"It's just a cold..."

In my opinion, these 4 words are among the most annoyingly dissappointing words a frazzled mother can hear. Now don't get me wrong. I'll take this diagnosis over some of my less happy diagnoses such as croupe (sp?), RSV, whooping cough, etc, etc, etc, any day. But somehow when a normally sweeter-than-pure-cane-sugar 10 month-old turns into a whining, ornery, scorchingly hot-to-the-touch, lethargic glob of misery, you hope that your $20 co-pay will give you a bit more bang for your buck! Ear infection? Antibiotic! Strep throat? Antibiotic! "Just a cold?" Nothing more than a helpful, "Continue to do what you've been doing for the last 4 or more days and come back if it gets worse." In my seasoned years of being a mommy, I have learned that this particular set of instructions is followed up in one of two ways. A) You suffer for another week or so with no sleep, high temps, crying, suffering, helplessness and then eventually all is well. Or, B) You suffer for another week or so with no sleep, high temps, crying, suffering, helplessness and then you end up paying another $20 (or $35 since you usually end up in the after-hours clinic) to see that your child now has strep throat, an ear infection, or still (drumroll.....) "just a cold."