Due to an unfortunate oversight, Gav’s scheduled MRI did not go ahead today.
We got to the hospital with plenty of time to spare for our 3:15 appointment and Gavin eventually fell asleep ahead of time after three or four total meltdowns, caused, I’m sure, by extreme hunger.
There have been a lot of questions from anesthesia as to how the thickener that Gav uses in his drinks acts in the digestive tract. Some anesthesiologists at the hospital have allowed procedures although he had had thickened water, others are not comfortable with it. I was told that Gavin should have nothing to eat after midnight last night and water up to three hours before the procedure. I questioned, myself, whether I should let him drink water, but was more concerned about keeping him completely dehydrated all day and so he had his last sip of water about 4 hours prior. That did not fit into the six hour window that the process mandates, so we were unable to go ahead.
Needless to say, after getting completely worked up mentally for a scan and wrangling a starving toddler for most of the day, none of this went down well with me and I was teary and surly with the staff.
We were given the option to wait around and see if an anesthesiologist became free in the evening after coming from the OR, but it was a complete unknown and I could not in good conscience keep Gavin NPO for almost 24 hours! So I pulled the plug and stormed out of the place. I don’t really blame anyone but myself, but am just so frustrated that we are now back in a holding pattern of waiting to get an appointment on a cancellation.
I imagine, of course, that they will ring up on my mother’s 60th birthday next week and ask us to come in then.
Erica, I feel your frustration, and perhaps anger. Under the circumstances you
describe, everyone would feel the same way. I actually feel, pardon me, like
swearing, because it’s so unfair to you, and to Gavin, and the family.
I just want you to know the family is behind you. We are cut from the same
cloth, so to speak. Everyone of us is affected and in step with you because of
your creative thoughts and informative news about Gavin.
Thank you so much, Erica, for sharing your thoughts, and perhaps releasing
some of the frustration and anger, which is your right under the circumstances..
I am sorry you all had such a wearing day. Your exhaustion, frustration and disappointment are very understandable. I hope that next time they will be able to give you an early morning appointment – it is asking a lot of anybody, let alone a little one, to fast and not drink water for so long. And I hope you all have a wonderful day on your mother’s 60th.
Ideally we would have a note added to Gavin’s “file” requesting early appointments, or that at least they start an IV to keep him hydrated, but there is no single electronic “file”.
It’s mostly paper-based. The electronic files that do exist are disparate, and for doctors not operational/admin staff.
It’s like a game of Broken Telephone where 1st prize is appropriate care for our child, and last prize could be catastrophic.