Wouldn't you know it...
We are in the middle of a worldwide outbreak of a killer pneumonia and my youngest son comes down with full blown pneumonia on Sunday.
The story:
Saturday:
8.00am. Sam is running after his brother and slips. He falls flat on his face and hits his head.
10.30am. He starts showing signs of a fever.
11.00am. Fever is really high, red cheeks and he is sweating. Large dose of liquiprin (fever reducer). I wonder out loud if he might have a consussion from his earlier fall.
12.00pm. Fever returns after going away quickly the first time. The wife and I are concerned by the fact that he is rolling his eyes and is lathargic. I tell her that he isn't throwing up so I thought it was just a cold.
1.30pm. He begins to throw up.
6.00pm. Vomitting profusley, high fever and the start of a bad cough.
8.00pm. Off to the hospital.
9.00pm Doctor confirms it is NOT a concussion,
but that he is worried about Sam's chest as he hears "crackles". He insists on giving him anti-biotics.
10.00pm. Sam is fussy as hell, but eventually calms down.
11.00pm. Sam asleep.
Next day Sunday:
Sam seems to be getting better.
11.00 - Guests arrive - Sam is lathargic, but generally okay.
1.00pm - Vomitting starts again.
8.00pm - His breathing is really bad. His chest is heaving and in between breaths he cries as if in pain. Back to the hospital.
9.00pm - Sam takes a serious turn for the worse. His temperature is recorded at 105 degrees and we are told he is to be admitted. Chest X-Rays reveal serious pnemonia in his left lung, with traces in the right. The poor child simply couldn't breath and we eventually had to restrain him and force an oxygen mask on him.
From this point on we were questioned by everyone there at least 2 or 3 times as to whether or not Sam has been in contact with anyone outside the island, or whether he had been in a hospital overseas recently. We confirm that he hasn't, but that he attends a play group during the day and that we had NO IDEA who he came into cointact with there. The doctor finally admits that they are concerned Sam might have SARS.
Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night..the wife stayed with Sam as I had to be home with his brother.
Monday:
One sick, sick little boy...but there are signs that he is reacting well to the IV fed anti-biotics.
Fact is though...after speaking with the staff it became painfully obvious that there is no plan in place to deal with SARS if it strikes here.
After informing my father what the hospital staff told me about their lack of preparedness for a disease like SARS he got on the phone to the local newspaper. Hopefully something good might come out of all this.
