Tuesday, April 13, 2010

My Ob/Gyn

I have a fantastic Ob/Gyn. I got her when she first started practising and the crusty old Dr. that I had retired. I was very young, still in college, and not smart enough to look for the right Dr., I just went to whoever they scheduled me with. He left, I got this new young Dr. who I liked instantly. Twenty years later, she is listed in the top Dr. list always and I think her practice is closed. I really like her.

I like her even more now. At my really enjoyable yearly visits with her (get the sarcasm), I always talk a few minutes about FASD and life with a child living with FASD. I went a step further this year. I bought her a Damaged Angels book and gave it to her at my last visit (it is appropriate to give a gift to someone who is placing foreign objects inside of you, isn't it?). She was going to Mexico on spring break the next week and was excited (or at least acted to be) to have a book to read. She asked if she should mail it back to me. I said no, that she should make sure that it is passed around to all the Ob/Gyns in the office when she is done with it.

She called me yesterday with some test results and mentioned the book at the end of the call. She said she thought it was an excellent book and she has about 30 pages to finish. She had no idea about how the kids are truly impacted by the alcohol and was amazed at what our family must be dealing with. She was glad to have had read the book and was going to be sharing it with the other Dr.'s (she works in a very large clinic). I told her I was so appreciative that she had read it and just wanted to make sure that as an Ob/Gyn, she understands the importance of counseling expecting moms on alcohol abstinence during pregnancy.

My friend was laughing at me when I told her I did this. She sometimes thinks that I am a little "out there" when it comes to talking about FASD. I told her if she had to live with it 24/7, she would do everything she could to get the word out also. I think I have bought at least a dozen of the Damaged Angels, by Bonnie Buxton, books in the past year. Have you read it? If not, you should get it from the library. Even if you are not living with it, you must know someone who is (maybe me). It is a book everyone should read.

8 comments:

Kari said...

You rock. Thank you for educating!!

the johnson crew said...

that is awesome barb.

Linda said...

Excellant idea! I agree-the book needs to be read especially by professionals.

dorothy said...

Amen to sharing Damaged Angels - my goal this year is to get it into the hands of as many dr's and social workers as I can. If any of your readers wants one for free I will happily send one off.
d

GB's Mom said...

I agree with all of you.

AKBrady said...

Totally funny, b/c I was at MY ob/gyn yesterday and had a long discussion with her about our son's AS and the ramifications it places upon a family . Funny, must have been that sort of planet alignment.Good for you.

ds said...

Hello and great post. As an ob/gyn we subconsciously make an assumption at times that most people know that alcohol should be avoided in pregnancy. But I can';t tell you the times when i probe people for any drinking and about one out of ten will say," you mean I can't have a glass of wine at night"?. Keep up the good work.

Chelsea said...

Alcohol abstinence during pregnancy can be an insurmountable task, especially when you’re used to having a glass of wine before going to bed. Before my pregnancy, my husband and I usually stayed in the garden talking and enjoying a glass (or glasses) of wine. But during my pregnancy, I abstained from it, and made my husband stop drinking wine in front of me as well. This is to prevent me from craving a sip of wine. See the sacrifice? I think that pregnant moms shouldn’t be the only ones to abstain from alcohol, but dads too! :)

-- Chelsea Leis