Life's little adventures.

There has been something I've been meaning to post since last week. Other things kept getting in the way ...life and my children mostly.

Last week I joined the Frequent Donor Loyalty Program 2010 at the Australian Red Cross Blood service

I had planned to sit down after dinner on Saturday night and blog about it.

It didn't happen.
Something else did.

The following little adventure reminded me how important giving blood is ...

Saturday night after dinner our youngest J, somehow tipped a very heavy, narrow hall table on top of himself, I heard the scream and loud bang from the other room. Dh was about 4 m away in our bedroom.He found J with the solid timber table completely over upended on his head.
I had only just sent him in minutes before to wash his choclately fingers before bedtime routine.

J was screaming .
He had a small gash under his right eye there was a fair bit of blood till I applied pressure.
I knew it would need stitching and as held a still screaming J , Dh locked up the house so we could go to Children's hospital. I was also concerned about head injury. The table is heavy.

J then started vomiting. I knew that wasn't good.
Then in the car he vomited more, luckily I beside him to catch it. J was quite drowsy, both from a busy day, the shock and more.
Thankfully we only had a short wait because they were concerned about his drowsiness & head injury.They put in a cannula just to safe.
He had a head CT at 10.30pm and J slept right through it.
J had a concussion but was ok thank God. He just wanted to sleep and also go home.
The Dr admitted him for observation and because his small laceration on his right lower eyelid needed stitching the next day anyway.

My only complaint was that they told me about 6 times in 5 hours we are taking him to the ward soon (spoken as if it was in terms of minutes not hours lol) ... everyone around us were being either admitted to their ward or discharged.

The same nurses were checking J about very hour and every hour she said it, each time I saw them carry a bundle of papers over towards our direction I hoped it was our turn.
New children arrived and even left before us.
I had an arm chair and tried to stay awake because they said we are taking him to ward soon lol.

It wasn't the wait I minded but being told soon ...I could have really curled up and had a snooze if I'd known it was going to be a 6hrs wait. J was in a bed so he was comfy.

I have to say too the staff there are all lovely and friendly. It's such a nice place to be if you have to be ...

I am grateful I finally got a an hour & half or so in a fold out lounge bed next to J before morning came =).

Except for a long hungry thirty wait (being a Sunday waiting to see the 'Plastic surgical' team and then a wait for theatre time) J was quite happy. He only wanted to go home so he could have food and drink.

Our operating time came up during his nap time. So J slept all the way to Operating theatre, over bumps and bed rattles ...he barely stirred except to turn over. I stayed till he was 'asleep' from anaesthetic ...not that he'd have known.

Once the surgery was over, and we got back to ward he still slept. First thing he wanted to do was drink & eat when he woke up, after fasting for almost 22hrs.He was starving. Then he ate more.

He was such a brave little man too, 4 IV cannula attempts while awake ...two to get first one in, then two the enxt day when his twin accidently pulled it out =(. Then another new one in OT. Hardly made a peep even when he wasn't so drowsy.

An hour after being back on the ward we were waving goodbye, on our way out the entrance doors.
It was his cousin's birthday and he still wanted to go visit briefly as we had used this as a bribe to keep him settled about fasting.

J was a bit shy because everyone was l00king at him. They had just finished dinner .... luckily - we sure cleared the guests away ... within first two minutes of arriving J threw up !

I felt so bad for him [and them] (lucky it was outside and could be bucketed/washed off). Dh needed to borrow my brother's T shirt , then I had to borrow my Mum's t shirt.

J was bright & cheery after a good 'barf' and a wash down, no more vomiting but asking for more food. Crackers only were given after a while ;).

Today he just has a small white strip covering his purple stitches & glue and a purply bruised 'eye'.

In my wanders with S, (who couldn't sit still) I once was again (over & over) reminded how grateful I am my children's health . There were sick kids everywhere.It's heart wrenching.

I am also grateful for the Red Cross blood bank. These children (& adults) depend on healthy donors to give regularly so they can fight not only life threatening illnesses, undergo surgical procedures, recover from accidents and also those living with chronic auto immune and blood disorders.

They all need eligible donors to participate in frequent blood donations to ensure an ongoing supply.

I am commiting to donate plasma/Platelets 15 times in 2010, so far my tally is 4.

It's also Bandaged bear day this month on 26th March so please help by supporting the Children's hospital Westmead major fundraising day.Check the website for ways to help and where to buy in Sydney.

With the support of the community, Bandaged Bear Day has raised almost $12 million since its inception 21 years ago.

I wish all children could have such short hospital visits ...
♥

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