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Frangipani

My daughter spent the day in ICU

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My daughter spent the day in ICU

 

She had a bit of an accident last Friday typical teenage rough and tumble and her friend went to pick her up but she moved and connected with his elbow, quite a nasty blow. She seemed okay and I monitored her over two days but she quickly deteriorated when she went to pick something up. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my mobile phone, luckily she was at church. They took her over to the medical centre and upon assessing her thought she had a severe spinal injury. As you know she has a very low bone density and this is a constant concern; having a benign brain tumour, getting a hit to the head. Golly, in the past two years she has hit her head at least 3 times. So I tried to remain calm. The medical centre referred her onto the hospital.

 

Luckily she managed to contact me so I was able to ring the hospital ahead of her arrival and advise them on her medical condition. It?s essential they know about these especially if she has an x-ray, as they have to give a lower dose of radiation to anorexics. I was a couple of hours away so had to meet her there later.

 

When I arrived they had her taped down in ICU with a neck brace and all these heart monitors and blood pressure machines. She got the royal treatment. They were not going to take any risks. The pain moved from her face through to her neck like a stabbing pain. Her ears also around the cartilage created more concerns. So they ended up doing an x-ray and a catscan. They asked why all the heart monitors etc, neck brace extra scans. They said if she had a fracture, she could become paralyzed. So she had to lie still for 6 hours just looking at the ceiling. Her friend was there that collided with her, looking very worried and sad, I quickly said, have you been beating up my daughter. Ohhh he blushed, and I quickly said gosh don?t worry she will be fine. I recalled a time when a friend and I were playing a game and slapping each other with a thong and we laughed so much we ended up banging our heads together and I ended up with a huge black eye. But two weeks later I had to attend a fitness camp for a couple of weeks and people thought ooooh that poor girl has a black eye. So hopefully, he won?t be feeling too worried.

 

Eventually the tests came back normal, no fracture no whiplash. But muscular skeletal damage and she has to take Nurofen and Panadeine Forte constantly for the next three days, and if the pain persists or gets worse to go back.

 

I have to say I was really impressed with the way they looked after her. All the nurses were really worried and us naturally, with her health condition. We don?t want anything stirring up things in her brain.

 

I was more relieved to say that collar come off her neck. Whiplash is the most hideous injury and I truly think my J would have lost the plot if she had to wear one of those for a couple of weeks.

 

Feeling very sad and sorry, but what a lot to happen by a blow to the head.

 

I will sleep a bit better tonight. I have been monitoring her last couple of nights for fear of concussion.

 

I know they went overboard because of her current medical history, but they also kept this information private from her friends as I/they didnt want to cause her any further stress. Her friends that were there do know but, its good they kept it private. I believe this is the true reason she was in ICU, they really would have got a shock with all the monitors.

 

So pleased it didnt turn out to be a whole lot worse. I think I have become a natural at being a clown and cheering the others up instead of being the weary freaked out mum I was a few years ago. I have to do it, so my daughter thinks its all cool.

 

I will destress tomorrow or go gah gah.... I seem to do that very well. :unsure: Obviously still running on adrenalin.

 

Reliiiiiiiiiieeeeeffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff!!!!!!!!!! :notworthy::thumbs:

 

love

Fran x

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Hi,

 

Thank you for your posts. Been a very quiet day today.

 

The pain killers are helping but still hurts. Both flopped in front of some movies this afternoon. Good to take your mind off things.

 

If she doesn?t improve by Wednesday we will go back to the doctor. I feel she will end up needing physio.

 

At least she is doing home study. So I am not stressing out that she is missing school. Both of them have given me ulcers about school.

 

Getting an early one as its 7pm but it feels like its 2am. Exhaustipated ever so slightly.

 

Nite all.

 

Take care. Don?t go leaping into elbows like my daughter.

 

Love

Fran x

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Thank you >:D<<'> I think it is going to be a game of patience, she is still very sore today. Muscular skeletal injury, anyone had one of those, I imagine it will take some time to heal.

 

Fran x

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Hi,

 

She is making good progress, still in heaps of pain but the pain killers are keeping her okay.

 

The thing with my daughter that makes me so uneasy when she has any injuries and causes me so much unrest and stress is because of something I was told about her Brain Tumor.

 

I never really talk about it, but, my ex's daughter had a different type of tumor, that kept changing from Grade One to a Grade Four. This is always on my mind. She is in remission and doing fine.

 

The worry I have and you may think why worry its 'Benign', well, just because it is benign, doesnt mean she will be okay.

 

I was having coffee with a friend - she is one of our Senior Pastors, we met often for coffee to talk about J because she was worried, she advised me that I can't be complacent about her tumor because it is 'benign', and she knows, she advised me that her husband has one and it over the years started pressing on the pituitary gland, and because of it, and it alone, he has had five stokes. I wish she never told me that, but, we were supporting each other, over coffee, and we both ended up in tears.

 

She is in my connect group I belong to two, and I have been avoiding her because her husband has had another stroke in the past two months, she catches me looking at her and we smile at each other, but I cant even take a step towards her to give her a hug, because I know I am just gonna break down in tears. Now we say hello, but dont talk like we used to. I guess I need to get over myself and go and give her a hug, and say sorry.

 

Sometimes people can tell you too much, and more than you need to know, and I think by her telling me this it took away my hope.

 

I am seeing a specialist for anxiety meds tomorrow, so wish me luck. Tired of living in a world crippled by fear. I guess I need to join a support group in this area to put my mind to rest that my daughter is going to have an okay life.

 

Fran x

Edited by Frangipani

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Thank you Theresa, >:D<<'>

 

Its lovely to see you back here again. :)

 

I started some anxiety meds over a week ago, they are slowly doing the job, they need to up the dose, I get really stressed when we have to go for the annual tests which are due. So hopefully these will be working well before we get started.

 

I have a feeling she is going to get a wrap over the knuckles because she has been very difficult in terms of following the program set out for her. But, if she does, it will be a wake up call. The biggest issue is getting her bone density up, its in the lowest 15%.

 

I think the thing that gutted me, was when I over heard her saying to a friend that she has the bones of an 80 year old. She obviously read this on the internet. Unfortunately, you can find out things that really are too much.

 

So as you can see, no wonder I need anxiety meds. She is only 18 and still has the body of an 11 year old. Although she has had some growth in height, she has caught up to me which has been her goal, for the past four or five years. Just the other day we worked out she is one centimetre taller. :D so shes creeping up to 5'8" so there is growth in a sense. :notworthy:

 

Fran x :D

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