Consultation by Consultants.
I must admit the paediatric consultants of whatever speciality over here like in Belfast definitely know their stuff, but also have different views on things.
From what has been explained to us Evan's pneumothorax, is basically described as a partial collapse of his right lung, and why Evan's happened is as of yet not quite clear, but is most likely a contribution of a number of factors, including, they are common post surgery, he has had a bit of a chest infection, he was coughing quite hard, and a few others that I no longer remember, but one ting is sure, the action that was taken was the right thing at the right time.
He has now had a number of x-rays and his x-rays since arriving in Birmingham have all been compared, and now the role of a consultant - two consultants of different specialities have requested a lateral x-ray of his chest to establish, where the pockets of air are, if the drain is in the right place and if another drain is necessary, one has the view that this x-ray isn't necessary and won't reveal anything different, and I feel for the nurse and the junior doctor, who have been told to order the x-ray, to cancel the x-ray, to order the x-ray, to cancel the x-ray.
At this stage I can't but help get involved, and the consultant just happens to be passing, and I ask what is going on, by this stage Jenny has left, as I am using what she calls my "Robert Voice" its that voice that I apparently have which is very slow, deliberate, measured, low and somehow manages to convince people that I'm not going to take 'No' as an answer. So the x-ray is done and results come quickly back to show that the drain is in the right place and has removed most of the fluid and air,
One of the consultants who wanted the x-ray explained to us that the drain has solved 'a problem' but not 'the problem', but she will continue to work on that.
The physios have produced a posture chair for Evan so he is able to sit up and look around him even if its just from the floor of an ICU, which did lead to a comment that he looked far too well to be in intensive care, which looking at him now less than 24 hours after the crash team was called is true, as there are little ones in here who will need far, far more than a chest drain and an x-ray.
By early evening we are back on the ward and a follow up visit from the Gasto team, has seen Evan's peg feeds now slowly increasing to where he was while in Belfast, and like his dad he sleeps better on a full stomach. Although it does take a while to get him settled and over to sleep as he's in what one of the nurses has described although light heartedly as cold turkey after coming off the morphine and pain relief he was in while in intensive care, but by 1:30 on Thursday morning he's well over and sleeping like a starfish (legs and arms spread to each corner of his cot) and snoring away.
By the close of today I have a peace of mind, and I don't know why it hasn't been there before, but I am assured that there is a greater degree of communication and joint up working between the different teams.
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