Blood, sweat and tears
Eight bottles of blood. One chest x-ray. An appointment for an ECG. An appointment for a sweat-test. A referral to the cardiology department. A referral to a dietitian. A referral to a paediatrician who will monitor Toby in the local clinic every few weeks.
That’s how it went at the hospital today.
Toby is very, very light. We knew that. He shows no other signs of any health problem. We knew that too.
The paediatrician was okay, on the whole. He seemed offended that we were not “in the system” (”So who do you want me to write to?”) but somehow coped. He did tell us that he believed it was legally required to register a child with a GP, but at least his clinical skills seemed better than his legal expertise.
He ordered lots of tests.
I said I wanted Toby to have the anaesthetising cream before they took blood, so he didn’t feel the needle. He was fascinated by the wrinkly plastic stuff they’d stuck to his hand and feet though. I tried to nurse him to sleep before they took the blood, but he was far too curious about what they were doing to his foot. He wasn’t bothered; just interested. It was me who cried while they did it.
The other boys went to my friend S’s house while we went to the hospital - thank you, S, for looking after them for us - and sorry we made you answer the door dressed in a towel with conditioner in your hair and a carton of apple-juice in your hand. (Don’t ask me about the apple-juice; I don’t know.) After the hospital, I went shopping (mostly for Freddy’s birthday party this weekend) while Scratchy went back for the boys. Then Toby, Jack, Freddy and I went to my friend J’s house while Scratchy took the others to archery.
On the way home this evening, Barney asked how it had gone at the hospital. I told him that Toby was very underweight, and that they wanted to do lots of tests. Barney, blinking back tears, said, “I don’t want them to take blood from him.”
I know just how he felt.
The paediatrician said he’d phone if there was anything abnormal on the blood tests or the chest x-ray. We have an appointment for the ECG and sweat-test. We’ll get appointments for all the rest of it through the post.
Maybe there’s a problem, and I will feel like crap for not taking him to a doctor sooner. Or maybe this is just how he’s meant to be, and I will feel like crap for putting him through all this for nothing.
Either way, I feel like crap.
This is scary 
In: babies, family, life, social stuff
310 Views
Posts
Sometimes it *is* crap.
(((Deb)))
Yeah, hugs from me too. Don’t beat yourself up about it though.
Deb, you have my sympathy too. Having been “in the system” from the very start with blood tests and goodness knows what else, i can hardly imagine life without it. It must be horrid to start now.
Whatever happens from here on in, he clearly hasn’t been ill and suffering, so try not to beat yourself up. But i do know how hard that is too, so… well… hugs to you.
(((((hugs))))) At least at the end of it all you will *know* and I (very) often think that its the not knowing thats the worst. I think I would have cried at the blood taking too, I know I cried when they knocked K out for his circumcision.
Can I ask what the sweat test is for?
The sweat test is for cystic fibrosis. It’s very unlikely, because of the racial background - it occurs in Asians at a rate that’s about ten times lower than in white people, and both parents must be carriers. Those stats are what’s keeping me going on this one
((hugs)) Debs. I hated it when our Ben got blood taken. It is so worrying. Not sure is true you have to have a G.P tho.
Well, if I was a normal person and had a shower early enough, I wouldn’t have had to run downstairs in a towel! The juice was just sitting on the stairs. I find food and drink all over in our house.
I’ve been through the whole failure to thrive thing and R has had *much* blood taken. 1st time he was
It just the worst thing on earth, isn’t it. Very very frightening. These are all exactly the routine tests they would do for a baby who was very small, though, so keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Oh fuck. The CF one is miserable to have to worry about - but you’ve got 4 healthy boys, and a 5th with nothing else alarming but weight, so try not to fret too much. Keep saying stats to yourself.
Yeah I agree with Merry, the stats have to keep you going on this one. It does seem unlikely. Fingers crossed it all gets moved along quickly though.