Had a phone call from Mrs Dap last thursday saying our 11yr daughter had been sent home from school after complaining of a headache and throwing up everywhere. So Mrs D puts her to bed with a painkiller and a sick bowl. Around tea time the headache is no better cos she can’t keep a painkiller down long enough for it to work so Mrs D calls the doctor. He comes out about 6pm and says a night in hospital is in order purely for observation and to get some fluids and a painkiller in her. No need to panic. I had just parked up in Reading services when the mrs phoned me and i asked do i need to come home? No she says, it’s not serious and besides you’re home tomorrow anyway.
So the next morning i’d just done my 2 drops in London when the phone goes. Mrs D in floods of tears saying Sophie had been moved to the High Dependency Unit cos she’s had some kind of seizure. Right, i’m on the way home anyway, will be there pronto. I get to the hospital and there’s our girl lying there sleeping. Mrs D says the doctors don’t know whats wrong but they’re not ruling out a stroke, she is unable to move her left arm or leg and the left side of her mouth is drooping. They’re doing tests. Bloody hell, i can’t tell you the emotions i felt then but uselessness would be near the top of the list. Big strong me unable to help our little girl lying just 18 inches away from me.
So we sit and watch and wait while the doctors push and prod and take blood for tests. Sophie comes around a few times but is very groggy and she is soon back to sleep. Around 11pm the doctor says we’re moving her to the University Hospital in Cardiff. We’ve done all we can here (The Royal Gwent in Newport). They got better machines in Cardiff and more specialist doctors. We get to Cardiff about 1am.
The next day there is still no change. Still no movement on the left side and still very groggy. They give her a CT scan and an MRI scan for which she had to be knocked out. They’ve even called in the top neuroligist in Wales who came in on his weekend off to have a look at her. Dr Johann Water Naude (top bloke). He came to tell us that the MRI showed it wasn’t a stroke but we still don’t know exactly what the problem is. The thing with the brain is that it is very difficult to diagnose a problem. A lot of the time you have to diagnose what it isn’t and then work from there. But it seems she has had some kind of fit and has been in a constant state of siezure ever since.
So he decides she needs a lumber puncture to relieve some of the pressure on the brain and to give her some anti convulsive drugs. So he did and very slowly she woke up. Still groggy but you could tell she was more alert. She was also talking sense and not just babbling like she had been before. She stayed like that for about 10mins and then went back to sleep. She still had no movement on the left. The next day (Sunday) showed a small improvement. More tests followed. Gradually over the week she’s got better and stronger. Movement retured to her arms and legs and mouth, and Dr Johann finally agreed to let her home after he watched her run up and down the hospital corridor on wednesday. She finally came home yesterday and looks like nothings been wrong at all. The final diagnosis was that she suffered a complicated migrane. First i’ve heard of it but apparently it’s been known to have this effect on those who get it. Bloody frightening i’ll tell you. She’s got some medication now to stop it from happening again. The family is back together now. Daughter no. 2 is back from her holiday with her auntie, and the dog is back from Mrs D’s friend who looked after her. I’m back in work on monday after this short notice week off. Fair play to Eddie, he said take all the time you need and give us a ring when you’re ready to come back. Tell you what, i’m taking nothing for granted again. Life as you know it can come apart so quickly.
Two more things i have learned this week is that doctors still really know nothing about the brain, and that nurses really are angels. The care they provided was 1st class both in Newport and Cardiff. Especially on the HDU where there were little babies no bigger than my forearm recieving the very best care and attention and love. Non stop. I’ve no idea what wages they’re on but whatever it is it should be tripled.
As an aside, when Sophie was put to bed that 1st day when she came home from school Mrs D left the dog in her room with orders to look after Sophie while she went downstairs to do some chores. The dog got bored after 2 mins, stuck her nose in the sick bowl, had a sniff and then wandered back downstairs. Bloody useless! Must be revenge for that stupid hat she was made to wear last Christmas.
