Medical Update Illustrated

Back in Africa after two weeks with Kezia, Jaime and Nanda in the UK. I don’t know where to call home anymore – where our house is or where my family is. Another post.

During the two weeks in Rochdale, I went to the RMCH with Kezia twice. Her counts were up and so she was back on the IV-MTX and 6-MP and on Wednesday this week was back on the monthly 5 days of the dreaded Dexamethasone.

Below is a small illustrated narrative of a routine visit to the hospital, an amalgamation of the two visits.

First, let’s have a photo of Tom, the volunteer ambulance driver, who picks up in Rochdale and carts us over to the RMCH and back. The NHS would be poorer in all senses without people such as him.

Tom gave me some interesting and confusing “insights” into the inner-workings of the NHS – he is paid by one Trust, his ambulance control is another Trust, most of his work is carting children to and from the RMCH, another Trust, from other Trusts. That is just “managing” a volunteer!

He’s also doubtful about the new Manchester children’s hospital in central Manchester – what it will mean to transportation times. Instead of shooting around ring-roads and darting into a suburban site, he will have to deal with inner city congestion.

So when Kezia arrives, first stop is the pathology lab to have her finger pricked (i.e. a blood sample taken). The waiting room is a play room:

And good as gold she has her finger pricked:

… and gets five stickers for the effort.

Off we go to the clinic play room where we can indulge in a whole range of activities, here painting:

Up to clinic. First a physical exam – chest, mouth, lymph nodes, spleen etc.

Then this week we have a Vincristine injection via a Cannula (a needle into the vein, attached to a tube, into which the syringe fits). Kezia doesn’t complain at all, and the doctor and nurse say she is always a pleasure to treat given that it took three adults to hold the last child down and they are absolutely knackered.

Nanda admits that she has “bribed” Kezia – you”ll get a present if you don’t cry!

So to waiting in the corridor for Pharmacy to make up her drugs …