Tuesday 15th March, 2005
We had a horrible weekend. On Friday night. George was doubled up in pain. I gave him pain killer from the wrong measuring file and he slept til ten the next morning and was very drowsy. So Graham and I decided to take him to the local hospital in Payerne, where he started vomiting. The doctors squeezed around a bit and he was in pain again. Then they did an ultra sound and an x-ray and found out that part of the small intestine had been pushed into the large intestine. They said it was best to carry out a procedure to restore the intestines to normal, otherwise there was a risk of a blood vessel bursting and going ganngrene, which could kill the baby. Bloody hell!
The procedure could only be carried out with a surgeon on hand, and an anasthetist who was prepared to dose up a baby for an op if necessary. There was none of that in Payerne so they fixed up for us to go to Fribourg general hospital. I said I preferred to go to the specialist children's clinic at the University Hospital in Bern, and they told me the health insurance may not cover the costs as it is outside the canton where we live. Graham and I decided to take the risk and sell the car if we have to, to pay for whatever treatment George needs. I was unable to find out from SWICA whether the procedure would be covered - no access to my records at the emergency number. Great.
So we went to Bern without collecting overnight gear. They did another ultra sound and confirmed the Payerne diagnosis. Then they took our little boy into an operating theatre in the radiology department and blew air into his intestines until the small intestine was forced out of the large intestine. It was very painful for him and he cried a lot. He did not have any pain killer. Graham stayed with him and stroked him. I stood outside and watched the change in his intestinal pattern as x-rays were done, again and again.
Afterwards, George was exhausted and slept. We were taken to a room on the third floor, emtpy when we entered it- I slept with George in his hospital bed and Graham slept on a fold up bed next to us. Well, you couldn't really call it sleeping. More like just being there. During the night, a little girl was brought in to our room with a complicated arm break. George turned upside down repeatedly in his sleep and the nurse clattered around. We didn't get any sleep.
On Sunday, George was a bit tired but otherwise fine. He played happily in the play room and enjoyed all the different toys they had there. I went home to collect overnight gear and we all went for a walk to the city centre when I got back. Graham went home in the evening. Didn't get much sleep again as another child came into the room in the night.
On Monday we played a lot and George made a new friend. At around lunch time we were told we could leave. George has no intestinal pain. at home we have to look to see if he has any pain, if there is blood in his stools or any other abnormal signs. I am absolutely exhausted from all this. Graham is in Stans, working for the army.
I stayed at home today to look after George. We went to the gym in the morning, where there is a creche, but George wasn't happy and cried so I took him home. In the afternoon we went for a walk and Andrea, the neighbour's au pair, invited us in for a coffee. George and her charge, Yanik, played outside. It was a beautiful sunny day and very warm. George banged his head badly but seems ok. Every time he hurts himself I feel guilty and upset as I feel i didn't look after him well enough. He could not be more loved.
Was very touched that the doctors from the Payerne Hospital rang the Bern hospital to see how George was and whether the procedure had worked. The radiologist was a bit grumpy in payerne , but it just shows you can't judge a book by its cover or a radiologist by its bad mood.
We think George got a raw deal. What about those poor kids at school in Beslan.
Tomorrow I am going to interview survivors from the Beslan school hostage incident in which more than 300 children and adults were killed. A group of twenty have come to Switzerland to study at a school for three months. I will meet them in Nyon. Have been trying to get my head around interviewing them.
The procedure could only be carried out with a surgeon on hand, and an anasthetist who was prepared to dose up a baby for an op if necessary. There was none of that in Payerne so they fixed up for us to go to Fribourg general hospital. I said I preferred to go to the specialist children's clinic at the University Hospital in Bern, and they told me the health insurance may not cover the costs as it is outside the canton where we live. Graham and I decided to take the risk and sell the car if we have to, to pay for whatever treatment George needs. I was unable to find out from SWICA whether the procedure would be covered - no access to my records at the emergency number. Great.
So we went to Bern without collecting overnight gear. They did another ultra sound and confirmed the Payerne diagnosis. Then they took our little boy into an operating theatre in the radiology department and blew air into his intestines until the small intestine was forced out of the large intestine. It was very painful for him and he cried a lot. He did not have any pain killer. Graham stayed with him and stroked him. I stood outside and watched the change in his intestinal pattern as x-rays were done, again and again.
Afterwards, George was exhausted and slept. We were taken to a room on the third floor, emtpy when we entered it- I slept with George in his hospital bed and Graham slept on a fold up bed next to us. Well, you couldn't really call it sleeping. More like just being there. During the night, a little girl was brought in to our room with a complicated arm break. George turned upside down repeatedly in his sleep and the nurse clattered around. We didn't get any sleep.
On Sunday, George was a bit tired but otherwise fine. He played happily in the play room and enjoyed all the different toys they had there. I went home to collect overnight gear and we all went for a walk to the city centre when I got back. Graham went home in the evening. Didn't get much sleep again as another child came into the room in the night.
On Monday we played a lot and George made a new friend. At around lunch time we were told we could leave. George has no intestinal pain. at home we have to look to see if he has any pain, if there is blood in his stools or any other abnormal signs. I am absolutely exhausted from all this. Graham is in Stans, working for the army.
I stayed at home today to look after George. We went to the gym in the morning, where there is a creche, but George wasn't happy and cried so I took him home. In the afternoon we went for a walk and Andrea, the neighbour's au pair, invited us in for a coffee. George and her charge, Yanik, played outside. It was a beautiful sunny day and very warm. George banged his head badly but seems ok. Every time he hurts himself I feel guilty and upset as I feel i didn't look after him well enough. He could not be more loved.
Was very touched that the doctors from the Payerne Hospital rang the Bern hospital to see how George was and whether the procedure had worked. The radiologist was a bit grumpy in payerne , but it just shows you can't judge a book by its cover or a radiologist by its bad mood.
We think George got a raw deal. What about those poor kids at school in Beslan.
Tomorrow I am going to interview survivors from the Beslan school hostage incident in which more than 300 children and adults were killed. A group of twenty have come to Switzerland to study at a school for three months. I will meet them in Nyon. Have been trying to get my head around interviewing them.
darwin - 15. Mar, 22:38
