Ok, I'm guilty. Of being lazy. That's why this blog has been dead quiet for so long.
But the workload as an academic staff is more than I've imagined. Life as a lecturer and a mother and a wife and a daughter can be so overwhelming that I just want to crash on my bed every night.
I felt compelled to write this entry because of our experience last night. A scary one no doubt, but it sure has its element of fun as well.
At around 9pm last night, Tessa and Dylan were playing with their Daddy in the room. The room was all set for bed-time with mattresses laid out nicely. Daddy was almost ready to go home and I was just thinking that I can get the kids to drink milk and go to sleep.
I was lying in bed replying emails on my phone. Dylan apparently want to come and tell me something, he either lost his balance or tripped and knocked his nose on my elbow. The next thing I know, he was bawling, he turned around to face his Daddy and the Daddy gasped! Blood was flowing down furiously from his right nostril.
That sent the whole household into a frenzy. Tessa screamed at the sight of the blood and started crying because she was worried about "her baby". Daddy was trying to get help to stop the bleeding, but dozens of tissue papers didn't manage to soak up the blood. Blood was all over Dylan's clothes and on the floor and mattresses. He was hysterical (probably due to all the fuss) and was struggling against anyone wanting to touch his nose. Grandma and Grandpa were trying to calm him down, wanted to pat some water on his forehead and in the process, got him to lie down and blood was flowing into his mouth. It was a bloody, scary sight - blood in his nose and mouth.
As he would like allow anyone of us to examine his injuries, Daddy suggested that we better bring him to NUH A&E. And so we did.
I packed a new set of clothes, diaper, his health booklet, water bottle and off we go.
At the door, Dylan can still tell his Grandpa, "We don't take bus OK? We take Daddy's car."
He was all chatty and energetic on the journey to A&E while we prepared him that we are heading to the hospital where he will be examined by a doctor.
"Dr Chong?" he asked.
"No, another doctor, probably a pretty one," Grandpa assured him.
At NUH Children's A&E, I registered for Dylan and we sat down to wait for our turn to be called. He was somewhat cooperative when the nurse at the triage took his weight, pulse and blood pressure.
However, inside the doctor's room, he refused to let the lady doctor examine his nose or eyes; but was able to answer all questions directed at him all by himself.
Doctor: Dylan, where pain?
Dylan: Nose
Doctor: Point to me where is the pain.
Dylan: (pointing to his right nostril) Here
Doctor: How old are you?
Dylan: 2 years old
Doctor: Do you know where you are?
Dylan: Hospital
When the doctor walked off to fetch something, he exclaimed, "Where did the doctor go?"
The doctor tested his reflex and all seemed fine. To play safe, the doctor suggested doing an X-ray to make sure that he hasn't broken any bones in the nose.
The X-ray ordeal was that Dylan refused to keep still. The radiographer tried three times and had to finally pin his head and neck down. The experience was a traumatic one for the little boy.
Fortunately, X-ray showed no bones broken. The doctor declared that he is able to go home, but we may want to consider seeing the PD just to make sure that all is well with his frequent nose bleeding. Doctor advised that we monitor him through the night for fever, vomitting and/or clear discharge from his nose which would be indicative of a brain injury.
I was however not too worried about that as he did not fall and hurt his head.
Nevertheless, it was a sleepless night for me.
Luckily, the little one woke up in the morning, alert, lively and his usual self. All's well. :)
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