What happens when your six year old gets sick and town is five hours away
Host: Miss Chardy
Sick kids. It is the pits isn’t it, so scary. I mean, I get worried (and totally freak out) when a jackaroo comes to me with a cut on his eyebrow that needs stitches (may or may not have happened last week) so can you imagine how much it worries me when one of my kids get sick – and town is five hours away. Oh it is just awful isn’t it.
So here is the story so far . . .
Clancy had a wonderful day for his 6th Birthday on Saturday. Such a great day, perfect really.
On Sunday he just wasn’t his usual happy self. He was not using his manners, he was really whingey (is that even a word) and just generally out of sorts. I put it down to a late night and too much junk the day before. But on Sunday night he was complaining of a sore neck, he couldn’t turn his head properly and when I went to check his glands under his ears it really hurt him. His throat wasn’t sore but boy was he upset and out of sorts.
Now, I had hoped for a decent sleep on Sunday as I had to be up at 3:45 am the next morning to drive Tom to Mt Isa so he could fly back to boarding school. Instead I was on the phone to the RFDS at 10:30pm and we ended up with Clancy sleeping with us, so needless to say the sleep wasn’t great and trying to get Clancy to drink medicine is next level FRUSTRATING!
So at 4:30am Monday morning Tom, Harry, and I were all set to jump in the car and head to town. Mr Chardy did say, about two minutes before departure, “Maybe you should take Clancy” . . . well in hindsight he was right . . . he is always right. But no, we didn’t wake the sleeping sick boy. I left him home with DD and Rex (aka: Grandee and Poppy – my Mum and Dad) – oh and his own Father was around the station too.
When we got to town we spoke with DD and Clancy was very out of sorts, upset, and not well at all so I told DD to call the RFDS. She got him on some antibiotics (which again was near on impossible to make him swallow).
Harry and I stayed in town the night and the next morning spoke with DD again, Clancy was still not well. This time I phoned the RFDS. I mean, I didn’t want to drive all the way home just to have them fly out and get him and bring us back to town. So the Dr phoned home and spoke with Mr Chardy. Mr Chardy didn’t see the red mark on Clancy’s neck so the Dr didn’t go and get him and Harry and I drove home.
Yesterday morning Clancy’s neck was still sore and his movement wasn’t great. The red mark was still there so, again, I phoned the RFDS, things just didn’t feel right. I am not one of those Mum’s who phones the Doctor at the drop of a hat and Clancy is a very healthy little boy, I mean he has never even broken a bone for goodness sake.
This time they decided to come out and get him . . . so yep, you guessed it . . .
. . . Here I am back in Mt Isa. We still don’t really know what exactly is wrong with him, he is on IV antibiotics for numerous infections and is having an ultrasound on his neck today. So here we are – we have checked into our executive suite at the Hyatt Regency Mt Isa Hospital. Sounds like we might be here for a few days too.
Oh and in case you were wondering – yes, the room service is second to none, as you could imagine – I think it is a three hat restaurant and the tuna mornay went down an absolute treat with the six year old . . . not! Ha ha ha.
The nurses up here on the paediatric ward are fantastic. Nathan is an absolute champ and has succeeded in making Clancy laugh, he is back on the ward today which is great. Jo – another Nurse came in and said hello and it turns out we have mutual friends (of course we do) and she is also fabulous. So turns out the Hyatt Regency Isa Hospital might be ok after all. Clancy is in pretty good spirits.
And what is the verdict this morning? The redness has gone down but he is still a little swollen. He had a wonderful sleep and even slept through them pumping in the antibiotics at 10pm and midnight. My little foldout sofa bed thingy was certainly better than nothing and I managed to get some sleep too, really do wish I brought my pillow – what the hell was I thinking, but – hey – first world problems. This morning, on our little holiday at the resort, we are looking forward to going for a walk to the cafe to get something special and a coffee, oh yes, bring it on. There is a playroom and playground here on the ward so we will check that out too. We will be sure to keep you posted on our holiday. Now – I think it is time to find the breakfast buffet! Over and out.