Day 6 in the Horrid Hospital

We are so lucky.

In the bed next to us in the Intensive Care Unit was a child whom, the doctors say, is unlikely ever to wake up again. There is a baby down the corridor who has acute pneumonia and the nurses say she hasn’t stopped screaming for four days and nights. And yesterday I met a woman who has been in here for three months with her little son who was born with some of his organs outside his body. It is true that there is always somebody worse off.

So yes, we are very lucky. Madam had two pieces of bread and jam for breakfast, half an easter egg for lunch and four chips for supper. She has had moments where she is bright and smiley… until anybody walks into the room and then she shrivels up, closes her eyes and waits to see what horrid thing they are going to do to her today. Well, nothing as it turns out. Towards the time when her painkillers are due, she gets distressed and her heart rate and temperature rise, but when her medication has kicked in she remains steady. Tomorrow they will take out her chest drain and are not expecting to put one in for her heart as it seems to be improving slightly. They are wary that some fibrous tissue is developing around her heart, but will continue to monitor it.

So all in all, a much better day. Of course there is still the little matter of the ULI to contend with - the Unidentified Life-threatening Illness. Which part of my daughter will it attack next and are the antibiotics going to be effective? Tune in tomorrow to find out…

Lots of lovely surprises happened today. A loving uncle arrived bearing a coffee machine, which is now stashed in my cupboard and brought out surreptitiously when no one is about. I have a coughing fit to disguise the noise and waft my towel about to disperse the aroma. So I no longer have to leave her to go in search of the watery rubbish they serve in the not-open-on-bank-holidays café downstairs. (Which means I am a nicer person.) Number 1 Son visited and admitted he has been doing laundry and washing-up. Our old postman emailed me.  But best of all, Madam was disconnected from her machines for long enough to allow a cuddle with a very grateful mum and dad.