Day 3 the reality is setting in

We set of from home this morning at a little before 8am. We had been told we needed to be at Newcastle RVI by 10.30am. We all were very positive in the car on the way over, Naomi started to feel a little sick by the time we were 3/4 of the way there but with half a "joy ride" tablet and some of her yoghurt drink she managed the journey in fine spirits. I was glad that Rob was driving, because as we got closer to the hospital I got shaky and cotton mouthed. I actually wanted to be physically sick but in the brand new Civic didn't quite dare!! We found our way to New ward 6 and were shown to our room. We sat and waited, were shown round the ward to where the toy rooms were and in true Naomi style within 10 minutes she had the glitter and glue out and was having a whale of a time. she even made the first picture for the nurse who had said she was lookign after us today. At about 11am the consultant came to speak to us, Juliet Hale if I remember right, she was nice, quiet and Naomi decided she didn't want to listen to what was being said and bugged me to be back out in the play areas with the glitter and glue. We were told that today we would have some more blood tests done and that they would arrange for the CT scan to be booked and fingers crossed they could get us in for a biopsy, both for the next day. The nurse came and put some magic cream on the back of Naomi's hands and covered them with a see through plaster and a bandage. It numbs the hands and makes it so that when they go fishing for veins it doesn't hurt. Naomi wasn't keen as she really doesn't like having plasters taken off again and having had it happen yesterday she knew that they were going to have to come off later but she went along with it without too much worrying. We went out to play in the wonderful new area of the hospital that is ward 6 and as the consultant had said Naomi could have some lunch we asked about how we would get it for her as I hadn't smelt the dinner trolley even close. I was told "oh, erm we don't provide lunch for patients (by a receptionist) there might be some packed lunch stuff in the kitchen which is for patients though" so off we trundled to the kitchen, we found 2 packs of ratehr nice, if a little plain, ham sandwiches, a piece of genoa cake and some crackers and an apple. Job sorted. Back to the room we went to eat our inpromptu picnic. The fact we told naomi it was a picnic seemed to make everything taste much better. By this time its about 12 noon. And we waited, and waited, yep and waited some more. We were waiting for someone to come and put the canular in to Naomi's hand. So we waited some more, and everyone else on the ward came and went and still we waited. We were sat by the nurses station and so when a phone call came through sayign Naomi was to be transfered to ward 16 I kind of heaved a sigh of relief, ok so we're not going to be sat here all day then was the thought that went through my head. This was at 2.30pm. We had been sat since just after 10 am and we were rapidly running out of glue! At just after 3 pm I went and asked what was happening, pointing out that we had been sat waiting since 10am and could some one let us know what was going on. I was informed that the registrar was comign to take blood and put the canular in before we went to ward 16. Then some one else came and told us that we would have the canular put in when we got to ward 16. Then I was told that some one was going to come and put the canular in but there was no way of knowing who was doing what first so to sit tight and wait. So we sat tight, impossible not too with the chairs in ward 6, after over 5 hours of sitting on them they were rapidly becoming very uncomfortable chairs. By half four I was hacked off, Naomi had run out of glue and glitter and was dressing and redressing polly pocket type dolls and Rob who had been very quiet throughout the whole day started tapping his foot. I decided that it might be advisable to get to speak to the nurses again before he did. As I could see he was becoming less and less impressed by the whole "new ward" thing. Again I was told "it'll be about half an hour" to which I replied, "erm are we getting transfered in time for Naomi's tea, as she is hungry and gets grumpy when not fed". Yes we would be moved before tea. We were moved at 5pm, so in the 7 hours we had sat round all we had had done so far was some magic cream put on the backs of Naomi's hands and seen the consultant who couldn't give us definate times or even guesstimates as to what was going to happen. We were transfered from teh nice new ward into ward 16, which is the last bit of the victorian ages in hiding. The temperature rose about 6 degrees as we walked in throught the heavy fire doors and all of a sudden fear struck me. This is serious, look at the children in the other beds, they are really sick, they have no haor, they look like they have gone 3 rounds with Mike Tyson from the rings round their eyes, my heart grew very heavy and reality started to dawn, this was my worst nightmare, a serious serious illness, not one that could just be chopped out and be better in a week or so, this is long term and I am officially scared. The nurses on the ward are angels, they must be to look after these kids the way they do. I just wanted to cry. I still do. We were at least fed and watered on our transfer, and some serious apologies were given from the team on ward 16 about the horrendous wait we had had. Yet still no one had coem to put the canular in Naomi's hand. By half 6 Naomi was drooping, she was tired, couldn't concentrate even with her favorite Charlie and Lola on the dvd player. I went to ask the nurses when the canular was going to be done. Soon, they all replied, soon. At 8pm I went and chased them again, "I have a little girl in there who wants to go to bed and she can't because you haven't done what was supposed to have been done earlier in the day, can I put her to bed or not?" "No" came back the response, we're very sorry but we need to get the bloods and the canular in. It was half 8 when they came for us. We were taken into the treatment room, Naomi started crying as soon as she realised the plasters were coming off. She stopped once they were off, and the German registrar came and had a look at her hands and decided which one would be best for veins. Then the trauma began, Naomi had to sit on my knee facing me with her favorite rabbit cuddled in and her other arm outstretched by the nurses. It was not a happy experience for any of us. For over 20 minutes they tried and tried to get needles into veins, Naomi was crying, screaming, hurting so much and all I could do was hold her and try really hard not to cry too, but when the decided to swap arms because the vein had bruised and wasn't going to hold Naomi started crying really hard, proper pain and upset crying and I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. The nurse asked if I wanted to leave the room, I shook my head, I couldn't speak, I was so shocked that she would ask. As if I would leave MY baby to endure the worst thing she had ever had to endure, I was furious, never would I leave her, she would never forgive me and I would never forgive my self. After over 20 minutes they stopped, they had failed to get enough blood, even though I was coated in the stuff from Naomi's other hand, they had failed to get the canular in too. It seems Naomi has the some type of veins as me, they only need to hear a needle packet being opened and they vanich inside a bone. Within 10 minutes of her ordeal Naomi was back to being cheery and chatty, rushing up to the nurses for cuddles and stealing stickers left right and centre. She was aslleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow secure in the knowledge that mummy and daddy were sleeping in a single bed at the other side of the room. I slept from about 10pm til 3am, and have been writing this as well as voicing my concerns to the nurses, about our wait and ordeal today. Why when nothing happened until 8pm tonight did we need to be here at 10.30 this morning? Why has it taken all day to get someone to try and get a canular in to Naomi's hand? Especially when the cream went on so long ago! Questions that I have had apologies from nursing staff for, they don't know why all they can do is apologise. The night nurse has just told me that at 6am they are going to be putting some more magic cream on Naomi's hands, ready for the canular going in at 7 am, she can have breakfast, but nithing solid to eat after 7.30am and nothign liquid after 11.30am just incase she is going for her biopsy tomorrow. Her CT scan is booked for 9am. Luckily Rob is managing to get some sleep, he nearly cracked today, from lack of sleep and sheer emotions. I am so lucky that he is here, able to dump work like he has. We are very lucky to have him, and when he eventually reads this I hope he realises that we love him very much.