General / Off-Topic The best Christmas present

[JonnyC0mbat]

This Christmas is a particularly special one for me. About this time last week my 10 month old niece started to throw up after every feed. She was taken to hospital by my sister and my brother in law and the doctors were "certain" it was just an infection.

Three days later she rapidly spiralled down hill and had to be rushed to another hospital with competent staff (the original hospital was appalling).

As she arrived she stopped breathing and at that point my families world stopped turning. The medical staff went into overdrive and operated immediately, discovering she had a torn bowel (birth defect).

How is she now? She's at home, eating like a horse, and wondering what all the fuss was about. The rest of us have a few more grey hairs, but we'll be spending Christmas together as a family.

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you all have as great a Christmas as we will.

 

[Adept]

Isn't modern medicine great <3

Your tax dollars at work, in the best possible way. Merry Christmas commander, and I'm glad your niece is recovering nicely.

 

[verminstar]

Tis the season of goodwill...or so they say. Xmas isnt a happy time in my house...hasnt been fer the past decade or so, but very recent news just made 2016 the worst ever. It would appear that the same cancer that took my wife has been inherited by my already autistic daughter...she goes in mid january to have part of her lung removed...not enough to seriously affect her long term, but she wont be doing the belfast marathon again.

The doctor is optimistic even though he wouldnt look me in the eye and his body language and evasions say he was just doing his job of keeping moral up a week before xmas day...the older more experienced doctors hide it better. Its like when they sit ye down all smiles and tell yer wife she has at least 15 years left...at least...dead in 6 months...not even 6 actually, but whats a couple weeks between freinds?

I read yer own story and it reminded me of my own daughters first year, although only the symptoms were the same...the result wasnt a birth defect but a silent reflux...a skill she has now at 14 to make herself physically sick without putting two fingers down her throat...used to get her days off school till I figured out quickly it was every tuesday...double maths on her school timetable...eureka.

Kids are wonderful things...hold onto them while they kids but never hold them back. Oh of course Im hopeful but heres the thing...the bittersweet part. I forbade anyone telling her the nodules were aggressive...she thinks they benign and this is a routine op. Because she has the same cancer marker in her dna, she gets an mri scan twice a year which is why they picked them up...the biggest one is 2.2cm in diameter but its semi cool because the 2 big boys are in the bottom corner, so only that bottom corner needs to be removed. Silver linings and all that.

So basically, I lied to her...because while xmas has never been happy fer us, this year I tried hard to make it a happy xmas. Got her a drone and a new judo outfit...the two things she wanted. She wanted a new airshot gun and iphone7 but this is where daddy has to be the grown up and admit he ran outta funds...still the old busted iphone4 till cashflow improves.

I talk too much bollox online but however...yer a captive audience cos Im holding onto a lie and I absolutely never lie to my daughter...even were she to ask me about my past. Thats a bit of a gray area, but I wont lie if she asks. And now this...while done fer the right reasons...I know its a mistake. I hope she understands one day.

Im trying not to be a grinch here...so happy crimbo and take care that little one.

 

[Zenith]

Thank you for bringing us all the Christmas gift of Perspective!
It's not about the presents and the drink (though both are nice), it's about being with your friends and family.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Adept]

Best of luck to your girl Verminstar, and perseverence to yourself. Hang in there, for her sake.

 

[Sunleader]

This Christmas is a particularly special one for me. About this time last week my 10 month old niece started to throw up after every feed. She was taken to hospital by my sister and my brother in law and the doctors were "certain" it was just an infection.

Three days later she rapidly spiralled down hill and had to be rushed to another hospital with competent staff (the original hospital was appalling).

As she arrived she stopped breathing and at that point my families world stopped turning. The medical staff went into overdrive and operated immediately, discovering she had a torn bowel (birth defect).

How is she now? She's at home, eating like a horse, and wondering what all the fuss was about. The rest of us have a few more grey hairs, but we'll be spending Christmas together as a family.

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you all have as great a Christmas as we will.

Glad your Daughter Recovered.
There is indeed no Greater Gift the World can give you than the Health of you and your Family.

 

[Patrick_68000]

A dramatic story with a happy end. Perhaps attack the first hospital to court for incompetence ? Happy Christmas !

 

[Minonian]

bck to the OP. You are lucky and true, no better gift than this. But otherwise if you ask me? Either money, so he can buy his heart desire, or what's comes from heart / important to him.

Skip.

Hang on there and good health to you and your daughter.

 

[INaeem]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Live long and Prosper Little Commander.

 

[INaeem]

Tis the season of goodwill...or so they say. Xmas isnt a happy time in my house...hasnt been fer the past decade or so, but very recent news just made 2016 the worst ever. It would appear that the same cancer that took my wife has been inherited by my already autistic daughter...she goes in mid january to have part of her lung removed...not enough to seriously affect her long term, but she wont be doing the belfast marathon again.

The doctor is optimistic even though he wouldnt look me in the eye and his body language and evasions say he was just doing his job of keeping moral up a week before xmas day...the older more experienced doctors hide it better. Its like when they sit ye down all smiles and tell yer wife she has at least 15 years left...at least...dead in 6 months...not even 6 actually, but whats a couple weeks between freinds?

I read yer own story and it reminded me of my own daughters first year, although only the symptoms were the same...the result wasnt a birth defect but a silent reflux...a skill she has now at 14 to make herself physically sick without putting two fingers down her throat...used to get her days off school till I figured out quickly it was every tuesday...double maths on her school timetable...eureka.

Kids are wonderful things...hold onto them while they kids but never hold them back. Oh of course Im hopeful but heres the thing...the bittersweet part. I forbade anyone telling her the nodules were aggressive...she thinks they benign and this is a routine op. Because she has the same cancer marker in her dna, she gets an mri scan twice a year which is why they picked them up...the biggest one is 2.2cm in diameter but its semi cool because the 2 big boys are in the bottom corner, so only that bottom corner needs to be removed. Silver linings and all that.

So basically, I lied to her...because while xmas has never been happy fer us, this year I tried hard to make it a happy xmas. Got her a drone and a new judo outfit...the two things she wanted. She wanted a new airshot gun and iphone7 but this is where daddy has to be the grown up and admit he ran outta funds...still the old busted iphone4 till cashflow improves.

I talk too much bollox online but however...yer a captive audience cos Im holding onto a lie and I absolutely never lie to my daughter...even were she to ask me about my past. Thats a bit of a gray area, but I wont lie if she asks. And now this...while done fer the right reasons...I know its a mistake. I hope she understands one day.

Im trying not to be a grinch here...so happy crimbo and take care that little one.

Sorry for your loss Commander. Hopefully 2017 and beyond will bring a change of luck, health and fortitude. Good luck with January, take care and Bless your Daughter!

 

[Hell Razor5543]

This Christmas is a particularly special one for me. About this time last week my 10 month old niece started to throw up after every feed. She was taken to hospital by my sister and my brother in law and the doctors were "certain" it was just an infection.

Three days later she rapidly spiralled down hill and had to be rushed to another hospital with competent staff (the original hospital was appalling).

As she arrived she stopped breathing and at that point my families world stopped turning. The medical staff went into overdrive and operated immediately, discovering she had a torn bowel (birth defect).

How is she now? She's at home, eating like a horse, and wondering what all the fuss was about. The rest of us have a few more grey hairs, but we'll be spending Christmas together as a family.

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you all have as great a Christmas as we will.

Treasure her. It is incredible how quickly a child can bounce back from something that would kill an adult.

Tis the season of goodwill...or so they say. Xmas isnt a happy time in my house...hasnt been fer the past decade or so, but very recent news just made 2016 the worst ever. It would appear that the same cancer that took my wife has been inherited by my already autistic daughter...she goes in mid january to have part of her lung removed...not enough to seriously affect her long term, but she wont be doing the belfast marathon again.

The doctor is optimistic even though he wouldnt look me in the eye and his body language and evasions say he was just doing his job of keeping moral up a week before xmas day...the older more experienced doctors hide it better. Its like when they sit ye down all smiles and tell yer wife she has at least 15 years left...at least...dead in 6 months...not even 6 actually, but whats a couple weeks between freinds?

I read yer own story and it reminded me of my own daughters first year, although only the symptoms were the same...the result wasnt a birth defect but a silent reflux...a skill she has now at 14 to make herself physically sick without putting two fingers down her throat...used to get her days off school till I figured out quickly it was every tuesday...double maths on her school timetable...eureka.

Kids are wonderful things...hold onto them while they kids but never hold them back. Oh of course Im hopeful but heres the thing...the bittersweet part. I forbade anyone telling her the nodules were aggressive...she thinks they benign and this is a routine op. Because she has the same cancer marker in her dna, she gets an mri scan twice a year which is why they picked them up...the biggest one is 2.2cm in diameter but its semi cool because the 2 big boys are in the bottom corner, so only that bottom corner needs to be removed. Silver linings and all that.

So basically, I lied to her...because while xmas has never been happy fer us, this year I tried hard to make it a happy xmas. Got her a drone and a new judo outfit...the two things she wanted. She wanted a new airshot gun and iphone7 but this is where daddy has to be the grown up and admit he ran outta funds...still the old busted iphone4 till cashflow improves.

I talk too much bollox online but however...yer a captive audience cos Im holding onto a lie and I absolutely never lie to my daughter...even were she to ask me about my past. Thats a bit of a gray area, but I wont lie if she asks. And now this...while done fer the right reasons...I know its a mistake. I hope she understands one day.

Im trying not to be a grinch here...so happy crimbo and take care that little one.

How can any person explain to a child that what they have could kill them? I do not know the answer, and I doubt that anybody else does. However, what I might try to do is to put down in writing why you did what you did, always telling her that you love her, and wanted to spare her any pain. Do not hold back anything (even if it hurts). Sign and date it, seal it in an envelope, and put it away safely. When she finds out what you did (do not assume that she will not), give her the envelope and time and space to read it. I cannot say it will help; only she can decide if what you have done is something she can understand and accept.

Both of you, take care of yourselves and your families. Treasure them always, and be the best you can.