Thank you to all the blood donors
Discussion
...you've saved our little boy's life.
A rollercoaster of a week involving a trip to the doctor this time last week with a lethargic and yellowing 20mth old, a swift hospital admission (Eastbourne) to two transfusions, a general anesthetic to insert a line in his neck as all the veins in his wrists and feet had collapsed and a total time stopper of a conversation starting, "...well, we can rule out leukemia..." (yes, that is a good thing, but kind of adjusted the perspective somewhat).
Will do a fuller update at a later stage, but I'll leave it at that for now - if you donate, thank you, if you can... please do.
Good news is we're at home (for tonight anyway) and he's just waking up saying, "Sleep well" ...great stuff.
A rollercoaster of a week involving a trip to the doctor this time last week with a lethargic and yellowing 20mth old, a swift hospital admission (Eastbourne) to two transfusions, a general anesthetic to insert a line in his neck as all the veins in his wrists and feet had collapsed and a total time stopper of a conversation starting, "...well, we can rule out leukemia..." (yes, that is a good thing, but kind of adjusted the perspective somewhat).
Will do a fuller update at a later stage, but I'll leave it at that for now - if you donate, thank you, if you can... please do.
Good news is we're at home (for tonight anyway) and he's just waking up saying, "Sleep well" ...great stuff.
Hope the little man is doing well. I also would like to thank blood donors, i had some after having my latest child. Although im scared of needles i will donate in the future when i get the all-clear. Until i needed the transfusion i was rather complacent about it and never really gave it a thought. Rather humbling afterwards.
Thank you - yep, little chap improving gradually; now waiting for Monday's blood test results to see how his haemoglobin count is doing and if he needs a third transfusion, or whatever the next set of treatment needs to be. What a week, or to put it another way - poor little bugger.
Good news is he's asleep, in his own bed, with no tubes or wires attached to anything external (just the tube/line still in his neck).
Putting all the facts in order for a full update on what has happened so far is easy, placing the emotions into it is less so... so I'll procrastinate further before writing that and posting it. Let's leave it at a virus (they think) causing haemolysis.
Mrs SWH is 36wks pregnant today with his little brother (who's having a darn good stretch just now) and is keeping it together impressively. I'm always calm, always... really always, never shout, rarely show annoyance, never shocked and just deal with stuff. I actually cried this week... it is allowed you know, just quite rare; well, on my wedding day stood at the altar, on a plane back from NY when my wife was having a miscarriage in 2008, and on Tuesday afternoon while SWH Jnr was having his second transfusion, on the bed with him while telling a story about our two cats and he patted me on the arm as if to say it's ok... while repeating occasional words from the story with a chuckle.
Fingers crossed for Monday - more to follow when I can.
Good news is he's asleep, in his own bed, with no tubes or wires attached to anything external (just the tube/line still in his neck).
Putting all the facts in order for a full update on what has happened so far is easy, placing the emotions into it is less so... so I'll procrastinate further before writing that and posting it. Let's leave it at a virus (they think) causing haemolysis.
Mrs SWH is 36wks pregnant today with his little brother (who's having a darn good stretch just now) and is keeping it together impressively. I'm always calm, always... really always, never shout, rarely show annoyance, never shocked and just deal with stuff. I actually cried this week... it is allowed you know, just quite rare; well, on my wedding day stood at the altar, on a plane back from NY when my wife was having a miscarriage in 2008, and on Tuesday afternoon while SWH Jnr was having his second transfusion, on the bed with him while telling a story about our two cats and he patted me on the arm as if to say it's ok... while repeating occasional words from the story with a chuckle.
Fingers crossed for Monday - more to follow when I can.
I went for my 2nd donation a few weeks ago, I'm dreadful with needles but frankly it wasn't a good enough reason for me anymore.
For anyone considering going along for their first session, I posted up my own experiences when I made my 1st donation back in 2009:
Today I Gave Blood
Be aware that there are a lot of restrictions, for example if you've been out of the country recently you need to wait at least a month before donating (longer depending on where you visited) or if you've had a cold you may be denied as well.
But once you get approved it's a very quick process, and you get free biscuits
For anyone considering going along for their first session, I posted up my own experiences when I made my 1st donation back in 2009:
Today I Gave Blood
Be aware that there are a lot of restrictions, for example if you've been out of the country recently you need to wait at least a month before donating (longer depending on where you visited) or if you've had a cold you may be denied as well.
But once you get approved it's a very quick process, and you get free biscuits
Quick update - blood test day again today, no need for a further transfusion at the moment and steroids being reduced (only by 20% but still the right direction).
His Haemoglobin count should be around 12 - was at 3.7 when admitted, went up to 6.8 after the first transfusion then 7 shortly after; back down to 4.7 a couple of days after that, then back up to 7.6 after the second transfusion last week, and up to 8.7 shortly after. So today.. down to 7 - which is less of a reduction than we'd anticipated, so good news
Clearly a fair way to go yet, the little guy is much brighter, sleeping/eating lots, but easily tired, which is fair enough really.
More blood tests on Friday, and then the line has to be taken out of his neck as well - he's not going to like that part one bit, gets done on the ward (no general this time), in the treatment room which he hates so much - having been held tight for 45mins (by me) on several occasions, while various doctors and consultants pushed needles into him in an attempt to get a cannula into a hand, foot, arm... or even just some blood out for a test sample... I can quite understand why.
His Haemoglobin count should be around 12 - was at 3.7 when admitted, went up to 6.8 after the first transfusion then 7 shortly after; back down to 4.7 a couple of days after that, then back up to 7.6 after the second transfusion last week, and up to 8.7 shortly after. So today.. down to 7 - which is less of a reduction than we'd anticipated, so good news
Clearly a fair way to go yet, the little guy is much brighter, sleeping/eating lots, but easily tired, which is fair enough really.
More blood tests on Friday, and then the line has to be taken out of his neck as well - he's not going to like that part one bit, gets done on the ward (no general this time), in the treatment room which he hates so much - having been held tight for 45mins (by me) on several occasions, while various doctors and consultants pushed needles into him in an attempt to get a cannula into a hand, foot, arm... or even just some blood out for a test sample... I can quite understand why.
Edited by SWH on Monday 7th March 20:45
This is the sort of thing that made me become a donor.
I guess most people (that'll be me, then) don't or didn't even think about where the blood comes from, goes to, and who it helps.
Both my kids are alive due to someones generosity - they both had 3 transfusions in the womb and 2 and 3 transfusions when they were born.
So thank you from me (and the rest of the Zip family), also.
Apologies for the slight hijack OP, and I sincerely hope your boy makes a full recovery.
I guess most people (that'll be me, then) don't or didn't even think about where the blood comes from, goes to, and who it helps.
Both my kids are alive due to someones generosity - they both had 3 transfusions in the womb and 2 and 3 transfusions when they were born.
So thank you from me (and the rest of the Zip family), also.
Apologies for the slight hijack OP, and I sincerely hope your boy makes a full recovery.
Thanks for the wishes.
Back in for another set of blood tests with the little guy today... and his Haemoglobin count is down again, 5.8 this time (should be ~12) which explains him getting more easily tired etc.
So, home for now, then back we go tomorrow morning for a blood cross match and another set of tests to see where the Hb count is going, then probably a further transfusion, number three in fact.
Thankfully (I think) he's still got the line in his neck, so getting the blood in shouldn't be too tricky, tests are more so - the line wasn't bleeding back (common after ~10d apparently) so we had to do the screaming half hour, where I hold him tight, Mrs SWH attempts to comfort him a little, a nurse or doctor holds an arm, and another doctor, or the registrar in this instance, stabs about to get the test samples out - not nice, but it did work this time.
Tuesday we're in as a day case at Great Ormond Street by the looks of it... no further forward in knowing quite what the virus is that's causing this at the moment, although that's frustrating it certainly appears they're doing all the right things at this stage, and given how serious this appears to be it's hardly going to be a sudden switch for the little man to be better...
...so, looks like we've got plenty more waiting to do; Mrs SWH being 37wks today with SWH Jnr.2 is coping at the waiting, for now.
Back in for another set of blood tests with the little guy today... and his Haemoglobin count is down again, 5.8 this time (should be ~12) which explains him getting more easily tired etc.
So, home for now, then back we go tomorrow morning for a blood cross match and another set of tests to see where the Hb count is going, then probably a further transfusion, number three in fact.
Thankfully (I think) he's still got the line in his neck, so getting the blood in shouldn't be too tricky, tests are more so - the line wasn't bleeding back (common after ~10d apparently) so we had to do the screaming half hour, where I hold him tight, Mrs SWH attempts to comfort him a little, a nurse or doctor holds an arm, and another doctor, or the registrar in this instance, stabs about to get the test samples out - not nice, but it did work this time.
Tuesday we're in as a day case at Great Ormond Street by the looks of it... no further forward in knowing quite what the virus is that's causing this at the moment, although that's frustrating it certainly appears they're doing all the right things at this stage, and given how serious this appears to be it's hardly going to be a sudden switch for the little man to be better...
...so, looks like we've got plenty more waiting to do; Mrs SWH being 37wks today with SWH Jnr.2 is coping at the waiting, for now.
...and that's transfusion number three done, so thanks again
Home as well, somewhat late clearly, but better the little chap wakes up in his own bed in the morning, us two as well.
Blood tests this morning were... well, and hour of sticking needles in a 20mth old, doesn't really get much worse; Mrs. SWH crying, the little man screaming his head off, and me holding him stupidly tight, repeated failed attempts at extracting more than a drop, or a drip on the floor, or a smudge on my t-shirt. This isn't new, they're well aware getting a blood test sample is tricky - hence the internal line in his neck (which now won't bleed back).
Descended into something resembling a Laurel and Hardy farce with the Consultant and Registrar repeatedly trying, failing, or getting not quite enough blood and not having the right things in the right place at the right time, no sterile needle, no swab, no sample bottle, no... well, I'm happy to accept it's virtually impossible to get blood out of the little chap's veins at the moment, but this became utter chaos - the fact I had to tell them to get their act together and maybe get everything they need in one place on a tray ready to do the test rather than faffing about like a bunch of amateurs went down particularly well, I didn't do it quietly... politely yes, just not quietly. A few mins later, samples taken (radial artery, straight in, higher risk clearly) traumatised child out and quickly recovering...
Next blood tests are at Great Ormond Street on Tuesday, hopefully less traumatic.
Home as well, somewhat late clearly, but better the little chap wakes up in his own bed in the morning, us two as well.
Blood tests this morning were... well, and hour of sticking needles in a 20mth old, doesn't really get much worse; Mrs. SWH crying, the little man screaming his head off, and me holding him stupidly tight, repeated failed attempts at extracting more than a drop, or a drip on the floor, or a smudge on my t-shirt. This isn't new, they're well aware getting a blood test sample is tricky - hence the internal line in his neck (which now won't bleed back).
Descended into something resembling a Laurel and Hardy farce with the Consultant and Registrar repeatedly trying, failing, or getting not quite enough blood and not having the right things in the right place at the right time, no sterile needle, no swab, no sample bottle, no... well, I'm happy to accept it's virtually impossible to get blood out of the little chap's veins at the moment, but this became utter chaos - the fact I had to tell them to get their act together and maybe get everything they need in one place on a tray ready to do the test rather than faffing about like a bunch of amateurs went down particularly well, I didn't do it quietly... politely yes, just not quietly. A few mins later, samples taken (radial artery, straight in, higher risk clearly) traumatised child out and quickly recovering...
Next blood tests are at Great Ormond Street on Tuesday, hopefully less traumatic.
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