for you while I am on call tomorrow. It is likely to be a ridiculously boring answer.

[ QUOTE ]
"thanks, but no thanks" i said. we'll wait until morning to go to her doctor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that you made a mistake, but you really are unlikely to have done any harm.

[ QUOTE ]
He's never shoved anything up her ass.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that you should engage in some introspection about this issue. This is the normal method of taking temperatures in this age group. There are some medicines which would be administered rectally for her as well. Do you think that she cares or will remember? You wipe her ass with wet naps all the time. She's going to get vaginal exams and breast exams during her life as well. There is a fair chance she'll get at least one rectal too. You should also be getting some along the way. Please don't allow your squeamishness to potentially interfere with your health like you did for your daughter.

[ QUOTE ]
Now, it may very well be more accurate to get a temp that way, but is 1/2 a degree off accurate going to change any doctor's diagnosis?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe. They get picky about this sort of thing. I'll do that lit search because now I'm curious about it.

[ QUOTE ]
When my triplets were born, they were in intensive care for the first 10 days of their lives, and no doctor ever stuck a foreign object in their butts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good. Rectal temperatures are inappropriate in neonates. It is a safety issue.

[ QUOTE ]
They had constant temperature monitoring by something they stuck on their foreheads. they also taught me to take their temperature at home using a thermometer under the arm.

[/ QUOTE ]

Less accurate, but better than nothing. Your accuracy needs as far as monitoring temperature at home are different than a doc's need to monitor it in a sick kid.

[ QUOTE ]
There is also a device that takes a temperature immediately from the inner ear.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps not so good in potential ear infection.

[ QUOTE ]
Any of these could have been used with very little discomfort,

[/ QUOTE ]

The discomfort here wouldn't have been your daughter's. It would have been yours.

[ QUOTE ]
not to mention it was quite obvious by touching her forehead that she did not have a fever.

[/ QUOTE ]

People aren't so great at assessing temperature by touch. I pulled up two metastudies which showed surprising error rate for parents in assessing whether their child had fever. One study showed 76-86% accuracy; the other 82-89%.

[ QUOTE ]
All i wanted to know is did she have an ear infection.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think that you wanted to know quite badly enough.

[ QUOTE ]
I couldn't see how inserting something in the poor girl's ass had any bearing on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you REALLY think you have the qualifications to judge this? Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and respiratory rate are routine parts of your visit to any doc. These are non-invasive (despite your feelings otherwise), useful, inexpensive measures. We take them as a matter of course.

[ QUOTE ]
Was i wrong for leaving,

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you were wrong, and it isn't close.

[ QUOTE ]
or did i do right by protecting her?

[/ QUOTE ]

You didn't protect her. You exposed her to (a fairly small) risk of harm.

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, she did not have an ear infection, nor did she have an upset stomach. she had a pebble/small rock in her shoe.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good. No harm done this time. Please consider carefully whether or not you wish to place your own issues ahead of your daughter's health in the future. You should have found out that she had no ear infection earlier, without having to go to your regular doc.

BTW, the use of antibiotics in kids with single episode of ear infection is a subject of debate. Infections will resolve in less than two weeks 80% of the time without antibiotics. (Rate is 95% with antibiotics...some bacteria are resistant to the first line antibiotic choices.) The real reason to treat the infection at all is to try to prevent progression to chronic ear infections or to mastoiditis or meningitis.

Blarg
04-12-2005, 12:24 AM
Nice to hear from a doctor.

Not that I am one, but I just want to remark on the last lines of yours. I can see a good reason to treat ear infections -- they are excruciating and can give you really sharp, piercing pain. Not like the kind in your foot you can just more or less ignore, either. With an ear infection, every time you chew, open your mouth, swallow, cough, sneeze, yawn, practically even breathe, you can either feel new pain or become very aware of the constant pain you're in. Since it's in your head, it's always at the forefront of your attention and perception. That's hard enough as an adult, but for a kid, it's an even more outsize misery.

I'm sure if I were a parent, I would be pushing for whatever I could to get my kid out of that misery as soon as possible. I've had nasty ear infections, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

mikeyvegas
04-12-2005, 12:26 AM
[ QUOTE ]
You are a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's not fair.

daryn
04-12-2005, 12:28 AM
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
You are a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's not fair.

[/ QUOTE ]

to the kid? def. not.

mikeyvegas
04-12-2005, 12:36 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You are a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's not fair.

[/ QUOTE ]

to the kid? def. not.

[/ QUOTE ]

To say he's a bad father cause he didnt want something shoved up his kid's ass is really unfair. I beleive he made a mistake in this instance but is this really all we should use to label him as a bad father.

Skipbidder
04-12-2005, 02:00 AM
Yeah, I should have said something else instead. Preventing long term hearing loss, mastoiditis, and meningitis seemed like more important reasons to me when I was writing, but obviously pain alleviation is important too. I personally have permanent hearing loss from recurrent ear infections when I was a kid. It was miserable to have them.

Dead
04-12-2005, 02:01 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You are a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's not fair.

[/ QUOTE ]

to the kid? def. not.

[/ QUOTE ]

To say he's a bad father cause he didnt want something shoved up his kid's ass is really unfair. I beleive he made a mistake in this instance but is this really all we should use to label him as a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

My mom stuck a rectal thermometer up my ass when I had a fever as a baby. It's standard operating procedure, because it's the most accurate method.

I stand by my original comment.

natedogg
04-12-2005, 02:19 AM
This happened to me once as well. I took my son into the urgent care because I was pretty confident he had an infection.

The nurse insisted on taking his temperature with a rectal thermometer. The point is that the kid was frazzled and sick and now she wants to stick something up his ass. Well guess what moron, HE FREAKED OUT! He screamed and screamed and fought and after a couple minutes I said, "Ok listen, he's not going to let you do it ok?"

She says, "we have to do it" and I said, "no you don't. He'll live".

I have an electronic ear thermometer at home. It costs $69. The hospital is ripping off taxpayers and and insureds alike on an hourly basis charging ungodly exporbitant fees for things like basic cotton swabs. If I had known these idiots wouldn't have one, I would have brought my own.

WHY THE HELL DON"T THEY HAVE A $69 ELECTRIC EAR THERMOMETER FOR USING ON KIDS WHO WILL OTHERWISE GET HYSTERICAL?

Morons.

Tripdad, you were right. These posters here don't know anything. Ignorance is bliss. Wait til they have kids. ANd yes, my child had just got around to calming down too, and the stupid nurse decided she just HAD to make him hysterical. ARGGGGHGHGH

Lesson learned: Always bring your electornic ear thermometer to the ER with your kid, because the cheapass hospital probably won't have one.

natedogg

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 09:22 AM
Are you serious? A rectum reading is pretty standard. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 09:24 AM
[ QUOTE ]
My mom stuck a rectal thermometer up my ass when I had a fever as a baby. It's standard operating procedure...

[/ QUOTE ]

Your mom operated on you too?

texaspimp
04-12-2005, 09:37 AM
I'm pretty sure tripdad would have allowed the rectal thermometer if it had been a Michael Jackson licensed model, "The brown eye special"; or Dora the Explorer.

nicky g
04-12-2005, 09:38 AM
If it was upsetting a great deal him I can see that they should have found another way to do it. But just flat out leaving in the circumstances the original poster did is bizarre.

Blarg
04-12-2005, 11:40 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I should have said something else instead. Preventing long term hearing loss, mastoiditis, and meningitis seemed like more important reasons to me when I was writing, but obviously pain alleviation is important too. I personally have permanent hearing loss from recurrent ear infections when I was a kid. It was miserable to have them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Swim team did it for me. Now I can't even turn upside down under water or use a diving board because all those ear infections messed up my ears so much. No idea how much my hearing might have been affected, but I'm used to whatever level it's at and it seems okay enough. I'm still blasted off the couch whenever I'm watching t.v. and some stupid car commercial comes on.

willie
04-12-2005, 11:44 AM
i haven't read other responses but don't be such a prude, it'snot sexual, it's an anal thermometer reading for crissakes

if you're that paranoid of your starfish, you may have a never diagnosed prostate issue in the future.

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 12:05 PM
[ QUOTE ]
BTW, the use of antibiotics in kids with single episode of ear infection is a subject of debate. Infections will resolve in less than two weeks 80% of the time without antibiotics. (Rate is 95% with antibiotics...some bacteria are resistant to the first line antibiotic choices.) The real reason to treat the infection at all is to try to prevent progression to chronic ear infections or to mastoiditis or meningitis.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm on the anti-antibiotic side of this debate. These kids' immune systems are all screwed up as a result of overmedication. They have no immunity to anything because their bodies have become completely dependent on external sources for fighting infection.

They also have no tolerance for even moderate discomfort. I'm not saying kids should have to writhe in agony before doing something, but a little discomfort is character building.

IMO this is an important issue for your child's health. Decide where you stand, and make sure you pediatrician has a similar philosophy. But in general, from what I've had many doctors tell me, take your kid to the doctor when you suspect an ear infection. If it's not absolutely raging, let it clear up naturally. Some non-antibiotic eardrops may help keep it clean, etc. If it seems to be getting worse, or causing extreme pain, take the kid back to the doctor and re-evaluate.

adsman
04-12-2005, 12:09 PM
I'm with Natedog on this one, word for word. The majority of doctors that I've had to deal with in my life have been, unfortunatly, arrogant, ignorant pricks, hiding behind a medical degree which they use as an excuse to stop expanding their knowledge. Not to mention the fact that a lot of them are just glorified drug pushers. I was seriously ill a few years ago with an "incurable disease" that the mediacal freternity thinks is treatable only with anabolic steroids for life. 4 months of searching and I found a doctor who cured me permanently in 3 weeks. That was seven years ago, no recurrance of the symptoms.

Now, these were doctors. This was a frigging nurse for chrissakes. And she sounds like a typical linear thinking slag who was not at all interested in the patients wellfare, but just in following her preferred treatment plan and letting her ego get in the way.

Honestly guys, the majority of you just have no idea what the hell you're talking about. You're the type of people who take no interest in your health until you're sick, then you go to a doctor expecting an immediate fix. I respect a parent who is able to think for himself and not be influenced by the so-called sanctity of the medical community. By your common reasoning, every doctor and nurse in the world are able to effectively do their job and know more than you do about common-sense health issues. Bullshiit.

ddollevoet
04-12-2005, 12:10 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Morons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, you are the one sounding like a moron here.

[ QUOTE ]
Wait til they have kids.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got 2 kids. If they are sick enough to go to the hospital, they are sick enough to endure diagnostic procedures.

My kids never want to take their medicine. Should I just let them not take it because they'll cry when I try to give it to them? Should I buy them toys and candy at the store because they'll cry and have tantrums if I say no?

I agree with a previous poster that the risks here were probably small in this case, but wouldn't you sleep better knowing that trained professionals used the proper techniques to help find out what is wrong with your kids?

ddollevoet
04-12-2005, 12:15 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Honestly guys, the majority of you just have no idea what the hell you're talking about. You're the type of people who take no interest in your health until you're sick, then you go to a doctor expecting an immediate fix.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, this explains YOUR situation exactly as you described it.

pudley4
04-12-2005, 01:12 PM
[ QUOTE ]
my youngest daughter(just turned 1) has not stopped screaming since she woke up from a nap

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, she did not have an ear infection, nor did she have an upset stomach. she had a pebble/small rock in her shoe

[/ QUOTE ]

Why does she sleep with shoes on?

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 01:20 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
my youngest daughter(just turned 1) has not stopped screaming since she woke up from a nap

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
BTW, she did not have an ear infection, nor did she have an upset stomach. she had a pebble/small rock in her shoe

[/ QUOTE ]

Why does she sleep with shoes on?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why does a 1 year-old wear shoes at all unless it's really really cold and she's outside?

tripdad
04-12-2005, 01:58 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Why does a 1 year-old wear shoes at all unless it's really really cold and she's outside?

[/ QUOTE ]

it's easier for her to walk with shoes on. she fell asleep with said shoes on, and in the interest of not waking her, my wife left them on her.

cheers!

tripdad
04-12-2005, 02:04 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Read this link (THE ENTIRE THING). (http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html)

[/ QUOTE ]

did nobody else read any of this? it says if the child is under 3 months old, a rectal thermometer is the preferred method. my daughter is 1 year old. they could have used any of the other methods to take her temperature.

actually, the most accurate way to get a temp is with a mercury thermometer. they don't use those anymore because there is a small degree of danger involved(though i've never heard of anyone being harmed by a mercury thermometer administered by a medical professional)

cheers!

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 02:08 PM
[ QUOTE ]
did nobody else read any of this? it says if the child is under 3 months old, a rectal thermometer is the preferred method. my daughter is 1 year old. they could have used any of the other methods to take her temperature.

actually, the most accurate way to get a temp is with a mercury thermometer. they don't use those anymore because there is a small degree of danger involved(though i've never heard of anyone being harmed by a mercury thermometer administered by a medical professional)

cheers!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. And they generally use the mercury thermometer rectally on small children. Christ! Are you really this crazy. It's standard to take a small child's temperature rectally! Get over it!

Nick-Zack
04-12-2005, 02:19 PM
[ QUOTE ]

It's standard to take a small child's temperature rectally! Get over it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Neither of my sons have ever (or would I have allowed them to be traumatized this way) had their temperature taken rectally.

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 02:23 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

It's standard to take a small child's temperature rectally! Get over it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Neither of my sons have ever (or would I have allowed them to be traumatized this way) had their temperature taken rectally.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is [censored] hilarious! I can't belive there are this many retarts here. Wtf is wrong with you people? It doesn't traumatize them. It's standard. They'll never remember it. Do you wipe their asses? Or ina girl's case her vagina? Or does that traumatize them? I hope your kids never need a suppository, or God help them an enema, which are also fairly standard for certain childhood maladies. You people are freaks.

Nick-Zack
04-12-2005, 02:27 PM
What childhood malady requires an enema?

daryn
04-12-2005, 02:29 PM
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />

It's standard to take a small child's temperature rectally! Get over it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Neither of my sons have ever (or would I have allowed them to be traumatized this way) had their temperature taken rectally.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is [censored] hilarious! I can't belive there are this many retarts here. Wtf is wrong with you people? It doesn't traumatize them. It's standard. They'll never remember it. Do you wipe their asses? Or ina girl's case her vagina? Or does that traumatize them? I hope your kids never need a suppository, or God help them an enema, which are also fairly standard for certain childhood maladies. You people are freaks.

[/ QUOTE ]

whoa, for once i agree 100% with.. .err... inchoatehand.

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 02:31 PM
[ QUOTE ]
What childhood malady requires an enema?

[/ QUOTE ]

constipation. kids can get impacted.

SpearsBritney
04-12-2005, 02:45 PM
Any doctor (and there are alot of them) who needs to stick anything up a child's ass is clearly a child molester and should be arrested. I recommend that you notify the authorities immediately. This is malpractice, and needs to stop before it gets out of control. Right now there are literally millions of children with thermometers sticking out of their asses for the sick twisted enjoyment of some pedophiliac doctor going totaly unnoticed and unpunished.

Fins
04-12-2005, 03:48 PM
You may think rectal thermometers are gross but other methods can be off on the order of degrees, not just tenths. For children under 3, accurate temperature is best determined rectally. The fact that it played a part in your reasoning for leaving the doc's office is ridiculous!

Edge34
04-12-2005, 04:16 PM
Come on people, I can't believe this thread is still going on...

It is well beyond obvious that the OP's reasoning for not allowing the temperature to be taken in the nurse's recommended way was his severe level of discomfort with anything regarding the anus. Homophobia comes to mind. Of course, it was his daughter, so let's not talk about possible ramifications of having her temperature taken rectally, which would cause not only immeasurable physical damage immediately, but also likely cause the child to eventually become a mass murderer and cocaine addict in the future.

Wow. The fact that this is even a debate boggles my mind...

InchoateHand
04-12-2005, 04:22 PM
I have to ask this, but where on earth do people come from that have never had their own temp taken rectally, or are even aware that this is pretty much the standard way of taking it for a small child? Do you live in caves? In trees? Trailer parks? What color is the sky in your world?

Blarg
04-12-2005, 04:59 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I'm with Natedog on this one, word for word. The majority of doctors that I've had to deal with in my life have been, unfortunatly, arrogant, ignorant pricks, hiding behind a medical degree which they use as an excuse to stop expanding their knowledge. Not to mention the fact that a lot of them are just glorified drug pushers. I was seriously ill a few years ago with an "incurable disease" that the mediacal freternity thinks is treatable only with anabolic steroids for life. 4 months of searching and I found a doctor who cured me permanently in 3 weeks. That was seven years ago, no recurrance of the symptoms.

Now, these were doctors. This was a frigging nurse for chrissakes. And she sounds like a typical linear thinking slag who was not at all interested in the patients wellfare, but just in following her preferred treatment plan and letting her ego get in the way.

Honestly guys, the majority of you just have no idea what the hell you're talking about. You're the type of people who take no interest in your health until you're sick, then you go to a doctor expecting an immediate fix. I respect a parent who is able to think for himself and not be influenced by the so-called sanctity of the medical community. By your common reasoning, every doctor and nurse in the world are able to effectively do their job and know more than you do about common-sense health issues. Bullshiit.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure the nurses do what they are told to do by the doctors.

And I'm sure the doctors do what they are told to do by their lawyers and by insurance companies.

Don't shoot the messenger.

ArchAngel71857
04-12-2005, 05:03 PM
Which god did you piss off to get four daughters?

-AA

Sponger15SB
04-12-2005, 05:09 PM
[ QUOTE ]
To say he's a bad father cause he didnt want something shoved up his kid's ass is really unfair. I beleive he made a mistake in this instance but is this really all we should use to label him as a bad father.

[/ QUOTE ]

No he is a bad father because he took his child to a hospital in an emergency and then LEFT THE FREAKING HOSPITAL.

masse75
04-12-2005, 06:19 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Taking a child's temperature by rectal thermometer is not FUN.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

tripdad
04-12-2005, 07:16 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Come on people, I can't believe this thread is still going on...

It is well beyond obvious that the OP's reasoning for not allowing the temperature to be taken in the nurse's recommended way was his severe level of discomfort with anything regarding the anus. Homophobia comes to mind. Of course, it was his daughter, so let's not talk about possible ramifications of having her temperature taken rectally, which would cause not only immeasurable physical damage immediately, but also likely cause the child to eventually become a mass murderer and cocaine addict in the future.

Wow. The fact that this is even a debate boggles my mind...

[/ QUOTE ]

and i can't believe most everyone here more or less agrees with you. i left because a) there was NO MEDICAL NEED to take her temperature rectally, yet the nurse insisted upon it. i am the father, and i get to choose what type of care my daughters receive(no matter my reasoning). in this case, i thought she'd be better off going home with me instead of staying at a place with such inanely rigid attitudes. and b) she had stopped crying and did not look, feel or seem sick at all. again, i was there for PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, not an emergency.

cheers!

tripdad
04-12-2005, 07:18 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Are you serious? A rectum reading is pretty standard. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

if it were necessary to do it this way, i would certainly have no problem. IT ISN'T NECESSARY...why is it still considered standard? CHANGE THE STANDARD!

cheers!

natedogg
04-12-2005, 09:36 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Morons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, you are the one sounding like a moron here.

[ QUOTE ]
Wait til they have kids.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got 2 kids. If they are sick enough to go to the hospital, they are sick enough to endure diagnostic procedures.

My kids never want to take their medicine. Should I just let them not take it because they'll cry when I try to give it to them? Should I buy them toys and candy at the store because they'll cry and have tantrums if I say no?

I agree with a previous poster that the risks here were probably small in this case, but wouldn't you sleep better knowing that trained professionals used the proper techniques to help find out what is wrong with your kids?

[/ QUOTE ]

Proper techniques my ass.

Again, why don't they have a $69 electric ear thermometer for toddlers? It makes no sense.

The nurse was a moron. The kid wasn't going to let it happen. You think you can shove a thermometer up a kid's ass who is squirming and screaming and kicking and fighting? You really think so? You think you can just tell them "Hey, I'm your dad now listen to me and take your medicine!"

If so, I have serious doubts that you are actually a parent, because you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

natedogg

adamstewart
04-12-2005, 11:18 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

It's standard to take a small child's temperature rectally! Get over it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Neither of my sons have ever (or would I have allowed them to be traumatized this way) had their temperature taken rectally.

[/ QUOTE ]

You, and the others who share your views, have issues.


Adam Stewart
Class of Medicine 2007

JoeU
04-12-2005, 11:19 PM
Ok, I've read through this entire post from here, and frankly, I'm a little shocked.

For all the idiots that think taking a rectal temperature is some kind of Michael Jackson maschicist witchcraft thought up by sick doctors and nurses, you need a CAT scan, and quickly. Your brains may have just leaked out of your foramen magnum (look it up!).

No one has mentioned WHY a rectal temp is the most accurate. It takes a measure of the body's CORE temperature. That would be the temp that effects all of your vital organs. Ear and oral thermometers are not nearly as accurate beacuse they can't measure it.

tripdad, you made a judgement call, luckily it wasn't a mistake in this instance.

Natedogg, I read your post about the money hungry hospitals and what they charge. Have you any clue as to 1)What it costs to run a hospital, 2)What they pay in malpractice insurance, and 3) what they get reimbursed by insurance? Hospitals finish in the red almost every year because they end up providing care to many people who have no insurance and no way to pay. Medicare (which sets the reimbursement costs for the rest of the insurance industry) pays less and less every year for the same service. When was the last time you took a pay cut every year? Some doctors pay over $250,000 a year in malpractice insurance because the medicine they practice is considered "high risk" by the insurance companies.

And for those of you who think I'm spouting off and I have no idea what I'm talking about: I was a licensed EMT, worked in an ER, currently sell medical equipment, have a college degree in a field that allows me to speak intelligently about this stuff, and I have a 22 month old daughter which had to have surgery to remove an ovarian cyst the day after she was born. She was also 5 weeks early beecause these "wacky" doctors induced labor so they could perform the surgery.

BTW, the easiest way to help a constipated child without meds is to...........stick a thermometer up their butt. Look it up!

Joe

natedogg
04-12-2005, 11:34 PM
A simple yes or no will suffice here:

Have you ever tried to use a rectal thermometer on a hysterical, kicking screaming feverish two year old?

Just curious.

natedogg

JoeU
04-12-2005, 11:41 PM
Yes.

Joe

ravballz
04-12-2005, 11:49 PM
IT IS good enough for a hospital. All hospitals in Norway use ear thermomethers no matter what might be wrong with the patient.

Sifmole
04-12-2005, 11:58 PM
The difference you are overlooking is that you were at an EMERGENCY ROOM in a HOSPITAL. They do the same 13 tests on every single friggin person that goes past those doors and sits on one of the uncomfortable tables. One of those 13 tests is to take the patients temperature.

Why? and why do they insist? its a little something called malpractice lawsuits.

New001
04-13-2005, 12:02 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Have you ever tried to use a rectal thermometer on a hysterical, kicking screaming feverish two year old?

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
first, my daughter had calmed down on the car ride to the hospital, and for the 20 minutes or so we waited to register, she seemed just fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

vulturesrow
04-13-2005, 12:09 AM
[ QUOTE ]
IT IS good enough for a hospital. All hospitals in Norway use ear thermomethers no matter what might be wrong with the patient.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if Norway does it than it must be the best. [/sarcasm]

Dead
04-13-2005, 12:15 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
IT IS good enough for a hospital. All hospitals in Norway use ear thermomethers no matter what might be wrong with the patient.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if Norway does it than it must be the best. [/sarcasm]

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought that was an Arfinn Madsen post after I read the word Norway.

FishBurger
04-13-2005, 12:33 AM
Maybe all they had were butt thermometers. You wouldn't want them to stick a butt thermometer in her mouth would you?

Edge34
04-13-2005, 12:33 AM
[ QUOTE ]
i left because a) there was NO MEDICAL NEED to take her temperature rectally, yet the nurse insisted upon it. i am the father, and i get to choose what type of care my daughters receive(no matter my reasoning).

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, god forbid she does her job the way she's been trained in med school to do it. As others have said, you got lucky this time, but there is absolutely NO way you could be certain it was unnecessary to take her temperature. And if the doctor says that's the best way to do it, well, he's probably a little smarter about these things than I am.

Come on trip, the answer here is pretty clear. The reason so many posters seem to agree is because there was no reason to be as freaked out by the word "rectal" as you were. Plain and simple.

You're right - you do get to choose the type of attention your daughters get, for whatever reason you have. I assume you'd be saying the same thing had her condition worsened?

Its much easier to let the doctors do their jobs the way they know how and go from there.

(Not to mention, in your original post, you asked if you did right protecting your daughter. Not one of us knows what you were "protecting" her from...)

tripdad
04-13-2005, 12:43 AM
[ QUOTE ]
The difference you are overlooking is that you were at an EMERGENCY ROOM in a HOSPITAL. They do the same 13 tests on every single friggin person that goes past those doors and sits on one of the uncomfortable tables. One of those 13 tests is to take the patients temperature.

Why? and why do they insist? its a little something called malpractice lawsuits.

[/ QUOTE ]

finally, we're getting somewhere here. OK, i understand rectal temps are needed in some cases. but, don't do it unless it truly is needed. the reason the nurse insisted is because the hospital must follow an idiotic protocol so they can save money on their insurance. had my daughter been admitted, and her records audited, and there was no record of a rectal temp taken, the insurance company would have thrown a fit.

this post is not about me being homophobic, or having issues with the anus. it's about doctors/hospitals not standing up to the insurance companies, even going so far as to take unnecessary tests on an innocent child...and not just the simple ones. pathetic, if you ask me.

frankly, some of the negative posts in this thread are surprising to me coming from poker players who are supposed to think logically. i haven't seen any of the ones who say the rectal temp is "standard" explaining why...because, in this case, there was no logical reason for it. sorry, but just because someone tells me it is so doesn't mean it is. you all seem to agree when it comes to religion/God (meaning that you don't accept it just because the bible tells you so...you want proof).

cheers!

tripdad
04-13-2005, 12:49 AM
BTW, when my wife was in the hospital for 6 weeks before giving birth to the triplets, the nurses insisted upon taking her blood pressure every 4 hours...even waking her up from sleep to do so. this lasted about a week until i asked them to let her sleep through, as it was hard enough for her to rest. the nurse on duty agreed that it was unnecessary, but just SOP. after speaking to the head nurse and the doctor, they stopped this unnecessary diagnostic test(different hospital). they could have done the same in this case, but didn't have the courage...so i exercised my right to leave.

cheers!

Edge34
04-13-2005, 01:10 AM
The answer is clear:

1) You didn't really want an answer to your question, you knew in your mind what you thought was right and you did it. [censored] our opinions.

2) You should go into medical practice for yourself.







Yes, #2 is facetious, but come on trip. Even if I agreed with you, I would still have to tell you you're making Mount Everest out of a freaking tablespoon of sand. They were going to TAKE HER TEMPERATURE. Once you tell me what is so dangerous that you had to "protect" her from, then maybe I'll see a little bit better on this. Until then, I'll let you and your perfect 2-for-2 medical record in telling doctors to stop doing what they're doing have your moment.

Blarg
04-13-2005, 01:48 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Morons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, you are the one sounding like a moron here.

[ QUOTE ]
Wait til they have kids.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got 2 kids. If they are sick enough to go to the hospital, they are sick enough to endure diagnostic procedures.

My kids never want to take their medicine. Should I just let them not take it because they'll cry when I try to give it to them? Should I buy them toys and candy at the store because they'll cry and have tantrums if I say no?

I agree with a previous poster that the risks here were probably small in this case, but wouldn't you sleep better knowing that trained professionals used the proper techniques to help find out what is wrong with your kids?

[/ QUOTE ]

Proper techniques my ass.

Again, why don't they have a $69 electric ear thermometer for toddlers? It makes no sense.

The nurse was a moron. The kid wasn't going to let it happen. You think you can shove a thermometer up a kid's ass who is squirming and screaming and kicking and fighting? You really think so? You think you can just tell them "Hey, I'm your dad now listen to me and take your medicine!"

If so, I have serious doubts that you are actually a parent, because you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

natedogg

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure nurses aren't making anything up as they go along.

They are employees in a highly regulated field subject to constant threat of litigation. They are also not doctors nor hospital administrators, and know that full well. They simply do what is the accepted medical practice in their facility, and have little to no say about it.

Again, don't shoot the messenger. Take it up with the A.M.A. or something if you think it's a sily standard. Regardless of whether you do or don't, it has nothing to do with the nurse, and it's assinine to call her a moron.

Blarg
04-13-2005, 02:01 AM
[ QUOTE ]
fthis post is not about me being homophobic, or having issues with the anus.


[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, if you say so...

[ QUOTE ]
it's about doctors/hospitals not standing up to the insurance companies, even going so far as to take unnecessary tests on an innocent child...and not just the simple ones. pathetic, if you ask me.


[/ QUOTE ]

And you addressed this suddenly burning issue by taking yoru daughter away from the very medical care you must have been convinced was necessary for you to even have gone to a hospital in the first place?

You sure know how to pick a dumb time to go on crusades.

But we know that's not realy what your post and feelings are about at all, don't we? You didn't remove your daughter from the premises before she got the very care you had intended her to receive as some kind of suddenly inspired bizarre political statement, did you?

Don't worry, your daughter would still have been "innocent" and virginal even if she had lost her precious rectal virginity to the horrors of a hospital thermometer administered by a trained professional.

I'm sure neither the nurse nor your daughter would have given it much more than a few seconds' thought if she had her temperature taken that way, whereas you're still thrashing about and mortally offended by the very idea of it days later -- and I suspect further days to come. This issue was never about your daughter or your daughter's health(a sad thing, really), nor about your feelings about the medical establishment or tort reform, now, was it? It was all about you. And a homophobia so deep and unreasoning you would even run out of an emergency room with your sick daughter before she got care just to get away from the fear of it.

It may have been quite a blessing that you had daughters and not sons.

KungFuSandwich
04-13-2005, 10:32 AM
Does it bother you that there are now 10 pages discussing your daughters anus

NutCrackerr
04-13-2005, 11:18 AM
So how did your wife do in the tournament?

Sifmole
04-14-2005, 10:59 AM
It isn't so they can save money on their insurance. Taking someones temperature is a very good way to learn quite a bit about what is wrong with them. If they don't take the temperature that would tell them that this "ear infection" is possibly a symptom of another more serious disease so they prescribe the wrong antibiotic or other treatment.

The presence or lack of as well as magnitude of a temperature can carry alot of information.

The fact that you are in an emergency room means they are going to check the patient out thoroughly -- and every patient will get the same 13 tests ( I don't know that it is really 13, but that is a nice number ). And a rectal thermometer is the standard and most reliable method of taking ANYBODYS temperature -- but most adults really have a problem with it. Ear thermometers have a great deal of error on their reports and in this case that range of error is unacceptable. An oral thermometer on a 1 year old.... nah, not gonna happen unless you really like the idea of mercury poisoning.

You need to get over the idea that you know better than the doctors what the proper procedure is. BTW, taking a rectal temperature is not particularly "uncomfortable" for a child. They lube it up and it is pretty darn thin. The only discomfort here is your idea that there is something "perverted" going on.

Sponger15SB
04-14-2005, 12:53 PM
What does your wife think of all this?

Or how about your parents (if they are alive) or your friends?

Do all of them support your decision to leave?

InchoateHand
04-14-2005, 01:01 PM
[ QUOTE ]
What does your wife think of all this?

Or how about your parents (if they are alive) or your friends?

Do all of them support your decision to leave?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm guessing someone must have told him this was crazy and that's what led to this post.