Saturday, December 15, 2012

Reflections of a mother at the hospital...

This post is a reflection of the world and also a memoir of my gratefulness during a small challenge in our family...

My spunky 3 yr old is at the hospital because of a stomach flu. I should be sleeping right now, because I got maybe 4 hours of sleep last night. But my heart is full and I need to jot a few things down....
Yesterday we had breakfast and headed to swimming lessons. It was such a great morning. Bia is now able to lift her head to breath. She is so eager to swim by herself without her little floaters that it took her about a week to be able to do that and get rid of them....She is developing so well, and I know she will catch up to Isabelle in now time. She's fast!!! :)
At lunch time she looked tired so I put her down for a nap....before I did I tried feeding her and she did not take anything. So I gave her some milk so she wouldn't sleep with an empty belly after so much exercise. Turns out she thew up the entire cup of milk. So down she went to a nap. 

After waking up I tried giving her some coke. Later I found out it's a myth that coke helps you with a stomach bug, so we are definitely never drinking it again....by the time I tried giving her coke I already thought it was gastroenteritis. She threw up the coke....then she kept trowing up nothing, because the last time she had been able to eat was during breakfast. So I took her to the hospital. I was worried because she couldn't keep water down!!! I took out little popcorn bucket ( I don't think I will be able to use that for popcorn ever again) in the car so she could use it in case she felt like throwing up again. She was such a trooper. Threw up twice, but was so fast at grabbing that little bucket of hers. Later on we found out the doctors were fascinated with my idea to bring the bucket along with us....I am still wondering what's so fascinating about it :) lol

Once we got here the doctor tried to give her medicine by mouth and she didn't take that one either. Threw up the entire thing....so and IV was the only solution to keep her hydrated. Did I say this little girl is a trooper?? She made one peep when they were poking her and then never said anything else. Everyone was fascinated, and I knew she must have been feeling pretty miserable, even though she is my tough child. (she did the same thing when she had to draw blood a while ago and cried only after I told her it was ok to cry...poor baby)

Docs tried 2 different medicines, plus the hydration which took forever...but nothing worked. Every time she took a sip of juice, or any food, she threw up. There was a time where we thought she was gonna keep some food in and we were gonna be discharged, but the doc told me to take a walk down the hall with her, to see if the motion would startle the vomiting again, and sure enough....she puked on that popcorn bucket :)

So after talking to the docs, she told me it was best to keep her in. Children can often go downhill fast, and dehydration can be pretty serious. She came in a little dehydrated already, so I actually felt pretty good about staying in even though Bia was already sick and tired of being in the same room for so long.

It was so said when we moved to the observation area. There was a MONTH OLD BABY with an UTI. The mommy came to talk to me and started to bowl....boy howdy, do I remember being scared and insecure as a first time mom??? YOU BETCHA!!! I wish I could have talked to her more, but the doctor called her and we parted ways. I know she is on the same floor I am, so I'm gonna look for her today and see if I can give her a hug....poor woman must be terrified. First baby, 1 month old....not a good combination!!!

But my sadness did not stop there, every time I look at this AMAZING hospital and it's amazing facilities I can't help but wonder that about 80% of the brazilian population or more doesn't have access to such a hospital. I mean, it's pretty amazing.  I hear it's one of the best in Latin America. I wonder how many families ache because they don't have decent medical care for their children. I wonder how many children die because of it too...and it breaks my heart!

I saw a couple of children with cancer, and ohhh my gooddness....I don't know how mothers find the strength to deal with that. I know you just have too, but it just melts my heart to see those cute little bald heads around the pediatric unit. I feel like hugging and loving them. I know God is with them and their parents too.

So my heart is really touched to be here, and I am humbled and grateful that my child can have good medical care. I feel sort of guilty though....because of everyone who has the same right as I do to receive competent medical care and doesn't. So my prayers are directed to those people today. I hope they know and feel that God is watching over them.

On a side note, I briefly heard about the shooting at the Elementary School in the US and even though I don't know much about it yet, my heart goes to all the parents of little children. Having children in such a blessing, but it can also be incredibly painful to see them suffer or die. I can't even imagine it, but I can cry with all of those parents, and that's what I will be doing today.

cheers for a better world....

1 comment:

Alexandria Rammell said...

I miss you Barbara! I can totally relate to this post!