FRAZIER: When questions arise, talk with your pediatrician

Published 4:00 am Saturday, November 6, 2021

With four children, I can’t tell you how many trips I made to the doctor’s office, especially with the first one.

Every little cold and cough can be frightening for new moms. Thank goodness I had a patient pediatrician, one that left no stone unturned when it came to treating her patients.

Dr. Debbie Smith, or “Dr. Debbie” as she is called by the kids and us parents, would always enter the examination room and ask her young patients, “What’s going on with you today?”

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When the kids were younger, I would chime in with the symptoms and when they got older, they would describe to her “what was going on.”

Most of the time, we were there to see her for a fever or the dreaded ear infections. My poor son had so many he eventually had to have tubes put in.

But there were obviously other occasions, like when my middle daughter was coaxed by the neighborhood kids to jump off a second-story balcony at our house.

I flew to the doctor’s office and when Dr. Debbie came into the room, she promptly sent us to x-ray, which confirmed what we all expected — a broken leg.

Then there was the time my oldest daughter developed pneumonia. She spent nearly a week in the hospital and Dr. Debbie was there not only to follow up on her condition every day, but she also assured me everything was going to be OK. And when my son had pneumonia when he was a baby, she did the same.

I’ve told many a person, that I had so much trust in Dr. Debbie’s care for my kids, if she told me I needed to jump off the roof of my house to get them well, I would have jumped.

Pediatricians take care of our most precious possessions and when they advise we listen.

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 to 11 years old.

Some parents will be hesitant to get their children vaccinated.

For those, I would encourage you to talk to your pediatrician — the doctor you trust to provide treatment and medical advice as it applies to your children.

I don’t have young children living in my house anymore, but if I did, I would be talking with Dr. Debbie and taking her advice as to how to best keep them protected.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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