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Dad, I don't feel so good

© Mike Gowen

One of the hardest issues for parents to deal with occurs when their child is hurt or sick. Whether it's a scraped knee, a routine cold or virus, or perhaps something more serious, as parents we all feel part of their discomfort. As a father of four, I suppose time and experience have been the biggest help (along with a few long-distance phone calls to Mom!). When our first child came along, my wife and I were literally terrified every time she ran a fever or cried without our knowing why. As more children came along through the years, I became quicker to recognize symptoms I have seen before with some of my other children. Of course, when my children were younger I didn't have the World Wide Web at my fingertips for information either. I depended on our pediatrician, family, Dr. Spock, etc., for answers and advice to the many questions I had. While these are probably still excellent points of reference, don't miss out on some valuable information here as well.

ParentSoup.Com is an excellent web site with all sorts of topics that affect both Mom & Dad. Click on the heading of Experts and you will find several doctors that take and answer your questions online. There is also usually a scheduled chat time with a doctor where you can get an immediate response to your question.

Ever wonder what the medication is that is being prescribed to your child? Perhaps you have heard a drug advertised that you have questions about or want to know the side effects of a particular drug. Check out www.rxlist.com for a wealth of information on both prescription and non-prescription medications. Most doctors will ask about allergic reactions to some medications, but just in case, this site can be a great resource.

Have you ever been told that your child has an illness or disease and got home only to remember suddenly all of the questions you forgot to ask? First off, don't be embarrassed to walk into a doctor's office with a pad and pencil or a tape recorder for that matter. I have never understood why people feel like they look stupid if they do this. I carry notes into meetings at work all the time and people don't look at me like I'm the village idiot. And remember, we're talking about your child here. If, however you do get home and have unanswered questions, an excellent site for medical research is www.mwsearch.com. There are search engines to over 100,000 medical sites here so it's a safe bet you'll find what you are looking for.

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