One moment I was laughing heartily and talking to my friend and the next moment my boy fell down along with his cycle. I scooped him up immediately. I generally don't but this time I felt I had to. And, Thank God I did because it indeed was a major fall. Blood was oozing out from his chin and for a split second I thought I would panic because first, we were in the park and we had to reach our home, quite a few floors high and second, he was bleeding and crying.
After all the hospital visits and a couple of stitches later, I sat down and thought about the whole episode. I was indeed wiser by a few thoughts and experiences that I had to note it down!
You need to be strong
You are the mother. If you panic, your baby senses it. So you need to be strong and act as if this is no big deal. I stayed by his side, while the cut was being stitched up because knowing what was happening and seeing how my baby is, is the best assurance I could get about my little one being ok than being in the blind. I didn't want to leave him in anybody else's care because I knew that seeing me by his side will be his greatest comfort. And to do this, I had to be strong!
The pathetic service called the ER
After two hospital visits, a one night wait, couple of stitches and Rs. 6000/- less in the pocket, I pity and pray for the people who has to be rushed in to the Emergency Room of a hospital. These two hospitals were not the first emergency visits I experienced. I have mostly had bitter experiences with the emergency service of hospitals. The casualty seems very casual! If you are not unconscious and you can walk, whatever maybe your problem you are asked to wait and subsequently they forget about you waiting and you have to remind them atleast two to three times that you are "still" waiting! And here we thought, emergency service meant getting emergency care!
The 'loot the public', modern hospitals
I have always been someone who believes it is justified on the part of hospitals to charge for their services and we are not to crib about the charges because, after all, it is a life in question! Yes, to give you the best of care they need sufficient fund to provide the latest, state of the art facilities. But Rs. 6000/- for a minor suturing process for an infant? That felt way too high and unjust that the husband couldn't resist an "Are you joking?" response when the staff told us the bill amount! I didn't go back to the hospital again, not even for removing the stitches. We were travelling to Trivandrum, my hometown and once we reached, I took him to the hospital we usually take him here. It cost me Rs. 130/- for removing his suture that I had to resist myself from hugging the billing staff and giving a pat on her back! Upon asking how much a suturing would cost here, I came to know that it will not be more than some two hundred odd rupees. Two hundred rupees! I could have taken a flight from Bangalore to Trivandrum, put the suturing and returned, still it wouldn't have come to the six thousand rupees we coughed up for a minor suturing!
Here's to many more!
This was the very first thought that came to my mind. It was not that the boy had not fallen before but they were all minor slip and falls. This was the first major one with a deep cut and this was just the beginning. I've seen my brother falling a lot of times and there are lot of stitch marks on his face and I am sure (though I hope not!) this boy will follow his uncle's footsteps! He is a kid, there is going to be a lot of jumping around, climbing walls and trees and I have to be prepared.
Whatever said and done, each fall breaks a mom's heart, each cut is a strong stab on her heart and you have to try hard not to feel guilty!
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