My daughter has had chronic ear infections. I took her Monday to have her ears checked because she was complaining about pain. The doctor said they were dull, full of fluid but not infected yet. They did not reschedule a visit because I told them Thursday I had an appointment with an ENT to talk about tubes.

Well I was wrong. The appointment was supposed to be today. I got the date wrong and missed the appointment. I just found the card. I wrote the appointment on the wrong day in my calendar. So now I do not when I can get in.

Now I have to explain to my ex why I missed the appointment and I have a little girl getting sicker.

How could I be sooooooo stupid!??!!!!

O.K. Please procede to the failure dept so you can be flogged....
Oh wait...you don't qualify lady....you don't even come close.
You want failure...
My daughters's mom hasn't seen her or done anything for her in 8 months now...
And there are others here who can tell you worse things...
Please stop smacking yourself in the head for being human...
Make a new apt and she'll be fine...
Till then get one of those bulb things and suction her ears...they need to drain and that will help...

Oh man if I had a dime for everytime I screwed up an appointment I'd be typing from my beach house in Miami right now. Give yourself a break honey. If your ex has issues then let him take her, hold her down while the doc checks her out, try to keep her from racing up and down the hallway while she waits an hour for the doc to come in in the first place. Failing as a mom would mean you didn't give a **** about her being sick in the first place. You can only do your best and SURPRISE you're human!!! Seriously don't let this get you down and don't let your ex put you down.

Tom got all ticked off at me once when he had to leave work to pick Alex up at school. Ryan had unplugged the phone again and they couldn't get through to me. He stood on the porch tring really hard to b!tch at me and everything he came up with, I had an answer and finally I told him "I've got it covered". He'd worked himself up thinking he was going to read me the riot act and left with his tail between his legs when I burst his balloon. Now THAT was fun....lol.

Thanks guys.

I just was looking forward to this appointment because this is supposed to be the "we tried everything let's put the tubes in" appointment.

I am getting in trouble at work for missing so much with these ear infections. Despite being given 15 sick days a year that accumulate and still having 13 left after taking 15 this year, they do not want me take as many as I have. And I really hate that she is not hearing well and is in pain all the time. It is starting to get to me.

I TOTALLY understand how you feel....it is so hard to do everything, remember everything. My two sons both went through this, they got tubes and have both out grown ear infections. PLEASE don't get upset at yourself. You are a wonderful mom, you can only do so much and you child is so wonderful because of you!

j3jamie,

How long have you worked for your employer? Since the ear infections are chronic they might be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act the gives you 12 weeks of job protection, even if they give you sick days for it.

If you have worked there a year, and the company has 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius of where you work, ask them for the doctor's certification and have her primary physician fill it out.

I had the same issue with Kai and her chronic ear infections but luckily everyone I work with has kids and understood. I got her tubes put int and now she's fine. She hasn't had an ear infection since. Sometimes things happen.

As for your ex. . . what is he doing to help your daughter? EXACTLY@!!!!! Make him take her to the appointments

I was told by a doc when Alex was 15 months and waiting on his eartube placement to warm up a little Sweet Oil and put a drop or 2 in his ears. The warmth went a long way towards relieving his pain. It didn't take all the pain away but it at least took the edge off.

Yvette is right about the FMLA. Check with your HR person tomorrow!! This will protect your job and allow you the time you need to take care of your daughter.

You are definitely not a failure as a mother. You made a mistake and mistakes are human. Call the doctor, explain the situation and how you made a terrible mistake and I bet they try to sqeeze you in soon. If the pain gets too unbearable for her, take her in to the ER. I know ER deductable/copays can be costly, but if you take her to the actual hospital they may keep her and get a specialist in to see her sooner than you'll get an appointment. I took my daughter into the ER once and didn't have my copay. They just sent me a bill and I paid it when I could.

You are not a failure as a mom just because you forgot on appointment. I have to have a calendar in my purse with appointments and then I also keep one on my refrigator with appointments.

You are not a faleur, at least you try, no parent remembers everything. I am 54 and have two boys age 12 and 13 and there mom gave up on them. At leawst you try. That is what they will remembe.