4 year old traumatised after hospital stay, who do I call?

[pinkelephant22]

I don’t know whether i need to get in contact with GP, health visitor, let it all simmer down or just keep her completely away from health professionals.

My 4 year old had her tonsils out last Friday, discharged home. Was absolutely fine apart from the obvious sore throat, pain management etc but was drinking plenty of water eating. Sunday night she coughed up a small blood clot so I thought I better take her even though it says 2 spoonfuls or more. Walked through the doors of A&E and she threw up an entire sick bowl of blood, plum sized clots. So she was obviously terrified but the doctors needed to act quickly hence subsequent restraint to get medicine in to stop bleeding fluids etc. She was shaking when she finally went to sleep stable. Transferred to a different hospital via ambulance who then pricked her again for blood sugars. Woke up screaming. At new hospital needed new cannula involving another restraint and multiple attempts. Got to ward needed bloods another restraint. Was then ready for discharge by Tuesday and she then just upon almost leaving started to wee what looked like pure blood. She was then readmitted under a different team, new line put in old one taken out. Restrained - Settled. More bloods, more restraints - she has become necrotic they said it’s her little body’s response to trauma and her body was firing our protein so it’s an inflammation of something in her kidneys. We finally got home this evening and will see a specialist next week to make sure medicines have treated if not she’ll need now further investigations.

At home all I did was attempt to brush her teeth, she was screaming “stop touching me” for about half an hour and then hid behind her dolls house shaking 🥺🥺 it took 3 hours to calm her down and she made herself sick.

shes absolutely traumatised, we both are. Before the tonsils we wouldn’t go more than 3 weeks without her getting sick. They said her tonsils were grade 3 even when she wasn’t sick. But I completely blame myself. We went in for her tonsils out and came out with a kidney issue and a petrified little girl.

do I address this now via GP if they can access a therapy for her or shall I just keep her away from healthcare, considering she has to go back on Wednesday also!

Ah we thought we’d turned a corner and today came the flu vaccine at school 😐 as she started reception in September, needless to say they weren’t able to give her the nose spray and we are back to square 1 this evening. She ended up hiding in a corner at school crying hysterically.

She has a follow up with the renal consultant in October which involves a blood test 2 weeks prior so it’s going to be a tricky month 🥺

Oh, it's so hard seeing them go through this. My daughter was a little bit younger than yours, but we found the fear of anything medical persisted for many months after all other signs had gone. It did eventually improve, though – she's now fine at the pharmacy and dentist, although still a bit withdrawn at the GP or paeds. I did try to tell her clearly what to expect with things like the flu vaccine, but if I'm honest, I'm not sure it helped much. Not much does once they are distraught.

We did find with some later admissions that she reenacted quite a bit with her cuddly toys and seemed to process things that way. One teddy was designated the patient and had a full set of obs plus her treatment routine every morning and night for a little bit, then it died off. Something like that might help with some of her upcoming treatments. Teddy could potentially also have the blood test and any physical exams or whatever just before she does – we've found most medical staff will go along with this to help a child.

@skkyelarkoh isn’t it just so upsetting ! But I need her to have this flu vaccine. I don’t know if you can see my previous posts but last year (before the tonsillectomy, hence one of the reasons I got it done) in the December she got superflu and was hospitalised! She was delirious for weeks, and I had my then 4 month old who was submitted subsequently…Christmas was delayed for both the kids !

ive been trying to rearrange her vaccine today at the GP, when I’m not at work. I’ve spoken to her in depth about it and she said she’s going to be a “brave girl”. We will go for lunch and a girls day after. Anyways, the drs are refusing to do it as she “should have had it done at school” the school nurse is saying she needA to have it done at at GP due to her trauma so I’m stuck in the middle. I can’t tell you how many pharmacies I have phoned today to even ask if I can pay for her to have it done privately !! All said no. 🥺

My daughter has a history of refusing the flu vaccine due to extreme anxiety. I've administered it once as it's the only way she would have it at school one year.
My GP also wouldn't do it when she refused it (a different year).

There will be a process with the school borough health team to vaccinate anyone who missed the original date. They need to include you in that. Plus make a plan to accommodate her needs as if she was ND or had any other accessible needs. She could go in first, do it without other children watching, have you there etc.

Also one nurse told me 1 squirt was still effective so even getting 1 of the 2 is worth it.

I have previously done a child anxiety course through my local NHS that the school gave me access to. It was so helpful. We worked 1 on 1 with the mental health team to help my young daughter. (Then 5 or 6).

The school vaccination nurses around here were marvellous with my jab refuser- initially at school when she refused the nurse was exceedingly blunt, so I didn't have much hope but when I called them to rebook they were much more helpful. They ran a catch up clinic locally, and when that also failed they offered to let me drive up to their staff car park and she would run out and jab DD quickly in the car. When that failed we went to the 'difficult jab' clinic in a hospital miles away where the appointment times were longer, they had big mats on the floor and two nurses per patient. It took a couple of goes in the same afternoon but we got there. They really have seen it all before and there will be other options.