It’s turned into a bit of a dramatic week in our house.
And we owe the NHS one great BIG thank you.
The thing about the NHS is you tend to need it when you least expect it – in our case when what appeared to be nothing but a mild cold suddenly had Littlest B struggling to breathe.
It was early evening and with our GP surgery closed we took her straight to A&E, chest heaving and little heart racing.
It’s fair to say the NHS gets some pretty bad press and while it’s true not everything works as it should (as a type 1 diabetic Misery Guts is often victim of budget cuts, miscommunication and the one-size-fits all system, and some of my miscarriage care was less than ideal) but there’s a lot that actually does work.
A great big thank you to the NHS
Thank you to the nurse who took one look at us at the doors of the children’s emergency department and whisked us straight through to a team of doctors.
Thank you to the team of doctors who diagnosed a chest infection within minutes and were treating my baby before I even had time to draw breath.
Thank you for the medicine which did it’s stuff and helped her turn a corner as quickly as it had taken her to go downhill – and the pull down bed next to her cot, so we could sleep side by side and I could put my hands through the rungs to soothe her.
Thank you to the nurse who could see there was no way she was going to wear her oxygen mask, and thought to fix it to her hippo soother next to her sleeping face instead.
Thank you for thoughtful touches like windows to the outside world and glass in doors at little people height instead of big people height.
Thank you to the League of Friends for providing more toys than you’d find in a toy shop.
And a big thank you to the lady from Theodora Children’s Charity who had goggly eyes in her bun and squeaks in her shoes and made Littlest B laugh for the first time since we arrived.
Oh, and a shout out to the nurse who gave me a wifi code she shouldn’t have given me so I could write this post.
Far from an NHS in crisis we found an NHS doing exactly what it was set up to do: there at the point of need providing free healthcare to those who need it.
As I write Littlest B isn’t well enough to come home yet, but she is responding to treatment with CBeebies streamed to her cot via her own private TV, all thanks to our NHS.
*UPDATE* We were discharged from hospital early the following morning (full of admiration for the NHS).
Have you experienced NHS care recently? Did your carers turn out to be unsung heroes like ours? I’d love to hear about your experience!
The NHS can be amazing at times. Soft toys are very good for holding oxygen masks and a whole variety of medical equipment! The Theodora Children’s Charity is brilliant – we had a couple of zany doctors visit us just before Jessica’s last surgery and the girls had so much fun with them. Hope that Littlest B is on the mend and you will all be back home again very soon x
Oh what a scary experience for you, I am so glad it was dealt with swiftly and that your little munchkin is ok. There is nothing more scary than watching your little one struggle to breath. Takes me back to when my little boy had whooping cough when he was 7 weeks old. #DreamTeam
So glad that Littlest B is better now. The NHS is amazing and all the staff are wonderful π
How frightening but I’m so glad you got the care Littlest B needed. I’m so glad to hear she is at home and on the mend. Long live the NHS! #TwinklyTuesday
Glad Littlest B is well. I myself have received great carers from the NHS when I had gallstones problem just a few weeks postpartum. We are quite lucky to have this kind of medical benefit compared to other countries.
What a lovely post, hope little B feels better soon X #coolmumclub
Gosh it must have been so scary. The NHS is literally a life saver and I feel so lucky that we have it. xx
Oh Natalie, how scary. Glad she is on the mend. There may be faults with the NHS but we all depend on it. #coolmumclub
It’s always lovely to see people take time to praise the NHS when it’s all to easy to only shout about the negatives that come all too often with under pay and overwork. I have to say, aside from my GP with whom I can never get an appointment, I’m team NHS all the way. Those people are the unsung heroes of our nation, and I’ve never had anything but total admiration for them when in their care.
Thanks for linking up to #CoolMumClub and glad to hear gorgeous little B is on the mend again x
Much as the NHS is underfunded and understaffed, it is a wonderful thing. #ablogginggoodtime
How awesome that you were able to get seen so quickly and have medication promptly! It can be hard with the medical systems in many countries at their limits, but they are doing their very best. Hopefully your Little is mending fully. #DreamTeam
So glad to hear she’s okay! We’re so lucky to have the NHS – they were amazing with my daughter when she was on NICU for the first few weeks. I was reading an advice piece on US maternity insurance recently and it was all sounded so complicated and stressful, which is obviously just what you need when pregnant! #KCACOLS
Oh that sounds terrifying for you all. I’m so glad the NHS was there for you in all the right ways. It’s not a perfect system and I’ve had my ups and downs with it, but I’m always grateful that it’s there and I think it’s one of the best systems in the world. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time
that’s a lovely post to read – although terrifying for you. the NHS is such a fantastic institution. I really wish we invested in the NHS and its people more. Pen x #KCACOLS
We have also had positive and negative experiences with the NHS. My daughter had Appendicitis at 4 years old and was misdiagnosed for 3 days, but after that her care was amazing (and they did save her life). I wouldn’t be without them! #kcacols
Personally my over all feeling is the NHS is a fantastic service with caring staff. However, there are some incidents that shouldn’t have happened. #ablogginggoodtime
Awww so sorry your little one hasnβt been well but so happy that you got right care and treatment βΊοΈ #KCACOLS
Aaahh bless you all, what a worrying time. So glad it turned out ok and you had such good care. The NHS are amazing!
Mainy
#KCACOLS
It’s wonderful to read stories like these when the NHS is under such a strain! #KCACOLS
It’s so nice to read a positive story about the NHS. So glad little miss is on the mend.
#KCACOLS
Glad to hear everything went well for you. All too often we only here the bad stories. Hope she’s feeling better #KCACOLS
I so pleased she was discharged really quickly. My daughter had a scare a couple of years back and our GP refused to believe there was anything wrong. Afer getting him to send us to the A&E children’s department they were amazing and knew instantly what was wrong. The nurses even gave Olivia a birthday card and present for her dad as we were due to go shopping the day she was admitted for a present for him as his birthday was the next day. I have nothing but praise and admiration for the staff on our children wards #kcacols
I’m glad she was well looked after. Too many people take our health service for granted but they are always there no matter what. #kcacols
I absolutely salute our NHS. Basically, if it weren’t for the compassion and skill of these wonderful people, neither me or our now 8yo wouldn’t be here today; in unrelated incidents, neither would hubby, mum, my grandad… So very grateful for the NHS every single day. Good to hear your little one is making progress #kcacols
Oh bless! Glad she was ok! The NHS are truly amazing people. #KCACOLS