Field Trip Friday: Exploring the Children’s Hospital
This is not the post I intended to share today. I had planned to take the kids to another castle, or maybe apple picking- or maybe BOTH if I was feeling super adventurous. Instead, we did this:
You know you’re a blogger/military wife when you ask your friend to snap a picture of your injured child in the ER. Daddy, and this post, needed the picture.
On Monday morning, Little Miss pulled a stroller down on top of her, as she fell down a full flight of stairs. We live in stairwell housing, which means on any given day, we are walking up and down more stairs than you ever thought possible. Add this to needing to carry groceries and packages, and little independent toddlers, and it’s a recipe for disaster. When Little Miss hit the floor, with the stroller on top of her, she was knocked out cold for what I think was about 10 seconds.
I scooped her up and realized she had blood pouring down her face from above her eye. I frantically got the boys shoved off to neighbors, called friends to cover them as I ran to the car, and begged a friend to be downstairs in two seconds so she could help me navigate the language barrier to get Little Miss the care she needed.
In the States, if I walked into the ER with a story like that, I would have expected a full physical check for the fall, possibly a CT for concussion, and would have requested a plastic surgeon to come to fix her face (because oh my GOSH, it’s her face!). The Germans are much more conservative and “old school” then Americans are, and their standard of care is 48 hours of neuro checks- and nothing else. They glued her head shut, and send us upstairs to the children’s ward. They never even looked over the rest of her for injury.
Finally getting some rest!
Once we got settled into our room, I felt a little better because they promised to feed both of us, and Little Miss got to finally take a nap. They never did offer her pain medication, but I was able to track some down for her after asking a few times. By the morning, she was doing much better!
Enjoying the toys and little gift from one of my wonderful friends who stopped by the hospital to give me a hand- Thank GOODNESS for the whole “military wives sisterhood” thing we have going on here. I would have been lost without them!
What I thought was really funny was that they didn’t take us where we were going in the hospital, even when we were “admitted.” I was handed a stack of papers, and sent off with the best translated directions I could be given. I was on my own in the hospital labyrinth, and all I could think was how glad I was that she wasn’t MORE injured because I felt very much “on my own.”
A German “dinner” – two slices of bread, two slices of cheese, two slices of deli meat, and carrots. No drinks. Needless to say, I called a friend and begged for real food. They brought pizza.
I’m realizing as I am writing this that I sound really negative…. and I don’t mean to. It was overwhelming and scary, and I think were I not have been worried out of my mind, I would have thought more highly of it.
“Breakfast” before leaving the Hospital- two cold rolls, butter, jam, nutella. We ate again at home!
Today, she’s back to her normal, active self, and only whines a little when she notices the bandage on her face. The bruises are getting better, and the follow up appointment at the clinic eased my concerns!
Ironically, a Field Trip.
So scary, Heather! Seeing your child get hurt is terrible, and then add on top of that having it happen in another country where you are unsure…ACK! I must say, your gourmet dinners actually make hospital food here seem pretty amazing. 🙂 Hope she is on the mend.
So glad to hear your daughter will be all right. What a scary thing to happen.
Wow the fall sounds scary. I would have done the exact same thing though and your right about the hospitals here they would have made sure it was from a fall. I am not sure what to think about the hospitals in Germany. I have never been there but I think I would be confused with the care that was received. Doesn’t sound like what we are use to. The meals don’t look like much there. My son had fallen down the stairs and it scared the crap right out of me. So glad that your daughter is doing well. I am glad that you had friends around you too.
Thanks for commenting! My “people” really saved the day here. Without them it would have be so much scarier and so much harder. 🙂
In the German hospital, they do their big meal at lunch. Also, since they don’t have the lawsuit worry they don’t do what I call CYA medicine, they do what needs to be done and keep an eye on the rest. The army has patient liaisons that speak German and know the system, hopefully you won’t need them anymore, but they were a lifesaver for us when we had to navigate the system. So glad she’s OK! How scary!!!
We did get schnitzel and wurst for lunch each day- LOL of course, I didn’t take pictures of the real meals 😉
The patient liaison made me really mad. LOL first, they didn’t come the day we arrived (when I needed them) and then they berated me the second day when the doctor and nurses told me to go home (their suggestion) but because it was a day earlier then their standard of care, to sign the AMA. Oh well. It has worked out so far. Shaken, but worked out. I’m glad to hear they are typically of help, because I left wondering what they were good for!
Oh my! My heart goes out to you! I hate hospital trips with my kids! I can’t even imagine having to deal with that in another country where you need a translator! I’m so glad your little girl is ok! I will pray for her (and your!) continued recovery.
Thank you so much for your prayers, Missy!
She’s really doing so well- other than the bandage on her face, you would never know she took such a big spill.