“Hi Emdoc! Hope the kids aren’t too sick. Just a quick question for you! You are probably not like this because you are a doctor, but do you get anxious when the kids get a cough etc?
I get so anxious. I think something bad is going to happen!! I’m dreading the winter with this RSV going around. … I worry about so much every time a cough starts. Is this normal? I can’t eat etc when I’m anxious then.”
Doctor-parents definitely worry, though I suspect the worry might be a little different for a few reasons.
A little anxiety is good because worry is the reason we seek out qualified healthcare for our children. They count on us to be their advocates to get them care.
“All mammies worry” is a bit dismissive but anxiety about your child’s health is normal to a degree — but can be made worse by previous child health scares, poor health information from click-bait parenting sites or Dr. Google, pandemic, and perceived or real lack of in-person access to health supports, like GP.
It may be abnormal when it interferes with your ability to eat or sleep or thoughts intrude constantly or if you are feeling on-edge or stressed about it.
If it is causing anxiety, talk to your GP. Options are private counselling or turn2me.ie Less intense anxiety can be helped by talking it through with a supportive, sensible friend or family member or engaging in activity to help distract you.
Back to myself and C. Last night, I was worried about his breathing and took him to ED. It was good worry: he needed medical help. We were discharged this morning and I’ve spent the day checking on him way too often. I definitely have some thoughts try to push their way into my head as I watched him sleep connected to a monitor last night. But I use a trick that I learned years ago. I firmly say to myself “That is not C.’s story.” “That is not a story that has to happen.”
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