Friday 7 February 2014

A BIG ONE!

I never intended that this blog would keep going after Birmingham, but it has, and one of Evan's nurses said to me once that it would be nice for him to look back on...

So Happy Birthday Son, you're one today!

And it's been an eventful year, there's been highs and there's been lows, there's been smiles and there's been tears, but you're here today a year old, and blessed with a fantastic family around you...

A big sister who loves you enough to play with all your toys just to make sure they are safe for you ;-)

And we've been as equally blessed with the help, support and love we have received from family and friends.

1 year old - 365 days - 47 nights spent at home - 1 major heart operation - 2 bowel operations - 3 central line operations (2 in & 1 out) - 1 chest drain - 1 emergency crash call - 3 weeks in Birmingham - 2 aeroplane flights - 4 different wards in the Royal (mostly Barbour though) - 1 sister - 1 mother - 1 father - 1 family and love that can never be measured x

As one thing you'll learn as you grow up stand by your family as your family will always stand by you.

Saturday 1 February 2014

Its been a long day.

Over the past 2 days there has been some traces of blood in Evan's nappies, this morning's nappy was all blood, and he was in terrible form.

His next nappy was the same, and we were fortunate that Evan's Gastro Consultant was in theater today, so he was on the scene very quickly and with the on call Surgical Consultant, they set up a number of scans and x-rays. The thing I like about these two is not just that they both know Evan, but that neither of the two of them dress anything up. So the possibilities that were explained to us ranged from an ulser, a rupture, an infection, but to be prepared for a twisted bowel, and with Evan's short gut neither of these would be minor.

Things happen at times for a reason, the Consultant Radiographer today was a locum from Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. So between the 3 consultants they completed x-rays and a contrast study, 3 very dedicated caring professionals.

The concensus is that he has developed quite serious colitis, or inflammation of the bowel, which means he won't require emergency surgery which had been an option, and that hopefully it can be sorted medically, but we won't know the impact on his bowel function until it settles.

He has received a further blood transfusion necessary to balance the volume he has lost, (and he hasn't asked me where it came from, nor have I, nor will I)

Evan came in two weeks ago, as they were concerned he wasn't putting on weight fast enough and we should be in for 3-4 weeks. And today he has had the noro virus, developed colitis, and we don't know when we'll be home again.

Friday 31 January 2014

6 days in Quarantine

One of the draw backs of being in hospital, is the amount of illness that is around.

Last Saturday Evan was sick a number of times and had a few very 'bad' nappies.

As a precaution and a matter of routine he was put into an isolation ward on Sunday, and tests have confirmed that he has contracted the noro virus, and the kind wee sole that he is he shared, first me then Jenny and then it also spread throughout our family.

Evan at this stage is in his sixth night in an isolation ward, and this is my sixth night on a camp bed bedside him, he's in good form in himself, and is now roughly back up to the same weight he was when he came in here two weeks ago.

Ironically he came in for an operation as he wasn't gaining weight and he has ended up losing more.

During his time here he's had a number of scans and test which we are still awaiting the results of.

Again while Jenny 'does' days and I 'do' nights the support from family and friends is amazing, and Freya is 'holidaying' with granny & granda again.

Friday 17 January 2014

Central Line in place.

Evan has had his Central Line replaced successfully earlier today and the TPN is now up and running, and shortly the nurse is going to run a 4hr drip which should see his sodium levels returned to normal, which will and can be balanced through his TPN.

But all in all he's in great form, and the staff here have been excellent.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Back to Barbour Ward

We've had Evan home since the start of December, with a weekly visit to the RVH to check his weight.

His weight has been fluctuating up and down over the last few weeks, but it came as a real kick in the stomach on Friday when we were told, it was necessary to replace the "Central Line" and put him back on TPN.

We were told this Monday to be in the Royal for 8am on Tuesday, so an early start to get everything packed and sorted.

And around 11am on Tuesday we were told that there was no opening on the surgical list, and to come back again on Friday, and to add to it when he was weighed he had put on weight since Friday.

Having thought that Evan needing TPN was both behind us and well in front of us, it has been an emotional time, and with the thought of him being back in hospital for another month, will bring a whole raft of other challenges.