Every time I have to lean over a car seat to strap in my kids in the rain, and my back gets soaking wet, I remember the time Keira needed to be hospitalised.
It was just after Keira’s first birthday, I’ll never forget because I kept thinking to myself it was awful that this poor child had to be hospitilised at such a young age L. Keira had bronchitis again, she always had bronchitis, was always on the nebuliser, but this was probably the worst time. Along with the bronchitis, Keira had a runny tummy. I had taken her to the paediatrician that morning, and he had told me to keep a close eye on her. By late that afternoon Keira had still not eaten a thing, and although the doctor had told me not to give her dairy, I was desperate for her to eat anything, and was now trying a yoghurt. Then her little eyes lolled back in her head and she slumped over sidewards. Phone the doc again, rush her to the hospital. So, it would be the day that the worst storm of the year hit. I have this desperately sick child, and I’m trying to get her strapped into her car seat, and my back is absolutely and completely drenched.
Any mom knows that having sick children is no fun, and how terrifying something like this can be. We needed to get a drip into Keira quickly, but she was so dehydrated that they couldn’t find a vein. One more try, otherwise they were going to have to put it in her neck. They poked & prodded my poor baby 6 times before they got the drip in her wrist, and all the while your baby can’t understand why you’re doing this to her. What an awful feeling knowing that you are the cause of so much pain.
Our experience at the hospital was not a great one. Keira’s runny tummy was so bad that I scarcely had time to fasten her nappy before I had to change it again, and it kept on leaking so the bedding needed constant changing. The drip had been put it very poorly, right on the bend of her wrist, so it caused her constant pain and eventually started leaking too. I had a terrible time trying to get her to sleep, and then as soon as she fell asleep the nurses would barge in to take her temperature, or nebulise her, or give her more meds. I later learnt that at other hospitals, if the child has just fallen asleep, they administer the medication when the child wakes up, now this sounds far more logical to me. At one point the nurse even confused the doses for Keira’s medication and if I hadn’t been there to stop her I shudder to think what would have happened. You are allowed to stay with your child at this hospital, but you have to sleep on a beat-up recliner, and this I suspect was more comfortable than Keira's metallic cot as she slept on top of me, just in her nappy to get her temperature down, and trying to avoid pulling on the drip cord. It must just be said that at this stage I was already 16 weeks pregnant with Gabby and already had that hollow back :)
Upon Keira’s discharge, the doctor ever so matter-of-fact informed us that he had been most worried about Keira, not something you want to hear, but glad he had not told us sooner. Keira was in hospital for 2 nights & 3 days, my husband and I were so ecstatic when she was discharged, no place like home. I think we were just so glad to be able to take her home with us and care for her properly, away from the ignorance of callous nurses.
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