![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
My daughter just got out of the hospital
Oct. 9th, 2004 08:21 pmOn Tuesday morning, my seven-year-old daughter, who had been completely healthy the night before, vomited blood. That didn't seem quite right, to put it mildly, so we went to the pediatrician. Unfortunately, I said that it seemed to be blood rather than it was blood, so doctor wasn't alarmed and sent us home. When she vomited the second time, an emormous amount of blood and blood clots all over the bathroom floor, I thought, "Oh my god, I need to get this child to the Emergency Room!" What I said was, "You know, Honey, I think we should go to the hospital and find out why you're throwing up."
After that, we had a tense day and a half during which she almost died from the blood loss (Her hemoglobin count should have been about 12; it was 4) followed by another tense day waiting for the results of tests having to do with her liver (her type of bleeding and liver problems often go hand in hand). We ended up with a probable diagnosis (more tests still to come) of a condition which is treatable on an out-patient basis. A fourth day was spent making sure she was well enough to go home, and now we are trying to return life to normal. Phew!
Through it all, she (and her parents) were in wonderful hands. First, our local hospital, who stabilized her condition with IV's and her first transfusion and were wise enough to recommend that she be transfered to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). Then CHOP, who took wonderful care of her in the ICU, not only doing everything necessary to make her healthy, but to keep her as calm, comfortable, and happy as possible.
I am deeply grateful to the wonderful staff of both hospitals, to my in-laws who took care of my younger two children throughout this ordeal, to all of my neighbors who offered their assistance, to my daughter's teacher and friends whose gifts and get-well cards cheered her, and the four wonderful people whose donated blood kept my daughter alive.
And so I ask you, my on-line friends, if you are eligible to donate blood, please do so soon as a favor to me. Thank you!
After that, we had a tense day and a half during which she almost died from the blood loss (Her hemoglobin count should have been about 12; it was 4) followed by another tense day waiting for the results of tests having to do with her liver (her type of bleeding and liver problems often go hand in hand). We ended up with a probable diagnosis (more tests still to come) of a condition which is treatable on an out-patient basis. A fourth day was spent making sure she was well enough to go home, and now we are trying to return life to normal. Phew!
Through it all, she (and her parents) were in wonderful hands. First, our local hospital, who stabilized her condition with IV's and her first transfusion and were wise enough to recommend that she be transfered to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). Then CHOP, who took wonderful care of her in the ICU, not only doing everything necessary to make her healthy, but to keep her as calm, comfortable, and happy as possible.
I am deeply grateful to the wonderful staff of both hospitals, to my in-laws who took care of my younger two children throughout this ordeal, to all of my neighbors who offered their assistance, to my daughter's teacher and friends whose gifts and get-well cards cheered her, and the four wonderful people whose donated blood kept my daughter alive.
And so I ask you, my on-line friends, if you are eligible to donate blood, please do so soon as a favor to me. Thank you!