We care about our sick children - at least some of them

This might be the motto at the Barnaspítal
(a.k.a. Children's Hospital)

This took a while to write and certainly should have been done sooner - but later is better then never and I hope you will except my apologies.

This is a story - a true one - about a sick little boy - my son - and his hospital ordeal.

It all started on a Friday morning. Stefán woke up very sick and was getting a high fever. He began vomiting so I made a doctors appointment for him.

Luckily we got an appointment right away but by the time we got to the doctors he could not even walk on his own. The doctor sent him straight to the hospital.

We carried him to the Children's Hospital , it was very close. He was shaking violently (from the fever I guess), puking every where and could not walk.

When we got to the hospital he was put into a room. They wanted to do a small blood test (protein) and a urine test. The urine test was done and we waited for hours.

About 7 hours later we were told that we could go home because all his tests came out fine so it must just be some virus and he would get over it. There was some bad flu going around.

TestS? But they never did the blood test. We asked around. We were told the test was done and the results were fine. I said I was sure they did not do this test.

Turns out that somewhere during a shift change some one thought they would do the test, did not have time or forgot, so it did not get done. Then someone wrote that the results must have been fine, since the test must have been done.

Then they did the test. It did not look to bad at the time so the sent us home saying if things got any worse then to bring him back in the morning.

At home, he screamed all night. Something in his side was hurting him. He insisted that we put bandages all over where it hurt. He was wearing a lot of bandages.

In the morning Inga came and took Stefán and I back to the hospital. We waited around some more then they tested his blood again.

Now there was a problem. The next rounds of test took most of the day. He was put onto an IV to help hydrate him, he was still puking. They took a lot of blood. He went for X rays.

Late in the afternoon the problem was discovered - he had pneumonia in his left lung. This was what was causing the pain. He did also have this terrible flu, the pneumonia just came after.

So now we know there is something wrong and it can not be just slept off. He was kept on the IV with shots of heavy antibiotics every few hours. He was in rough shape.

So they moved him out of the examination room and into some other kind of room. The kind you sleep in. But Stefán did not get a bed. Sure there was plenty of beds, in fact the room was empty with three empty beds but they told me that Stefán could just sleep on the couch.

Looks like someone is a little lazy to make a bed after him.

Or maybe kids that are only half Icelandic only get half care.

What ever the case or reason it is completely unacceptable to me when a boy is on an IV, seriously medicated for fever and antibiotics and they will not let him have a bed.

We waited for the doctor. She was supposed to come at 9 and it was almost 11. I asked a nurse when we could expect a doctor, I was told that the doctors were busy with really sick kids.

As though my son was not sick?

Soon after the doctor came and talked to us. One of the first things we were asked is why he was sleeping on the couch and not on a bed. Good question. We moved him to a bed.

It was decided that we would stay over night with him. They would do more tests int he morning to see how he was reacting to the medication.

The doctor left and the nurse came back to tell us that one of us would have to leave, only one person could stay. This is fine. She also made it very clear that we would not get our own room. OK, fine.

Davíð left and Stefán and I were moved to share a room with someone else. No problem.

They had a cot for the parent to sleep on. I was a little jealous and wanted one too, I just did not fit very well in the bed with Stefán. I asked for one around midnight. Then again around one, I got one about two.

During the night I checked his fever, gave him the medication and went to get someone when his fluids bag was empty.

Finally morning came. Stefán was looking a little better.

They offered us breakfast - a slice of toast each. Lucky for me Stefán did not finish his so I could.

They tested his blood and the tests did not look good so he was allowed to go home for the day but had to return in the evening. The IV site had to stay.

We came back in the evening and had him tested again, it was starting to get better but they wanted to leave the IV one more day.

Monday morning he was officially on the mend, the IV came out and he only had to take pills after that.

Now is fine - but I am concerned about how he was treated. He was sick and when your child is sick you look to the health care facilities to care for him.

This might not the best place to look - depending on who you are.