Nasty Thing call Medicine

this reminds me of how unhappy my baby was when it comes to medicine-eating

Last week, my 6months old baby was admitted into the hospital for having stridor (for information on the illness, go here: http://pedclerk.bsd.uchicago.edu/stridor.html). As required, I spent the 2-nights observation period with her in the hospital.

When her pediatric confirmed that she had stridor and that she needed to be admitted for observation, I could feel the tears welling my eyes. My tiny baby has to be hospitalized! In fact, I cried when I called my sister to let her know of the situation. I just couldn't help myself. And why not? She is so tiny and so young and so helpless.

So, we spent 2 nights there.

It was almost funny that the hospital required her to change into the oversized hospital gown. And I had to share the same (hospital) bed with her; we had to pull up the railings on one side so that I can put a pillow against it to avoid her tiny body going through it and falling to the floor. Me. I had a small sleeping space for myself.

Before that, the doctor inserted an IV into her right upper-hand. Where the nurse proceed to wrap it with a bandage and taped it up to avoid her pulling at it or even have it move an inch. This IV is used to inject the steroid and Antibiotics into her every 10hours. On top of that, she had to be nebulised every 8-10hours. She can sleep through the injections because they are relatively painless due to the use of the IV but the nebulizer… she lets the whole ward nurses knows that she utterly hate it by crying her lungs out!

Funnily enough, my baby was the cutest patient at the ward during that time. The nurses found her cute because also 'sick' as she was, she was still active and ever insistence on turning to her tummy whenever possible. And she still feeds well.

Her sister was another story.

She simply insists to be with us and was not happy that she had to attend kindy in the mornings during our hospital stay. In fact, my husband told me that she cried most mornings when she had to go to school. My heart goes out to her too and I realized that she is just like me; compassionate and emotionally attached to family members. To remedy this, my husband took leave during that time so he would be available to pick her up in the afternoons and drive her to the hospital to be with us. Also, it was to give me an opportunity to take a break from caring for the baby - at least get a breather by going to the garden or cafeteria.

I was glad when her pediatric announced that she has recovered well enough to be discharged. Although she had 3 medicines she had to take orally, but I was glad to be taking her home. Of course I know now, it would be much more 'painful' to administer the medicines to her (struggling, crying etc etc) but at least… she is home with us.

Some day, I will definitely let her know of our 2 nights 'hospital holiday'.