A Wrestling Match At The Doctor's Office

Gracie is battling her second round of strep throat this month. She finished up her last dose of meds Tuesday and tested positive for strep Friday.... thank goodness next week is spring break so the classrooms can be aired out...

Gracie came home from school with a fever and sore throat. I called the doctor's office and luckily they had one more afternoon appointment available. I got the girls ready and we headed out to see the doctor. Gracie, remembering her strep test from two weeks ago, was not looking forward to having them swab her throat again.

All was fine when we got to the doctors. The nurse called us back, took Gracie's weight, and directed us to a room. The nurse asked some general questions. Gracie was sitting on my lap, quietly, shaking or nodding her head according to the nurse's questions.... and then the nurse said it, "Well, we need to check to see if you have strep."

Gracie's face immediately twisted up and the tears poured out, "I donnnt wannnnaaaa!"

The nurse and I both tried to coax her to open wide but Gracie wanted nothing to do with. I gently started to hold her arms and she instantly put up a fight. We wrestled with her for a minute, thinking she would give in and open up, but Gracie had put on her stubborn pants and wanted nothing to do with that swab stick.

The nurse and I took a break and tried to reason, bribe, and coax her into opening up. Gracie agreed that if the nurse didn't use the tongue depressor, she would open up and let her swab her throat. Ok. We started back at it.

Gracie sat on my lap and I told her to hold my hands. The nurse asked her to open up wide. Gracie opened her mouth, but as soon as the nurse came close with that swab, Gracie clammed up. We tried to encourage her to open wide but ended up in another wrestling match. I was flabbergasted! Gracie is usually so sweet and easy going, but she fought us with every inch of her being.... holy cow she's a strong little booger...

The nurse called for help and another nurse came in. The three of us tried to reason with her, and Gracie again agreed to open up if they didn't use the tongue depressor. Gracie opened wide but as the nurse brought the swab to her mouth, she clammed shut again. The wrestling match was on again. But this time, Suzie, who had been sitting quietly next too me, began to cry and cling to my leg.

So here I am, trying to hold Gracie's arms down as she is turning, twisting, pulling, pushing, and crying like her life depended on it.... and now Suzie is stuck to my leg and close to being hysterical because all this commotion is scarring her..... it was all so traumatic!!... The nurses gave up after a 10 minute struggle and decided to give us all a break. The room was hot and steamy and we were all red-faced.... good grief she gave us a work out...

Poor Gracie sat on my lap, shaking and crying. Suzie had stopped crying but she was clinched onto my arm. I talked to Gracie, tyring to bribe her into a real quick "open-wide-and-swab" by offering an oreo blizzard when we left the office. Gracie settled down and we practiced opening wide and saying Ahhhhhh.

The doctor came in for the exam and tried to de-fuel the situation. He teased with the girls and asked for "five". He continued the rest of the exam in a pleasant manner, avoiding any talk of the throat swab. Gracie smiled and cooperated, just like any other doctor visit.... now this is the Gracie I know...

But, as you can guess, the doctor needed to test for strep. As soon as the doctor mentioned the swab, Gracie tensed up. I felt so horrible. I've had strep several times in my life and I always hated the swab, but I never reacted to it like this. I sweetly cooed to Gracie, telling her if she just opened up, it would be over in a split second; the more she fought, the more it would hurt and gag her. But Gracie wouldn't open up.

The doctor called the nurse to help. The nurse tried to get Gracie to sit on her lap... and Dr Jekyll came alive!... A red-faced wild cat was sitting on my lap!!... The nurse conceded to let Gracie sit on my lap while she and the doctor tried to pry open her mouth. Gracie put up such a fight and Suzie bawled her little eyes out. I felt so bad for both of them... sucks to be a parent sometimes... The doctor got the tongue depressor in her mouth but then she clenched her jaws shut. She held her mouth so tight that she bit the tongue depressor in two and had a big chunk of wood in her mouth.

The tears poured from Suzie as she began to cry hard... Good Lord help me!!... Suzie peered up over my shoulder to see Gracie but I turned my head toward her and told her to look at "me"... wrestle, wrestle, gulp, gag, gag.... The swab was completed.

Gracie laid still, crying a little. Suzie still cried hard, "They tried to kill her!!" If the doctor had been within arms reach I think Suzie would have punched him. I explained to Suzie that they are trying to help Gracie, not hurt her.

Within a few minutes the doctor returned. Gracie was positive for strep. He called in the prescription and we headed out the door.... Whew! we were all exhausted...

A few minutes riding in the van, Gracie quietly spoke from the back seat, "Can I still have an oreo blizzard?"

At first I said "No" because that wasn't part of the deal. She had to cooperate and open wide in order to get the blizzard.... which she did not do. However, I did give in and get her an oreo blizzard. She'd had quite a traumatic doctor visit.... Mommy had to make it all better...