Wednesday 4 January 2012

Back to the start

It's been ages since my last post.  We have been super busy so I have just not had a chance. 

I guess I better bring you up to date!

So, psudomonas had been found on a cough swab and we had been given a 2 week course of Ciprofloxacin to try and beat it. 

When the 2 weeks was up, a community nurse from our local hospital came to get a cough swab.  As you can imagine this was one of the most important swabs she has ever had, therefore we were very frustrated when, after an hour, the nurse declared that it was impossible to get the swab and that we should try ourselves.  Then she left.  Rob and I used both swabs we had been left, neither got to the back of her throat.  The most they would find on them would be leftover wotsits.  Why is it that I still just trust these people to know what they are doing?  I just assumed that it was fine for me to do the swab.  Not so.  We (Rob and I) are her safe place.  If we start attacking her with medical instruments she will never trust us again! 

I got a phone call from her wonderful PCD nurse in Southampton.  The respiratory team and ENT had decided now was a perfect time to take Georgia's tonsils out.  There was a CF (cystic fibrosis) nurse on the Island who would do a cough swab for us.  She would take the swab back to Southampton with her so they could find out if the dreaded Psuedo was still there.  If it was then we would need to stay in the hospital after surgery for 2 weeks IV antibiotics.  That doesn't sound too bad does it??  Well, it is.

I was due to take Georgia over to Southampton on the Monday morning so she could have 24 hours IV's before surgery but she was a bit under the weather so we went in on the Sunday instead for 48 hours. 

As wonderful as the surgeons, nurses and doctors are, I hate that hospital.  Just walking through the doors not knowing when you will be taking her home is so frightening. 

We were on G level surgery ward.  Georgia was given her own room to protect her from infection and also as the previous swab had contained psuedo, its not the best thing to spread around! 

First thing was to canulate her.  I have learnt so many things from this experience.  The main thing being, when they canulate her, get them to put it in anywhere but the hand she uses to colour with! 

As you would imagine, she was very unimpressed at being stuck with a needle.  She was even more unimpressed that the thing stayed in her hand.  Then, she was furious with me for putting a sock on her hand to stop her pulling it off.  

I thought that might be the hardest part of the first day over.  I didn't even consider the antibiotics.  I also didn't realise that they would have to be given every 8 hours, meaning that she was always going to have a middle of the night IV.

As the nurse took the sock off her hand I could see Georgia's little mind thinking 'thank god you are taking this thing out'.  When the first part of the IV was being put in I had to hold her down.  If I hadn't I am sure that poor nurse may have had antibiotics inserted into her eye.  Georgia was beyond furious.  It took me an hour to calm her down.

Soon we were both fed up of not being able to leave the room.  If I needed the toilet I had to put Georgia in her cot, then run across the hall, go as quick as I could.  I could still hear her screaming the whole time.  It's so stressful being in hospital, and this was before surgery!!!!

2 days later her surgery was planned.  We still had no idea if she needed to stay in for 2 week IV's but the swab had not shown anything.  It was now the decision of the respiratory team and ENT.

Georgia was so good.  She had not eaten or drunk anything since the previous evening, but didn't moan about it once.  She only cried when they did her IV's. 

Rob and I dressed her in her little surgical gown and took her to the surgery waiting room.  She was totally oblivious to what was going on and just sat playing while we waited.  I know her heart surgery was a massive operation compared to this but the memories it brought back were terrifying.  I went with her down to surgery.  I had to hold her while they gave her the gas to put her under.  She fought it so much that the nurse said afterwards that some full grown men cannot resist the gas for that long!  I walked away feeling broken.  I felt like I had put her through this pain.  Her heart surgery had to be done, but this could have waited.  There was no going back now though.

We went back to the ward and waited for news.

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