A hospital stay

Friday morning Harper woke with a cold which wasn’t a surprise given that she was in her second week of Preschool and the germs now will be a flowin’. Welcome back hey?!

We went through the standard sneezles, nose blowing until the early hours of Saturday morning when the coughing and asthma started to pick up. We’ve been able to manage her asthma for the past year since her last visit to hospital almost to the day this time last year but you know in your gut the minute that things are out of your hands and they need to see a Doctor…quickly. The minute Rob made the call I packed things up (I even remembered a phone charger this time!) whisked her in the car and headed into Emergency late Saturday afternoon. I thought we would be able to get back home, but it wasn’t to be and we spent 2 nights in hospital, giving her ventolin every hour, then 2 hours to finally 3. I’m exhausted. 3 nights of little to no sleep and lots of worry will do that to a gal. All that waking, all those puffs, all that convincing, all that positivity when all you want to do is cry – I can’t imagine how poor Harper was feeling. The pain with this stay as opposed to our last was that she had to be on oxygen for the first day as her levels were so low. Try convincing a 3 year old that they need to keep that on. I ran out of ideas believe me…

But she’s now brighter and back to her normal (albeit slightly high on ventolin and steroids) self.

Thank goodness for medicine. And Doctors. And hospitals. And nurses – especially thank goodness for them. And for a health system in our country that allows everyone to be treated. Thank goodness for stickers, and iPhones that keep Mummies distracted. Thank goodness for Dad’s that take over and big sisters that instantly cheer up their younger ones. Thank goodness for small containers of juice that can be used as bribery, for asthma action plans that make me feel a little more in control, thank goodness for coffee and for most of all for being home again.

There just ain’t no place like it.

Oh and today especially I am thinking of my friend Kim from Allconsuming who is having her THIRD back surgery today to clear up previous infections from the first and second surgeries. The poor thing – she has been out of action for what seems like (and probably IS) months now – she has 4 boys at home who are having to get on with life without her around and has spent waaaay too much time in hospital. Send her some love on Facebook – she sure could use it as she is recovering…again. Anyone having to deal with that food deserves it.

Comments

  1. Poor EVERYONE! I hope Harper is mending well. And POOR KIM! I even blogged about her today. She is a freaking trooper xx

  2. I am so glad that Harper is well again and that you both are back home.
    Being in hospital with a little one is awful…it is awful for them and awful for you and awful for the whole family!
    It was right about this time last year that Toddler C spent a week or so in hospital…so the whole hospital thing has been on my mind.
    Sending you…and Kim…get well and stay well wishes!

  3. glad your home. xx

  4. Poor Kim!!! So glad you guys are home, if its any consolation, when Joe was little and had asthma, his respiratory specialist told me Feb is the absolute worst month of the year for asthmatics. So there you go, she made it a whole year between February’s dude!xo

  5. Phew, Thank goodness Harper is on the mend too. And sleep – there is nothing like getting enough sleep.

  6. Poor Harper. It is scary when they are sick. We dont have asthma worries, thankfully, just chronic croup. That steroid induced hyperness is a biatch!!! Glad she is on the mend.

  7. I the identical thing with Felix (#2 son) when he was Harpers age. Slow response to Ventolin, much longer than anticipated hospital stays; always off the back of a cold. Fortunately we have outgrown that acute stuff and it only appears in a much milder form.

    Glad you are all home.

    x C

  8. It must be truly awful to see your little girl like that. So relieved she’s on the mend. I hope you can get the rest you need.

  9. Glad Harper is on the mend and you are home. Take care and get some rest. xT

  10. Steriod highs with kids who already have trouble sleeping….know this well. Bloody asthma! Thinking of you and Harper. Big hugs from down south and I hope she’s on the mend really soon.
    Caught up on Kim’s events today. Jeeez!!! Sending her some happy thought on FB
    xx

  11. So glad your gorgeous little one is ok.
    Best wishes to Kim, Staph sucks and so does back surgery and being away from family. How lucky to have you and Mrs Woog as friends.

    As a nurse, thank you for the acknowledgement

  12. Im so glad she is on the mend. that must have been so hard! She is a gorgeous little girl!

  13. I so admire what a child and parent has to go through when administering the puffer hourly. I witnessed this at RCH in Melbourne when my own daughter had pneumonia and it was heart wrenching not only seeing my then 17 month old sick but so many children sick from respiratory related illness’s. Feet up and a glass of wine and cheers to Harper for being a trooper.

  14. Not fun for you at all. Jai used to be in each spring and I would struggle with ventilin. It’s very scarey…

  15. Ugh. I feel for you & Harps. Ella was in hospital twice at age 2 for asthma…brought on by viral colds. Nothing worse….she was too young to fully understand what was going on…and the fear she showed towards the nurses and doctors was heartbreaking. She would get into a fit every hour when they would try to administer the ventolin…which would then of course, get her heart rate up and her breathing out of control again! NOT FUN!!! Longest few days of my life!! Glad to hear you’re home and she’s on the mend x

  16. Glad Harper is on the mend. Asthma is really scary, I know. Asthma plans rule!

  17. Oh those photos just broke my heart a little, poor poppet. I’m so glad she was in such good hands, for her sake and yours lady. Hope you can all get a nice, decent sleep tonight and start to get back to normal again asap xoxo

  18. Oh Beth – just awful – it’s so scary and tiring and draining – hope this week is better x

  19. It’s hard when your child is sick. Thanks God Harper is on the mend.

  20. That is tough and exhausting!

  21. So glad all is now going well again. Sick children really tear at the heart strings.

  22. Poor poppet 🙁 Glad she’s well again now.. what a tough few days for you all x

  23. Much love and healing thoughts for Harper. And for you, I know how hard Mummas take it when their babies are not well.

    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

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