ds in hosp tommorow for blood test -wont happen!!!

[pokhara]

Ds (3.11)as well as some sn also has dairy intolereance and is on soya in last 6 months had horrid time when going toilet wont go into it, gp thinks coeliac, any way in last 4 months they have tried 3 times to take a blood sample, 2 times at phlebotomist in the hosp and gp visit at home, at the hosp the phleb couldnt get anywere near him he was in such a state going mad beserk, dont think he is frightened on needles as i have them regular and make sure i take him with me and he stands and watches me. Well i asked the gp to sedate him, she wouldnt as she says too young for it, so refered to hospital, saw a registrar 3 weeks ago and she has arranged for ds to go on day ward tommorow for the blood test, i have made her aware of ds language delay, severe behaviour problems, and sensory issues, and about previous 3 times they tried to take blood, also told her about a hosp stay ds had last year when he was punching me and hitting nurses and he was so distressed, anyway giving her all this info and reading notes from paed we have been seeing re ds's problems she says, dont worry they ward staff are used to kids and will know how to handle it, they will send him to the play room with me and play worker explain what will happen and then a doctor will come and take the blood, AS EASY AS THAT!!!!!!!!!! I THINK BLOODY NOT. They obviously must think i am over exagerating ds's behaviour and i know that they will not be able to talk him round, mainl because of the language delay and the fact that he will also be getting wound up.

I have been stressing all weekend and now its here, in the morning, as soon as ds gets distressed i think i will up and we will both leave, it is mental torture for him and me.

why cant they just give him something strong to knock him out, as soon as he see that trolley with the stuff on he will flip out.

feel quite sick now at the thought of tommorow as hate seeing ds in that state.

This is a huge worry for you and I am sorry.

My DS had an MRI a few weeks ago and I was v.worried too. He is older than your DS but also has language delay as well as LD.

I confirmed a play specialist would be present several times because I knew there would be no way we could cannulate him otherwise.

I was still very unsure of how things would go. Luckily we had a really good play specialist and all went very well. I felt they took me seriously.

The only thing that made me a bit as that everytime I mentioned his LDs the first thing I was asked (every time) was 'is he agressive?' 'will he attack the nurses'.

I know you must be terribly anxious about tommorow. I think all you can do is take him, be very clear about what how he is likely to behave, explain WHY he is like that i.e. due to disability and hope that the play specialist is a good one.

They are always reluctant to sedate but if thats the only way they can treat your child they may have to get on and do it. Surely they can give him a premed?

I hope it goes better than you think.

Oh no, I had to hold DS for one last Thursday and it was horrible, he hated being restrained and he hated the two unfamiliar people close to him. The actual needle bit didn't bother him because he was so upset that I don't think he even noticed, and it was very quick.

He also calmed down incredibly quickly as soon as we all let him go.

It's so hard isn't it, when you can't reassure, comfort or explain things to your child... I cried, I never cry even when I came so close to losing DD a couple of times but I did and the nurses were very lovely and kept stroking my arm.

Then again DS may well surprise you. If he does, great, if not, you know what it's going to be like and are prepared. Maybe line up a treat for him and for you? Best of luck, I'll be thinking of you

yes, I hope it goes better than you think too. I've no good advice... I've had to hold my son down by force while various painful procedures have been carried out and it can be truly horrid... but he seems to forget it all as soon as he gets the sticker, while mum is left in a cold sweat with the adrenaline rushing round the system and no sticker for us !
try not to let him see how worried you are... it'll only make him anxious... good luck x

Should really qualify that I have of course cried buckets when DD was very ill just not at the time, not in front of her IYSWIM? I'm not a hard-hearted old harridan, just didn't want to panic her. Maybe that's why I was able to let go with DS, he doesn't really notice what I'm feeling.

Sounds like you will need to be quite explicit about your son's fears. I was very lucky, the nurses listened when I said that he never responds to distraction techniques so it would just have to be done.

I did find the nurse's suggestion of sitting him astride me (facing me) with his arms under mine to be a really good way of keeping hold of him though. He couldn't kick or twist away which shortened the process by a fair bit!

Again, hope it all goes well.

my friend suggested pinning him down, but i think it will scar him for life and that he wont trust me again

We have had this with ds LF ASD and LD.

The way I managed it was I TOLD the nurse that I would put the numbing cream and cover on not her. I wasn't sure ds would let me do it but he did.

When it came time for the bloods the nurse taking it was excellent - very quick, overall I got more stressed than ds.

We developed a countdown system with ds that has worked well in many situations. He has always related to numbers so we do 10, 9, 8... and at zero he knows that it is over. When he was younger it was visual - physically covering the numbers, as he got older I would use my fingers as a visual prompt - now we can just use verbal. This has really helped us through dentist, haircuts etc.

Hope it goes ok

That's why I liked that position pokhara because he doesn't have to make eye-contact if he has issues with that, but it's a close cuddle and you can whisper soothing words into his ear and kiss him. Of course it's better that he has the test of his own accord, wish they would help him

we had some (tiny) success using a song from a 'bear in the big blue house' story where one of the characters is very scared of getting an injection....
Doc Hog teaches him a little song.
'just say Ow!
say it now
just say OW!
and it's over'.

? just maybe?

My ds has needle phobia and a fear of plasters and taking blood is a nightmare. I apply the numbing cream an hour before.

I was surprised at how well the numbing cream worked (3 times now) he was distracted with a Wheres Wally book so he couldnt see the needle and didnt feel a thing.

He screamed the place down when i removed the tiny plaster a few hours later though!

Good luck.

Oh dear, you have my sympathy! DS2 has a real needle phobia too, and will run away as soon as he see's the cream let alone the needle.

I'm a bit hard hearted I think, as I have had to restrain him many, many times, but he has needed the canular in for surgeries or because he is very unwell and he needs the medicine urgently. Pinning him down doesnt't work for us, but the suggestion made further up the thread to have him sitting with his arms under your arms is definitely the best way for us.

Also good peadiatricians or even better aneasthetists are very, very good at getting needles in quickly.

Good luck, I hope it isn't too traumatic for you both.

an update - the blood test did happen, not half as bad as i expected, just think why didnt they just send him to day ward 4 months ago so not to cause all the upset ds and i have had, he went to play in the playroom with me and play worker witht the cream on, then went back to ward i sat on the bed with ds between my legs (legs on the bed) one nurse started looking for a vein, the palyworker started reading to him, 1 doctor was blowing bubbles at the door and another nurse helping me to hold him arm in position, while the 2nd doctor took the bloo. he did and try to get away but didnt scream and was over so quick.

few tears to about 2 mins, a packet of haribo and a thomas mag, cheese on toast and then all forgotten about and back in time for nursery in the afternoon.

still in shock at how well it went. The ward staff were bril.

Thanks for the update I'm very glad it all went smoothly and that your DS responded well to the play team. I really hoped you'd get good people today

Glad it went ok today.