Wednesday 15 August 2007

Bloodline (The Visitor Maximix)


The line infection means that the boy's line is being accessed on a daily basis for his antibiotics. This has reminded him of the process for changing dressings and taking bloods. And that little panda has a line and so he needs to have his bloods taken.

I got home last night to be hauled upstairs by the boy saying "bung, bung". I had no idea what was going on after a stupefying day. He took me into his room, dragged little panda off the bed and made me watch his preparations. He emptied out the tray that the community nurses use and started to get everything together: syringes, alcowipes, dressing, hepsal, saline, adhesive remover, gloves, cleanser, sterile wipes and line port (which everyone calls "bungs"). When he was satisfied that he had everything, I had to put the gloves on and start preparations. I had to clean the tray but then he took over. He put everything neatly in the tray, cleaned the bung, took bloods, put the blood in the bottle, shook the bottle, took off the old dressing, put on the new bung and finally replace the dressing. All the while saying "good boy" in a soothing voice to little panda, like the nurses do to him.

I found it a bit of a sobering experience to see him do that. He used to play with hospital equipment in preference to his normal toys. But this year he had been doing it less and less. It is easier when he plays with cars and does cooking to pretend to be normal. This sort of play is just another reminder that we aren't normal.

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