Homeschool Wrap Up....at the hospital again!

Homeschooling? Yes
Started? No
Why? We are in the hospital with pneumonia.


Deja vu? Sort of. 1.5 years ago we took Jie Jie to the ER and was admitted into the same hospital with pneumonia. 


You can read about that ER experience here. And here you can read what we did during our hospital stay.
What was different?
1. ER experience. We didn't have to spend the night. We were transferred to our room before mid-night. Trauma was there for another family though. We watched and prayed for almost two hours for this little girl's life as the medics worked on her frail body. Machines were screaming, doctors were running in and out, nurses were flying around with medicines and needles, and the parents...they were standing like statues. The mother, face wet with tears, had her hands wrapped around herself. The father, shoulders slumped, stood near his wife. He looked like he had just been beaten, though no marks were on his body. His contender was Fear. My husband and I prayed for his young family. In the end, the medical team won the fight. She was stable enough to be transferred, but the battle wasn't over. Another troop of doctors would be rounded up to stand and fight for this little life. My heavy heart lightened a little.
I don't know where they went or even if that little girl is still alive, but I will be forever changed by that scene in the ER room.


2. Our room: We are facing the mountains, but we do not have the bed by the window. We have the middle bed, but we do get some natural lighting which helps. There are no screaming machines here...just a few screaming babies, but I'll take that over machines any day. Screaming babies=alive and fighting.


3. No Feeding Tube: This has been good and bad. Don't get me wrong, I love that she does not have one, but it was convenient during those times she didn't want to eat or drink. I could just squirt a large syringe or two of water into her stomach. She has an IV now that handles the hydration part.


4. New Technology: We have been graciously given an iPad, so she has been able to watch her favorite TV shows (no American Idol this time) while I use my computer for writing.




5. Length of Stay: Last time we were here for 5 days. This time? 2 days. We are getting released sometime today. Love this difference, of course.  She'll still be on antibiotics, but the oral kind. 


So, maybe homeschooling will start up on Monday...but, only if she is feeling 100% back to normal. I DO NOT want to come back here for some time. 

She is having a good time. If she hadn't had blood tests and
a x-ray to prove she had pneumonia, I wouldn't believe she was sick.

Working the iTouch apps. Her favorite? The
Doodle Pad. Why? She likes the eyeball stamp.

Sickness in the House

I feel as if I've been nurse these past few weeks. Two of my children have been sick, as well as, my husband. But, in the midst of it all I came up with a new story. It was inspired by my daughter, Matthea. She come to me with her blanket in hand wanting to sit and be held. This piece is still in draft form, but will probably send it to a magazine when I have time.

Title: Untitled at this point
Age Group: Young Children (2-5 years)

“Mama, I don’t feel good,” said Gill.

Gill’s mom felt her warm head and sighed, “Oh dear, you have a temperature, honey.”

“What’s a timber chair, Mama?” asked Gill.

“A tem-per-a-ture is a fever. I’ve got some medicine to make it better,” said her mom.

“I think that if I sit on your lap I’ll feel better, Mama,” said Gill.

“Well, you can do that after you take the medicine,” said Mama.

Gill’s mom poured pink liquid into a little cup. Gill looked at the liquid and said, “I’m feeling better. I don’t need any medicine.”

“Oh, really?” answered her mom, “I think that you should still take the medicine anyway. Here’s some water.”

Gill slowly reached up and smelled the sweet bubble gum scent of the medicine. She tipped the cup up to her mouth. She immediately grabbed the cup of water and gulped it down. Her mom took her hand and led her to the rocking chair where she held her and rocked her.

The next morning, Gill still had a temperature with a cough. Her mom decided that she needed to see a doctor.

“But, Mama, I have a better idea,” said Gill.

“What is that?” asked her mom.

Gill answered, “You can sit in the rocking chair and rock me. That worked last night, remember?”

Mama smiled, “Well, yes I remember. How about after you see the doctor we rock?”

“But, I don’t want a shot?” said Gill.

“Oh, I don’t think that you will have to have a shot. Why don’t you get your medical kit and I’ll show you what the doctor will,” said her mom.

Gill went to her room and got out her medical kit. Her mom opened it and pulled out a long cord with ear plugs on the end.

“Gill, this is called a steth-a-scope. The doctor will use this to hear your heart and to listen to you breathe,” said her mom as she put the ear plugs into her ears.

As she put the round part up to Gill’s chest, she asked her to take a deep breath. Then she pulled out a small hammer with a hole in the middle out from the bag.

“Gill, this is called an ear scope. The doctor will use this to look in your ears,” said mom as she looked in her ears.

“Oh, this is fun,” said Gill.

“Yes, this is fun and seeing a real doctor will be fun too,” promised her mom.

“Can I take my medical kit along?” asked Gill

“Of course,” said her mom.

Later, when they returned from the doctor’s office, Gill climbed up into her mother’s lap and they rocked together until Gill fell asleep.

Well, that's it. I'll probably set this one aside for awhile and look at it later. I have my writing assignment that is haunting me with the due date.