Making rookie mistakes

Why isn't this called a therdadeter?

I cannot say the number of times I wished I had the knowledge of a pediatrician while I have been a mom. Starting from the first humiliating days when Alex's had his first cold. Now remember, it was my job to keep this kid alive and I took that responsibility very seriously. So when he was all of 9 pounds and sniffling and runny nosey and unhappy ( which with a colic child is very difficult to discern from their everyday unhappiness) I took him to a Saturday appointment at the doctor. You know it is serious if it's a Saturday appointment cause they charged extra for that and we were just newly a one income family. So we went, and the doctor said, " Why are you here?" They really need to work on the non-condescending tone. " Oh," She says, " this is your first child ( half question, half statement all condescension) he has a cold." So okay  a newbie mistake. We left the practice. I know too much to be spoken to like that, even if I don't know the difference between a life threatening stuffy nose and the common sniffles. A few months later, a new pediatrician. Alex had been very congested for a while ( they tried to tell me I should stop breastfeeding ( even I knew that was the wrong answer) ) and his congestion turned into a runny nose. On the phone with the Doctor and when I reported the change with excitement, the Dr commented, and I remember this " It's not as if something was stuck up there and it's now been dislodged and is allowing the mucus to flow". I thought that was a little over the top of him. How am I supposed to know the ins and outs of mucus and congestion, I am a licensed marriage & family therapist, NOT a pediatrician. I bet I could have told him a thing or two about his family life had I had them in a room together too, but I know enough not to do it in such a way that makes people feel stupid.

Fast forward 16 years, we have had multiple stitches,  adenoids removed, a car accident requiring an ambulance ride, several surgeries and more stitches ( in one week) an MRI, allergic reactions requiring speed-limit driving police to take us to the hospital., a drilled finger nail, glasses, a hearing loss scare, broken bones and strained ligaments, and the good ol' air-soft pellet to the eye. So a few weeks ago I notice one of #3's eyes was red, well pink. He had no itching or complaints of pain. I thought it odd, but he wasn't complaining. 3 weeks go by and still no change, so I start to wonder if one of the horrible side effects from last summer's eye trauma was happening behind the scene, so I make an appointment.
Turns out a pink eye means well um, pink eye. He wasn't trying to make me feel stupid, he actually reassured me it is a variation one doesn't often think about. My son  on the other hand, siting my 17 years of experience in motherhood, shook his head at me as we walked out of the eye doctor's office.
And as I do whenever these situations come up, I wished triplet girls on him.