Sunshine soothes the soul

What a different place the world is when the sunshine finally breaks through and warms us all up. people smiling and friendly and no more coat battles with young children! Ahhh bliss!
It is over a year ago now since that awful day that meningitis struck down my Small. We let the anniversary pass without comment as it isn't a day I want to relive even in my memory (although sadly I do so often). It was when we were discussing the impending Mother's Day that I thought about how I spent it last year...in A&E watching my baby fight for his life.
This year I aim to spend every minute with all 4 of my babies and to spend it smiling :)

Dare I say it?

Finally we are meds free again and almost (we are never truly) rash/blotch free! Herbs has 3 teeth coming through , is chatting up a storm and seems to be happy & healthy. His sense of humour is shining through again...the boy is a comic genius...mmm, hope he doesn't forget his dear old mum when he is a famous comedian!
Yesterday was Red Nose Day and as I watched the children dying in Africa because their mums couldn't afford the bus fare to the hospital I was forced to think about how very different our situation might have been last March had we not had the NHS with the speedy ambulance, fab paramedics and amazing team at the JR hospital. This kind of service should be available to everyone wherever they live in the world.
This morning the sun is shining & Spring is definitely making her presence felt, good on her...it's just what Herbie needs and me too :)

What did I do so wrong in a previous life?

We managed 2 weeks meds free and then came another rash...I tried to convince myself that it was just post viral but by Thurs evening, as it covered his entire body, I decided he needed to go to the GP again...
So here we are with aother ten days of penicillin for something the GP isn't quite sure of. Herbs has a red, warm to the touch, rash overing him. His hands are particularly bad and swollen :(
What did I do in a previous life to deserve such bad karma? Is it too much to ask for a germ free 2011? Thank goodness I am of a positive upbeat nature & not a depressive one as I think I would have collapsed in a heap by now.

Just when you feel safe...

something happens to turn everything on its head again!
Last Sunday, after a couple of days of an on and off fever and intermittent lethargy, I decided to take a quick trip with Herbie to the out of hours Dr. What did I expect? To be told he was coming down with chicken pox? (Rufus had just had it so quite likely). To be told he had a chest infection? A virus? To be given antibiotics or told to just keep him dosed with calpol & nurofen? Any of those would have been expected outcomes BUT the Dr said 'I need to ring the Paediatric team at the JR about this, it sounds like 'at least' a chest infection' My heart sank, my stomach leapt into my mouth and I knew a trip to A & E was on the cards...again.
We arrived at A & E around 8.15pm, a chest x-ray and a cannula later and we were quaranteened in a room(due to exposure to chicken pox) whilst Herbs started intravenous antibiotics and we waited for a room on a ward.
At midnight we were given a room on Robin's ward , it was actually a sleep study room, they were short of space. The doctors kept commenting on his O2 saturation, apparently it was pretty damn good for a 2 yr old with only 1 working lung! The Dr who came in to explain that he had pneumonia took one look at us and said 'I remember Herb...he had meningitis last year didn't he'?' (she had looked after him then...this wasn't the last time he was recognised!).
Over night Herbie stayed comfortable and had to be given some oxygen at times but he didn't complain...he's such a star!
The next day they moved us to a normal ward claiming that he was no longer likely to get chicken pox & they needed the room. I tried to explain that he could still get it but was not listened to. The response was 'I know it's nice having your own room but we have someone who really needs it'...mmm...she would regret that later!
The following day we walked to ultrasound and Herbie was made to lay on me whilst he had a scan of his chest. I saw the pictures on the screen...hardly any lung visible and loads of fluid. It was official, he had empyema and would need a chest drain put in later that day!
poor little chap...he's just 2 for goodness sake and he has had so much crap already!
The chest drain was in few hours later after we were moved to Drayson ward, where he stayed after PHDU during his meningitis. We were given a roo again and told he was NOT to come out due to chicken pox possibility! The infection control person arrived and was not happy that we had been put in a 3 bed bay on the other ward...
So we endured Monday to Saturday at 2.30pm in one room. The TV goes off at 9.30pm, no hot drinks on the ward...didn't see Rufus for almost a week and only saw Lily & Kitty once.
The staff as ever were fantastic...they make life comfortable, they smile and laugh with you even though you know they are really busy & under pressure. Even with the chicken pox blip I wouldn't complain about the JR ever...I just always feel lucky to have them on my doorstep.
Oh and the chicken pox? Yes, they arrived to complicate things on Thursday night! Why people are so eager for their kids to get chicken pox is beyond me...it can be horrific (as the consultant explained). Luckily they gave Herbie something to calm it so he still only has a few spots.
One of the infectious diseases Drs also visited us again, he'd been involved in the meningitis episode, he wants to investigate Herbies immune system. He said it may just be bad luck that he got 2 invasive & serious bacterial infections but it may not...

We came home today with a bag full of drugs to keep him going. I missed my girls & Rufus so much. It's great to be home...but whether I will sleep without knowing that his sats, temp and heart rate are being monitored every hour is beyond me!

A new year, a new age, a new chapter

MY BABY TURNS 2!

Happy New Year! 2011 is already 21 days old and I am only just finding time to add a bit here.
Christmas was great, New Year was quiet. On Jan 12th Herbie turned 2. Dan & I chatted that day about the times last year when Herbie turning 2 looked unlikely. As I put that into print it looks like we are overreacting, being dramatic but it is so true.
Herbie greeted his 2nd birthday with new words, an ability to run, dance and amazingly NO RASH, cold or cough!!
What a year ... we are hoping that this year will be 'his year'...wow this little boy is made of tough stuff though.
In the local paper yesterday was an article about a family, living very close to my parents house, whose daughter contracted meningitis in Dec last year. she was take to the JR hospital too and miraculously survived after a long battle. Our wake up call was that this little tot lost the lower half of all 4 limbs at 2. Dan just looked at me and said 'God we were so lucky'
I know that every moment of Herbie's exisitence, since his conception, has felt like that :)

Christmas

Cool! We made it! A germ free, rash free, virus free Christmas 2010!!
Herbie really got into the swing of the festivities :)
So my attention turns to 2011...
My wishes:
1) Herbie stays healthy & strong and continues to progress well
2) We manage a healthier year all round in our family and with our friends (a special Hugo mention here :) )
3) No new babies/pregnancies just 'living at last'...this is what it's about. To me the pregnancy/new baby bit is a means to an end. I want the children not the pregnancy excitement/attention/accomplishment. Almost anyone can have a baby one way or another, give birth etc but being a good parent, that doesn't come easily to everyone, coping with being a parent doesn't come easily to everyone...these are the real tests...that is the bit I relish! Bring it on...2011, our year of two 8 year olds, one 3 year old and one 2 year old...whoohoo! I can't wait! :) Just promise me no more BIG illness.

Happy Christmas & happy new year...may your dreams for 2011 come true x

hospital visit again

I last wrote about the rash, the swabs etc...the following day the rash looked bad so I took him back to the GP to take up the offer of antibiotics. Dr Santos again...he wasn't happy with any of it, called the Paeds at the JR, they remembered Herb! Can you believe that!? They wanted us to go there straight away. Dr Santos was calm but he said take an overnight bag as you are likely to be in for 48 hours whilst he has intravenous antibiotics :(
I am sure I don't have to write here exactly how I was feeling at that thought! I went home, got a bag and went to the JR. I had to go alone. Dan was flat out at work and my Dad stayed with Kitty (who was also off school ill) and Rufus. Herbie was miserable. After a very long wait we were seen. The Paed said it was a Strep A skin infection, gave me an antibiotic and said try it at home first, if it doesn't work and reduce rash in 2.5 days it would be original plan. Came home, yesterday wasn't great at all but by about 11am today he really perked up. Eating, laughing, chatting, dancing, no fever since dr visit. the GP called on Weds eve to say they had also found the chicken pox virus and cold sore virus in the swab so he needed antivirals too :( God he hates them, they are a nightmare to get in him. So by 5pm today the rash was almost gone! I was elated. Then at 6.30pm I got him ready for bed and low and behold ... rash back!!! GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
PLEASE>>>>GIVE US A BREAK