Sunday, May 22, 2011

"Only the Good Kids..."

The other night we were having a conversation about blood work....Joseph needs to have a routine round of it before his first surgery....

We of course were in the van....where a lot of  'important' conversations seem to take place....

He said "I DID have blood work.....3 times when I was in the hospital"

This hospital part of his past is a new bit of information that has been coming to us in bits and pieces over the last few days.  We knew about the 'bubbles' that he had and the IV he had...but we never caught that he stayed in the hospital

Twice

the first time for ...2 months (?)

The second time....1 month

 Just before we received approval to adopt him....is that why it took 5 weeks to receive PA?

The food was good

But, "All the good kids had people (later he clarified--parents) coming in to 'look' at them, but not me"

In the time he was in the hospital....you mean  NO ONE! took the time to visit him!!? (even if he is off on his times...even 3 DAYS is too long)

Today more revelations,but only a probably diagnosis what kept him in the hospital all that time.

What else are you going to tell me?
  

5 comments:

  1. This makes me so sad for youngest brother. our youngest daughter and all children who have to endure hospitalizations without the love and comfort of a family.

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  2. It is routine for a child to spend 1 month in the hospital after a heart surgery, so him spending a month there doesn't shock me. Nor does 3 months if he were REALLY sick with something.

    I also know that most orphanages will not have an Ayi go to be with the child in the hospital because of shortage of staff. I know my daughter spent a month in the hospital, very very likely without anyone taking care of her as an infant. Nurses there don't necessarily feed someone, but most times other people (visitors/parents) in the ward will take on that job as needed. Think more "community" raising a child.

    The wards for everyone have MANY beds in them, there are no private rooms (well, isolation ones for those who are extremely contagious exist). So, likely he was surrounded by other children and families...which was probably REALLY hard as well. :( It was difficult for me to find out my daughter had spent 1 month in the hospital as an infant....I just can't really think about it much.

    From learning about heart surgeries done on children, most of the time they are not really given pain medications. We are trying to find out if this is because orphanages can't afford it, if it's standard for all children, if it's because dosage has to be carefully monitored, or what. But it kills me to think that these kids not only are alone without someone to comfort them after surgeries or while in hospitals, but are denied pain medications.

    I have heard from cleft affected children's parents who told me that their child did not receive pain meds after cleft surgeries while in China.

    {HUG}

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  3. Well, he has plenty of people now to make up for any past lack, right!

    Ruby

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  4. It's great that Joseph is sharing about his past hurts. And I'm so happy that he now knows that he is loved and will most definitely be visited when he's in the hospital!

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