it has been far too long since I have been updating you. Let me tell you about all the excitement of the last 3 month. Everything was fine well as far as it could be fine with Clint still being unemployed. Yet we were blessed and Celina was healthy and well. We still attended a wedding.
We enjoyed a Rwandan wedding.Beginning of February Celina started being a little uncomfortable again and I started her on reflux medication again. This seemed to help.
Celina was ask to be a part of a show which was a dance show of a mixture of high school pupils and wheelchair drivers. This was very exiting and also very impressive. They put together an amazing show.
after 2 weeks of every day rehearsals
a beautiful dance showA video would have been now nice to show. Unfortunately we still don't have the video.
The end of February drama started again after 1 year and 3 month freedom from hospital. Celina choked on her own vomit and was barely breathing and changing to a not good blue color. Now we were really in trouble not even really knowing where to go to. We were so used to private hospitals. But since October since Clint has no job anymore we also did not have a medical aid. We still went to our private hospital into emergency(4.30pm). Which in the end cost us a arm and a leg. Well would have cost us a arm and a leg if we wouldn't have some very good and understanding friends sitting in the right places speaking for us and getting those bills reduced. Two of them we haven't even heard of yet.
All glory to God.
On arrival at the emergency Celina got on oxygen, got multiple nebulizers and 2 drips plus some medication. She looked much better within short time yet had to stay on oxygen.
And now what???
We had to be transferred to a government hospital. The doctor(Dr Lund retired in December) who treated Celina pulled some strings and got us into Red Cross children's hospital. Now we just needed to get there. This was going to be an experience of a different kind. After waiting for 4 hours for the government ambulance because we couldn't afford a private one someone must have organized something else. Anyway we were now at about 11.30 finally arriving at Red Cross with an ER ambulace. Again at emergency we waited another 4 hours and were asked if we didn't bring a blanket and a pillow for our daughter. And nobody really talks to you or tells you whats the next step etc. Cold and sad.
Just to be moved to the STAY OVER ward which was really not nice. Probably at least 50 beds in one big hall. On the side was one room a little off that big hall with I think 6 beds where we were pushed in.
And finally Celina was given antibiotic after over 11 hours. By this time it was 4 am in the morning and I laid down on a pull out layer thing, hard but OK. I was exhausted and frustrated.
An hour later the lights went on, 5am, and someone shouted " Mommies get up and put your beds together. I thought I was dreaming. This now really was armee style. Wow. I just ignored them, I just had an hour sleep. A while later I was personally reprimanded to get up. I got up and we mommies looked at each other with question marks on our faces. We were waiting till almost 9 am for the doctors round to come and tried to find some more sleep sitting on the folded together bed thingies. We were given two slices of airy bread with margarine and a tea poured from a huge bucket already sugared and with milk in it. And I mean sugared.... sooooooo sweet.
The doctors came, had a quick discussion with each other and moved on. So now what???? Hellllooooo is anybody talking to me. After a while one of the doctors came back to tell us that they had called an ambulance to transfer us to Victoria hospital. I got the fright of my life. This hospital was the one, one never hears anything good about but it is on our doorstep just about a hundred meter from our flat. I wanted to scream kick run and a thousand other things.
OK now I had to get myself together. I was alone. Clint had gone home to get some sleep. I called him and then went back to Celina set on my chair and took my devotional and my bible out and started reading and then praying. After that I had this strange feeling of peace deep inside of me and that quiet voice telling me "just wait and see". Well my tears were gone and I felt like I could breath again.
Just a little later came the ambulance with the most amazing paramedics hooking Celina up to a oxygen bottle and here we were on our way again. Another patient was already in the ambulance also on the way to Victoria hospital. In Government everything is different besides that I was looked at at the hospital like I am from another planet since there are not many white people as patients in these hospitals.
Anyway we arrived at Victoria hospital and had a big surprise ..... a blessing in disguise. They have a brand new pediatric ward. Wonderful doctors and nursing staff. Finally I settled and frustration and other negative emotions left. Thank you Lord.
We stayed for 4 days. Everybody started loving us.
Back home we settled in and everything seemed to be back to normal. About 2 weeks later we had the same thing happen to Celina just not as bad. And I just gave her a nebulizer and we prayed and the oxygen level came up again. Phew that was close.
On the 21.March the same happened again. This time bad again and we went straight to Victoria emergency. Not the nicest but anyway we knew we would end up in the children ward. And we were there over the weekend and discharged on Monday.
Now the following Thursday morning we came back to emergency. This time it had nothing to do with aspiration and I also called in at the pediatric ward and told the doctor that we were on our way. They think it was a viral lung infection. So thank the Lord no antibiotics. Just oxygen and nebs. And because she was breathing so hard I decided to put in a nasal gastric feeding tube to feed her. I found it was to risky at the moment to feed her orally.
And this time the TVs were so loud and on so long at night that I really couldn't stand it. Clint took the night shifts(Praise the Lord) and I slept at home and came back the morning to take over for the day. We were there for a week this time. We witnessed one baby passing on another one stopped breathing but was resuscitated and we helped looking after 2 Cerebral palsy children who were all week alone because there mommies had to work.
We were really pampered by the nursing staff and also there were pupils coming to read to the children and play with them. Two ladies did a bit of a counseling round with tea and Easter eggs.
Oh yes and there were pink eared Easter bunnynesses bringing chocolate bunnies and other sweets and stuff. And there was a sponsor of boxes and boxes of marshmallow eggs which were distributed to the patients and parents. I guess this is a whole ministry. We chatted a lot and encouraged people.
Celina had a scope done by an ENT and they found out that she had swollen inferior turbinates(membranes) in her nose. And a decreased post nasal space. And some other little things were diagnosed. She is on a nasal steroid spray to get the swelling down so that she can breath normal and eat and drink again.
Well this wasn't over. On Friday she choked again. This time we got it sorted at home again and decided to leave her for a couple of days on tube food to give the spray time to work and for Celina to recover properly. Next week Thursday we have a barium swallow done and the following week a follow up appointment at Victoria outpatients.
And then I just pray we can go on with life without hospitals. Enough is enough.
Through all this God never left us. Always carried and guided us.
Like always THANK YOU LORD WE PRAISE YOU.
