I go to the doctor
I go to the doctor when I’m sick. The doctor may give me medicine or a
shot, called an injection. Germs make me sick. Medicine helps fight the
germs.
But there are times when I go to the doctor and I’m not sick at all.
This kind of visit is called a checkup.
The thing around the doctor’s neck is called a stethoscope. The
earpieces of the stethoscope fit inside the doctor’s ears. The doctor
uses the stethoscope to listen to sounds inside my body. Yes, my body
does make some inside sounds.
The doctor holds the stethoscope up to my chest and listens to the sound
of my heart beating. Sometimes the doctor lets me listen, too.
Then the doctor moves the stethoscope around on my chest to hear my
breathing.
There are sounds in my stomach, and the doctor listens to these, too.
Sounds tell kind of a story of what is go
ing on inside me. Sounds help the doctor know that I am growing up well
and strong, exactly as I should.
Body sounds tell the inside story about me. But they are not the whole
story. The doctor does other things, too.
The doctor shines a little light into my eyes. The light helps the
doctor look into the inside of my eyes to see if they are healthy. Then
I read the letters on a wall chart. The doctor wants to be sure I am
seeing all I should see.
The doctor shines another light into my ears. The light helps the doctor
look into many of the inside places in my ears. The doctor wants to be
sure that all my ear openings are clear. If there is any sickness in my
ears, I may not hear all I should hear.
Sometimes we talk about the kinds of food that are good for me. The
doctor tells me to get plenty of sleep and to play outdoors a lot. I
need food and sleep and fresh air to help me grow.
There is a folder in the doctor’s office. It has my name on it. The
doctor writes in it each time I visit. The doctor weighs me and writes
down how much I weigh. The doctor measures me and writes down how tall I
am. I can see if my weight and height have changed since my last visit.
If I go to the doctor when I am well, I may not get sick.
