Almost 12 hours in hospital

Another early start in the Flatt household. Sam was due at the hospital at 7.15am for the insertion of a JJ Stent (see my previous post Thurs 17th July ). We arrived at just after 7am and bumped into my god-daughter Helen who is a paediatric nurse. Helen has just started working at the Norfolk & Norwich after almost a year at Addenbrookes. Unfortunately she wasn't working on the Buxton Ward, but in CAU, so that meant we wouldn't be seeing her during the day.

We were greeted on the ward and as we have had quite a few visits in the last eighteen months we didn't have to tell them who we were, they recognised us !!

Sam was supposed to be first on the list, but they had mislaid all his notes, so we had to go through all the pre-assessment bumph again. Had a chat with the consultant, then the anaesthetist who recognised us too. They waited a little while for the notes, because the anaesthetist didn't want to go ahead until he had read through the previous GA notes (was pleased about this). But how can anyone mislay Sam's notes they are about 8 inches high, it's not as though they could slip behind anything.

We were put back to second on the list, the notes turned up, and the theatre staff came to collect Sam at about 9.40am.

With the last 2 GA's Sam has had he has started retching as soon as we reach the anaesthetic room, I guess it must be nerves. So I decided to prepare myself with bowl & paper towels. But I was too late, he decided to start retching when the chap from theatre came to collect him.

After 3 attempts at getting a cannula in Sam's hand they resorted to using gas, which terrified Sam and made him retch even more, but he finally went to sleep after abit of suctioning.

I waited in the parents room and after 50 minutes the consultant came through to say everything had gone to plan. I was then called through to recovery, Sam was awake but a bit dopey. The nurse wanted to give him oxygen to keep his O2 levels up but every time she moved the mask near his face he retched, so we decided to leave him alone, unless it became seriously low. He was sick once and required suctioning, but was soon ready to return to the ward.

We got back to the ward at about 12, and Sam was fine, no more retching, he had a few sips of squash and and nibbled on some cheese & onion crisps. At about 4pm consultant came round and said we could go home. He wants Sam back again either on 1st or 8th September to remove the kidney stones.

We finally left the hospital at 6.45pm because we had to wait for the antibiotics to come up from pharmacy.

As I knew Ben & Julian would be away this week I had bought tickets for Sam & I to watch the pre-season friendly football match between Norwich City & Tottenham. Kick off was at 7.45pm, so this required a quick drive in to Norwich city centre, hunt down a parlking space (not easy on a football day) and then a mad dash to Carrow Road. We arrived with time to spare, but I was shattered. Sam wasn't too interested in watching the football, he was too busy watching the crowds. Anyway early in the second half he began to get upset so we made for the exit and came home, Norwich were already losing 1-3 (final score 1-5 oh dear !)