Parenting by doctor

I've had poison ivy for two weeks now. I thought, as an adult, if I didn't scratch it, it would clear up and go away on its own. I was slightly wrong. Despite my ignoring the terrible itch, it spread anyway. First, I thought it would clear up, so I didn't go to the doctor. Then I had a conference to go to, and didn't have time to go to the doctor. Then I thought, well, it's got to be almost done spreading by now, and didn't go to the doctor. Now, 16 days in, I'm sure there's nothing a doctor can do, so I'm not going to the doctor.

Growing up, we never went to the doctor if we could help it. My mother was a nurse and knew things I just do not know. She was able to assuage our tummy aches and fears, and we waited out a lot of illnesses and injuries. She knew they weren't so bad, that we'd heal. As such, I hardly ever take myself to receive medical care. I know it's not that bad. I will heal.

But when it comes to my kids, or even my dog, I'm almost the first in line to go to the pediatrician's. Because I'm not them, and I'm not a nurse, and they can't really tell me themselves if it's just a bit of bad food, or reflux, or a burst appendix. So we go. Just in case. My kids suffered bronchospasms last month. A symptom of a virus that we could do nothing about. I spent nearly $1,000 carting them to the doctor multiple times, buying humidifiers and nebulizers and inhalers. Anything to help my babies breathe. What if it wasn't a virus, but asthma. What if it was pneumonia and the docs weren't catching it? What if it were the flu? They never tested for the flu.

It was a virus. It went away on its own (though the nebulizer did help. The humidifier, on the other hand, is holding on to old water and probably becoming its own health hazard, as we only used it once. Great waste of $70 for sure.)

The other night, my puppy started acting strange. He wasn't...biting me. He's very playful and hates to be petted (like a puppy) and he was just putting up with it. Moving more slowly. Not interested in his toys. Growing up, we would have just waited it out. A dog is a dog.

But I was so concerned I was going to call the vet the very next morning. I mean, what if something was seriously wrong?

I waste a lot of money this way.

A lot.

And thankfully, the puppy was back to his old self the next day, so I avoided those fees.

I always try to tell myself to wait it out, that it's nothing. But I usually end up caving and bringing my little things to their doctor. It's always nothing. But what if it's not?