DAD DIARY: Mayo University Hospital has become a home from home

GROWING up in Breaffy, I was only ever five minutes from the hospital. But despite some friends’ scurrilous accusations that I was accident prone, I was only admitted to Mayo General Hospital – or its modern incarnation, Mayo University Hospital – once, when I was seven.
But since moving to Achill, a full hour away, I’ve become far too familiar with overnighting at MUH. Not, I hasten to add, for personal admissions, but with the kids.
Between Frankie and Éamon, I’ve overnighted eight times at MUH. We’re on first-name terms with the nurses by now, and it almost feels like a home away from home.
It’s generally myself who goes up with the sick child while Aisling minds the other two kids at home. It is hard to know which is the short straw.
Éamon was in for two nights last week. Having had pneumonia twice in the last year, breathing issues and low oxygen levels led to concerns about a suspected third bout, and so we were told to go to Castlebar. After an hour in the Emergency Department waiting room, we were sent up to Pediatrics and admitted.
The X-ray was clear for pneumonia though, and the medical conclusion was asthma.
It’s a very manageable condition, and he may grow out of it too. He is a trooper when it comes to taking the inhaler but, truth be told, he was in his element in hospital.
We had a private room so he had my full, undivided attention. He also didn’t have his younger brother coming over trying to take his toys off him. I think Éamon thought of it more as a short holiday than a trip to the hospital.
For the first half of his stay he couldn’t stray far from the room because he was on oxygen, but as he improved, he was able to ramble around a bit more and take trips to the shop and vending machines. He didn’t always get what he was looking for, but even the experience was thrilling for him, especially as every trip involved using the lift and getting to press the buttons. Sometimes kids can be very easily pleased!
It was easy to see why he was so content though. It is a point I have made before, but the staff in paediatrics are just marvellous. The nurses, doctors, play therapist, catering and cleaning staff couldn’t do enough for Éamon and were so good with him.
On top of that he had my mother coming in for visits, often accompanied by sweets or toys. He was, quite simply, spoilt!
I didn’t do badly either. As a veteran of many nights in awkward recliners beside our kids’ beds, it was a huge relief to have a comfortable one. Decent sleep for the parents is not a priority but it definitely helps! We both slept like babies.