After 2 weeks of illness Jas is finally back to her normal, bouncy, loud self!
It's been a tough 2 weeks, we've never had a child so ill before.
Ben had chicken really badly when he was about 3 but once he was on antibiotics he was on the mend within hours, it was amazing to see.
But with Jas this has dragged on and on, once the sickness stopped there was still pain, another week of it. Yesterday she was bouncing around the house as we cautiously watched, she slept through the night without needing to disturb us for heating up of the cherry stone pillow (which meant 7 hours unbroken sleep for us, I feel almost human) and she's still bouncing around, demanding food now though, which a week ago wasn't happening - it's sheer bliss to be sitting in the kitchen and to hear her shouts of indignation echoing up from the cellar as she and her brother play 'little big planet'.
The medical system here has been great.
Last Sunday when I told a friend that Jas was not really much better and so I'd be taking her to the doc's she asked me which children's doc we used, she sucked her teeth in disapproval at my answer (she's allowed, as a long time inhabitant of the area, a nurse who's married to an A&E surgeon) and recommended the doc they use.
- That's one of the good things about the health system here, you go to whichever doc you want.
- So I rang them early on Monday and was given an appointment immediately - another great thing about the system here, no waiting until you're half dead, and I didn't have to verbally spar with the receptionist to prove my case.
- the doc was as lovely as my friend had promised and recommended an infusion to rehydrate, which he set up there and then in the practice - wow.
- during the infusion I was offered the chance to ring people to inform them and also of a drink, what great, friendly service.
- as we went home we were told to ring the following day no matter how she was, he wanted to know - wow.
- Friday we were back there as she was still in pain, they did an ultrasound scan there and then in the practice to try to rule out kidney stones. This is a tiny little children's doctor's practice, with 1 doctor and yet they have the facility to do infusions and ultrasound scans, at the drop of a hat, amazing.
- the scan caused a query and the doc wanted it checking by an urologist, they phoned the relevant local clinic/hospital, spoke to the appropriate doc and off we went.
- at that clinic we hit the only fly in the ointment - the doc's receptionist...did we have an appointment? No, our doctor had rung and spoken to the doctor. She didn't like that one bit, and stomped off to check with the doc muttering that she'd have to be admitted (Jas that is, not the Hitlerite receptionist, she just needs committing)...
- the new doc did another ultrasound and ruled out kidney stones and then asked about poo...when was the last time? Jas confessed to 5 days ago (I hadn't thought it odd as she hadn't actually been eating - surely for something to come out something needs to go in first?) and so an enema was administered...immediately!
- we're due back there on Monday afternoon (we have an appointment, so the receptionist will be happy) as the pain disappeared after the success of the enema!
- the original children's doc rang on Saturday morning to ask how Jas was - wow.
If the US wants to do something about its healthcare system they should look to Germany's example which is so much better than that in the UK, here in Germany;
- we can change doctors whenever we want,
- we can get appointments to see the doc on the day we feel ill,
- the practices have a high level of equipment,
- referrals to a specialist are immediate and not subject to a 6 month long waiting list
- doctors take time out of their busy weekends to call and check on your health
WOW.
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