I am a bloody crap friend

[rickman]

Message withdrawn

You are not a crap friend, you did what anyone would do and I know she knows that otherwise she wouldn't have phoned

If you can, can you offer to watch the elder boy so the parents have one less thing to worry about

as for what to send him, power rangers / ninja turtles? is he an almost 4 year old or a just 3 year old? A helium balloon would probably go down well - they do them on interflora

hope he's ok

Oh my God, I am so sorry.

Don't feel bad, you couldn't possibly have known. Hope he's ok.

kids often milk it when ill so don't beat yourself up you are there now and can probably be of great help at a time like this I agree send him a big balloon and then offer practical help if needed

What about books and magazines if he is going to be in hospital/at home for a while recovering? Or a crafty/art type selection of goodies - colouring books, crayons, sticker books, paper, stampers, etc.

Kings College is a fabulous hospital by the way

Message withdrawn

You haven't let her down - it's really easy to mis nasty illnesses in kids even when they're your own, never mind other people's (speaking as someone who missed mastoiditis in dd here - docs couldn't belive how "well" she was)

Some internet companies do balloon and soft toy packages through the post. He may appreciate a soft toy-he is only 3 and boys like teddies too!
Dont feel bad-how could you possibly have known? I am sure your friend is not thinking badly of you at all.

Sorry, meant to add that I am sorry to hear that her DS is so poorly. I hope he is okay

Don't blame yourself and beat yourself up though. Your friend obviously doesn't. It is something many of us would do.

Amazon's first class post is 1-2 days delivery.

this is a fab shop in East Dulwich about 10 mins drive away, you could send a cab to pick up something and deliver it / or ask if they'd deliver for you (I doubt that)

I would offer to do it for you, but I'm afraid I'm stuck in with chicken pox kids

Message withdrawn

Rickman, you are obviously a good and caring friend to be feeling so down about this, we've all been there with our own kids, packing them off to school thinking they were putting it on.

Hope the biopsy turns out positively, poor little chap.

Some places deliver balloons to hospitals- they can do amazing things (toys inside the balloon for example). Local yellow pages should have something.

{{{{{{for your friend}}}}}}

and if the docs didnt pick up on it fior a while how should you have known?

hope he has a speedy recovery.

Message withdrawn

Well they can't say that, rickman - sometimes it is OK and sometimes it isn't - it doesn't mean that he won't be fine.

Agree with everybody else, don't be hard on yourself, most of us would have reacted the same way you did.

As he is only just 3 a cuddly toy probably would be good (kids tend to regress when they're ill as you will know) but what about a DVD or video? Do you know what he likes and if they have access to a player?

I know someone who had a brain tumour removed and all is fine

I think the trickiest part was the operation itself, but after that it was pure sailing for him - but then it wasn't malignant

good luck again

hi rickman
god; dont blame yourself for a second
who on earth would think brain tumour first off
hope your friends little one is doing well and Im sure he will go on to make a full recovery
my brother and cousin both had brain tumours as teenagers and although i cant pretend it is just; operation over and back to normal :they are now absolutely fine and my brother is a nurse which I think is due to this experience
hugs

Blimey, rickman, who in the world would think a vomiting 3 year old had a brain tumour? You can't possibly blame yourself for being a 'crap friend' and your friend obviously doesn't think you are one - she rang you, didn't she? Horribly scary, poor little boy.

You're not a crap friend rickman! Hope he's ok.

Rickman, went to bed after posting last night

Cut to 3.30 am and my 3 year old is in hysterics saying his "head hurts." Don't you hate those wee, small hour imaginings? By 6am he was saying it was his ear, not his head - and we are off to the GP in a little while where I am quite sure we will be told he has an ear infection.

Scary though...how is your friend's little boy today?

Rickman - is it possible that you could go and see them in hospital? When we were in with dd we were so very pleased when people came to visit us - because it really shows that you care and it's so good to have someone to talk to.
You shouldn't stay for very long but just enough time to give a couple of presents, some nice chocolate or something for the parents.

You had no way to know (I told my friend that since her daughter could move her arm quite well that it was probably just bruised... dislocated elbow it turned out ) - just be there in whatever way she wants you now (even if it is something like cleaning her house for her while she is in hospital).

xxxx

Message withdrawn