An awful afternoon in outpatients

[Widemouthfrog]

DS had appointment with Neuro today re his epilepsy and disturbed sleep, falling asleep during the day. He didn't want to go. Meltdown leaving the house, meltdown in the car- had to stop as he was choking himself with the seatbelt. Meltdown on the very busy road outside Bristol Childrens Hospital, then he refused to walk. I carried him in and he calmed down enough to walk to outpatients where he just zoned out. Fastfoward 1.5 hours. Still waiting. neuro had got backlogged and decided to see all the 'quick' appointments first and pushed us to last. When I complained I was told, tha DS was waiting really well and some of the other children were really upset so had to be seen! Don't get me wrong - I don't mean those children should not be see - they all should have been seen on time.
In and out in 10 mins (another thread about that when i am less . meltdown on the way out of the hospital as we were so late the shp was closed and he ALWAYS buys a balloon. Cried all the way home in the car because he felt sick, by which time i was nearly an hour late for work.
FFS - this is a children's hospital. Autism awareness nil. In fact this is the same neuro team that told me DS didn't look at all autistic and wrote to our paed to say so.
Still managed to say to me today though 'so his sleep is a problem? Well he is autistic so isn't it pretty much to be expected'.

Sorry about the rant. feel so much better now .

dear lord what a dire system. tomorrow can't be worse eh?

Got an NAS branch meeting tomorrow, so more ranting I think

Widemouthfrog. You poor thing. Been there, done that, got the t shirt. Really feel for you. I used to have same problem. My husband came with me once, who is not known for his patience, bless him. So this one time i had to contend with child having a tantrum, a waiting room full of children and parents, all looking at me with amazement (assume none of the other kids were special needs). Husband ranting at anyone he could get to listen. Son making himself sick, which he can do very well i might add. me following him clearing up sick, husband getting more irate by the second. George trying to escape by any means possible. Paed not even arrived for appointments. Found out everyone had the same time for appointments and same position as you, last to be seen. By this time i could have raided the drugs cabinet for a bucket load of prozac or bought one of those mega boxes of red wine. Thankfully George in such a state he sick over paed - there is justice sometimes. Moral of the story, 1. Husband never been told when hospital appointments are. 2. If they are running late I ask the nurse how long we will have to wait and George and I go off to the cafe for a sausage roll! He now not too bad i think hes getting used to it.

Unfortunately Jubee I think most of us on this board have probably been through this, and it shouldn't happen. DH doen't come with me as I can do without his ranting.
It is crap. Feeling a little more mellow this morning, though DS was up last night having 'bad dreams'.

Yes, we were in the corridor for over an hour Riven. Our Neuro is Jay Patel. I cannot believe they built a new children's hospital with such poor access
I hate the place. Now looks like we will be in overnight for a sleeping EEG.
I really sympathise Riven - my dealings with the place are not on the scale of yours, and I still think it sucks.
(fingers crossed you are not back there some time soon).