A Hospital Birthday

This will be the third year running that something has happened on or around my birthday!  I spent best part of my 52nd in hospital with Pip :-(  She went out with friends on Thursday and since it was a last minute invite I forgot to check the food arrangements.  Unfortunately she ate a whole heap of party food that contained wheat and dairy and other processed foods.  We tend to avoid gluten and dairy due to mine and Benedict's intolerances and so the odd time Pip has eaten such food it has only been in minute consequences.  The allergic response was most alarming and the abdominal pain so bad that an ambulance was dispatched yesterday lunchtime.

It is really hard seeing a child suffer and I really felt for her when we were waiting in the A&E corridor with other much older patients.  One of the ambulance crew commented that in an other local hospital they have a separate paediatric A&E department.  Although all the staff were incredibly caring I can definitely see the value in a separate unit.  Still we made the best of the situation and it gave me an opportunity to also quietly pray for those waiting in the queue for a cubicle. I knew that God was with us but still my anxiety and stress levels were through the roof and I was so glad once Pip was settled on a bed awaiting assessment from one of the doctor's on call.

God really stepped into the situation and we were seen by a very caring A&E doctor who was not only a Christian but very much in favour of homeschooling!  She is a mum to two small kiddies a four year old and two year old and also lives in the small town five minutes from our village :-)  When I happened to comment that it was my birthday and that I was worried about leaving Dave and Ben at home she gave me a massive hug and I told her that, she was an answer to prayer!

  After examining Pip, she diagnosed gastritis and it became all too clear that her body had reacted badly to the food.  To be safe though she ran some blood tests and Pip and I were dispatched to the canteen to grab a drink and wait for the results.  There was a method to this request as she wanted to see how Pip was without pain relief and in moving around, previously she couldn't get out of the chair as the pain was so bad.  I can tell you now that never had I enjoyed or deserved a Costa coffee as much as that Latte yesterday afternoon!  As suspected the blood tests were all normal, Praise God and both Pip and I were awarded bravery stickers!  Mine was the gold one for being super brave :-)

Our lovely friend David came to collect us and bring us home and once in the door I crashed on the bed for a good hour as I was exhausted.  So very thankful that it was nothing serious and a timely reminder for me to make sure that I pack all her own food when she attends gatherings away from home.

 Hiding behind a Nintendo games console in the coffee2go café.

A café selfie, so good to see her smiling, I was just to exhausted to raise a smile at that point!

We have first day at school tomorrow, so the bags have been packed, homework done and lunches made, nighty night x