Scarlet Fever, conclusion.

We came home yesterday.  And that is the end of it! He is much better, and has no anti biotics to take now.  The pneumonia was stopped in its tracks. The Scarlet Fever is nearing it's end, now his skin is just rough and peeling.  I think he must have lost his body weight in dead skin! Well, seems like it.  He is slowly starting to eat normally again, he has lost almost a kilo of weight over the last 12 days or so.

Yes it was rough, but I can't complain (much) when there are so many more children in the hospital sicker then Oshawott was.   So even though I might have had just 3 hours sleep the night before, and have been worried about Oshawott I try not to look (too) run down or sorry for myself in the parents room and corridors.  You just don't know what the other parents stories are.  Some I have got to know a little bit since being here, and they definitely have it rougher then us.

Newborns with deadbeat drug parents, babies that need transplants, toddlers with cerebral palsy, children with cancer, teenagers on suicide watch.  The list goes on.  It really is a massive dose of reality, and does really get depressing if I let myself think about it for too long.

Some of these children don't have parents by there side most of the time, how scary it must be.  We have been really lucky to have had the support of family and friends so that I could be here with him all of the time, taking brief breaks when Coder would come and sit with him.

My Mum basically dropped everything and came from Broken Hill to help, not even being able to organise much in the way of food or transport for my Dad who is vision impaired.   So then there are the friends and family in Broken Hill stepping in to help out Dad.  Also our friends here have been great, looking after the older boys, cooking meals and delivering supplies.

So I really can't complain!  It could have been so much harder.

I guess I am mostly sad that he even had to go through any of this, because unlike me, he doesn't understand that there are kids far worse off then him.  He doesn't think about the drug addicted babies as they are trying to insert a cannula into his hand for the third time in a row after missing the vein. Or the newborn that needs a new kidney when they are trying to do a second set of throat and nasal swabs. It just hurts and he wants it to stop.

We get to spend a day with Mum (Grandma) today out of hospital and feeling much better, before she heads home, so that will be nice.  

Party day is Sunday, Oshawott turns 4 on Monday 20/08/2008.

Just a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the hospital.

Related:
Scarlet Fever, part 1
Scarlet Fever, part 2
Scarlet Fever, part 3
Scarlet Fever, part 4