On team work

Wouter has decided to have his salary paid directly to the medical aid from now on.  It all ends up in their account anyway.

This morning Carien experimented with jewelery application.  She applied my stud earring to her right sinus via the nasal cavity.  This precision entry left my fake diamond earring stuck in her nose, with only the distant glitter to betray its presence. 

The ER doctor had to dig it out with a hook-thingy and tweezer.  Giving “mining for diamonds” a whole new (literal) meaning.  But I got my earring back, butterfly and all.

Woutertjie has received his 5th dose of radiation today.  He gets it under general anaesthetic because he is incredibly scared of the machines.  I would have trouble lying still for 5 minutes and he is 4 years old and scared…  For better or worse our dear son isn’t stupid.  He figured out quickly that the “white milk medicine” that is injected into his Broviac line gives him a head-spin and makes him feel very woozy before he passes out.  So now he’s been telling everyone (including the security guard at the hospital) that he doesn’t like the white milk medicine. 

Could someone hand me the Worst Mom of 2009 award so long?  I deserve it.  I’ve worked for it.  I’ve earned it.  I am actively deceiving my child.

Wednesday and Thursday the A-Team (A = anaesthetic) ambushed Boeta while he was sleeping.  I put him down for his afternoon nap.  The Team arrived with medicines, monitors, oxygen cylinders, the works.  The anaethetist (Dr Elizna Basson) gave him his “milk medicine” while he was sleeping and tubed him up and then the whole operation moved to the radiation area.  This is at the farthest point of the hospital from where the ward is.  Interesting times! 

Today his treatment was a lot earlier in the day, ie before nap time.  I put computer games on for him and made sure that he was sitting with his back to the door.  I loosened all the clamps on his Broviac and placed it for easy access from behind.  I “spoke to the nurse” telling her that she can start his chemo (so that he would expect someone to fiddle with the Broviac).  I sat next to him with my arms around him and played games with him and then caught him after the anaethetist stalked him from behind and hit him full force with the dreaded milk medicine.  He still doesn’t know what happened.

At the radiation treatment rooms the radiographists in the Team take over and do their bit.  It is amazing how quickly it is all over.  2 minutes?  But there is no way that he would’ve kept still for alignment and treatment.

At the moment W & w are sleeping in w’s hospital bed.  It is a beautiful sight.  And Boeta is happy in his belief that he hasn’t received milk medicine for the 3rd day in a row.  Sies.  Please hand me the award now.

It is Good Friday today and we are so immensely grateful to all the medical staff who have to work today.  The ER staff this morning, Dr Basson (who was supposed to be on leave this whole week and still did Boeta’s anaesthetic every day), the radiographists, the nursing staff, even Discovery’s call centre people.  To every one of you working on a religious holiday and doing it with a smile and a kind word, thank you.  We can’t tell you how much we appreciate it. 

I want to ask you for a special prayer.  Actually two prayers.

Please pray for Dr Cristina Stefan, our oncologist.  Pray for strength, wisdom and calm so that she can do her bit in the fight against this dreaded enemy even though it may seem like a loosing battle at times.

And then please pray for Winé (Vin-nay) Viljoen, the 12-year old girl with a brain tumour.  She had a 4-hour operation yesterday to remove some of the tumour and implant slow release chemotherapy in her brain.  She is currently in ICU and will be there for a few more days.  Her cancer is extensive and very aggressive.  Please pray for a miracle for her and her family as well.  Her parents are doing remarkably well.  They are exhausted but are kept going by the power of prayer.  Please pray for them as well.

Wishing you all a blessed Easter time.  May you experience the love of our Almighty God in your life in this time.