Our Recent Experience with HMC
This lengthy post is about the medical care our little boy received at the hands of government health workers.
Our little boy had been getting sick frequently due to tonsillitis. It took us 2 months to get an appointment with an ENT specialist at Hamad Hospital who was highly recommended.
Prior to that we'd done the rounds of private ENT specialists and the answer was inevitably always the same: Tonsillectomy, 6000 Riyals. I don't care about the 6000 Riyals, I care about my son.
The appointment with the HMC ENT specialist came last month. He wanted to perform the surgery within 10 days but was troubled by some haematology (blood) lab test results (which the private ENT specialists didn't request). He postponed the surgery and referred us to a haematologist with an Urgent request.
The haematologist gave us an all clear and I returned to the HMC evening clinic for the pre-operative doctor's appointment.
Talk about chaos and wasta. First you go to pay and as usual everything is horizontal. There's no line. This is at 5:30 pm.
I was among the first 3 in line to get a number to see the doctor and lo and behold I came up with number 11.
We finally went in to see the doctor and he scheduled the surgery for a day last week at Rumailah Hospital.
We arrived at 6:30 a.m. after a night during which I only slept for 30 minutes.
The little one was afraid. My heart was pounding. We changed him into a gown supplied and waited.
At 8:40 they wheeled him away, opened the doors marked "Operating Room Staff Only" and asked us to accompany them. Once past the door there was a red line on the floor we were to stay behind.
The nurses told us to take our son and sit him in mom's lap. We really appreciated that gesture.
Then it was his turn to go in. It's the hardest thing in the world to have a child you spend all your time protecting and nurturing wheeled away into an operating theater to go under the surgeon's knife.
We watched him being taken away then were politely asked to wait outside the doors.
The wait. All sorts of thoughts go through your head.
30 minutes. The anesthesiologist came out of those doors, gave us a reassuring smile, and said "Khalas", finish.
40 minutes. We were called in past those doors. There he was being wheeled towards us, half sitting up, obviously very groggy. "When are they taking my tonsils out," he croaked!
I was so glad to see him I felt he was born anew.
We went back to his bed in the recovery room and the nurse asked me if I'd like to pick him up and put him in his bed. Would I!
That was another gesture we appreciated a great deal.
Then it was 2 hours "nil by mouth", then came a capful of water, then 2, then the jelly.
We were given a prescription for medication and told to dispense it from the Hamad Hospital Emergency pharmacy.
At 1:40 p.m. we were on our way home with our little treasure.
It was an outpatient procedure that took 8 hours from admission to discharge. The surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurses were all very professional but more importantly had that magical human touch.
The spoiler. There has to be a spoiler. After I dropped Little Treasure and Mom at home I went to the Hamad Hospital Emergency pharmacy to get the medicines. "Ma fi," they didn't have them, come back tomorrow. Yeah right. I bought them from the nearest pharmacy and went home to a house full of ice-cream and jelly.
Glad your son is allrite now.
I would recommend you all to visit Al Ahly Hospital, In my opinion its probably the best hospital in Qatar. It might be a little costly because it's private, but the service is amazing.
I remember her birth like it was yesterday. Leah was born by Ceasarian section at University Hospital in London. I was bravely holding her mother's hand and the medical staff had erected a screen in front of me so I wouldn't have to see the incision (on account of my manly tendency to faint at the sight of blood). Bob Marley was singing "Like a lion in Zion" and the sound filled the operating theater when I heard my daughter's first cry.
What a beautiful baby. Had I really played a part in her creation? For the first time in my life, I was certain that God existed. I felt the tears burn in my eyes as I was allowed to hold my freshly born daughter even before she was weighed and cleaned.
I counted her perfect fingers and toes and was relieved that she had ten of each (unlike her father). I felt this overwhelming sense of love for the world and pride and honor that I was the father of this beautiful work in progress. That feeling of love threatened to explode inside me. How could I sustain it?
We took her home and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Every tiny movement fascinated me. Her mother was exhausted and needed to sleep. I slept in the spare room with my baby daughter in her crib next to me. I kept waking every few minutes to check she was really there, to make sure that she was still breathing.
Eleven years to the day later, I still feel that overwhelming sense of love and wonder and I thank Leah from the bottom of my heart for being such a sweet and loving daughter.
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. Mahatma Gandhi
A son is a warm spot in your heart
and a smile on your lips.
In the beginning, he is charmingly
innocent, putting his complete trust
in you.
He comes to you for a hand to hold
and for the security only your arms
can provide.
He shares his tales of adventure and knows
how proud you are of his
discoveries and accomplishments.
All his problems can be solved by a
hug and a kiss from you, and the
bond, you share is so strong it is
almost tangible.....
Time passes, and your innocent little boy
starts to test his limits. He lets go of your
hand to race into the midst of life without
thinking ahead or looking both ways.
His problems have grown along with him,
and he has learned that you can't always
make his life better or kiss his troubles away.
He spends much of his time away from you,
and though you long for the closeness you
once shared, he chooses independence and
privacy.
Discoveries and accomplishments aren't as
easy to come by now, and sometimes
he wonders about his worth.
But you know the worth of that young man.
He is your past and your future. He is hopes
and dreams that have made it through each
and every disappointment and failure.
In your heart, your son is precious and
treasured. Together, you struggles through
the years trying to find the right amount of
independence for each new stage of his life,
until finally, you had to learn to let him go.
Now you put your trust in him, leaving that
son whom you hold so dear totally in his own
care. You hope he always remembers that you
have a hand for him to hold and arms to
provide comfort or support.
Most of all, you hope that he believes in
himself as much as you believe in him, and
that he knows how much you love him.
It's always been hardest
to write about you,
I love you so much
what ever you do.
My son, you're my pride,
my bright shining star
you fill up my world,
where ever you are.
All of the memories
and all of the days,
you've showed me you care
in so many ways.
No father could ever
be happier than I
to have such a son,
that's such a great guy!
i was touched with this...e4 your little son is so blessed with a father like you and richard you're not alone with this feeling how about a mom like me? its very hard for me but I thank God we have internet i talk to them everyday i still have a 5 y/o son i left him after he turned 1 y/o it was so sad very sad... now i do the tutorial lessons for his homework in the net and i was amazed how we communicate sing and play in the net sometimes if he's not in the mood i just tell him stories and i feel that we become more closer each day we chat.. what makes me feel sad if he ask the same question everyday "HOW MANY MORE NIGHTS I SLEEP AND YOU'LL BE HOME MOM"? just i always promise him on Christmas...for those who are still single out here give your best to your future cute little boy and pretty girl they are your own cherished possession...
i think ur son now is so fine and he gets back to his normal life, sorry but i didn't read that till today so i hope he is so fine. also u make feel so happy to be a mother , u know before i got married i always think that mothers love there child more than fethers but after i get married and see how my husband love his son and read what u write i felt how wrong i was ,maybe because my dad didn't show his love or maybe the old life style make old men don't like to show love i don't know
Richard, you are obviously going to make every second with her count. You will probably give her in the limited times that you are together more than some "fathers" ever will.
And I truly hope this enforced separation comes to an end soon.
Daddy's Little Girl syndrome! Smart young lady! Glad you guys are going to get to spend time together on vacation!
I have just spoken to Leah. She is very excited with her presents and called me even though it is 4.30am where she is. She called to tell me that she "loves me bigger than the world" and she can't wait until we go on vacation together in August.
Being a bright little thing and knowing she can twist me around her little finger she did take the opportunity of petitioning me to persuade her mother that she shouldn't go to summer camp which of course, I have promised to do.
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. Mahatma Gandhi
I can feel your pain...my boys are in Texas..yes, they are 23 and 21, but I miss them horribly!!! Each time I call them I want to crawl through the phone and give them a hug. I do wish I knew what to say that could possibly help, but perhaps just being here knowing that there are others that can share in your time, will help.
E...enjoy your time with your baby as they grow up SOOO fast!!!
Kids are the gift that makes us all have hope for the world...
Richard it was really touching, can imagine how much you miss your daughter...Its really true children are so special even if they grow up, we just see the baby in them. Their unconditional love is incomparable. Even if we scold them for some mischief the next moment they forget all that and back to us with more love. Its beyond words how much joy a child brings in our life.
Wishing Leah a very Happy Birthday...God bless her. She is so lucky to have a Dad like you. I remember her sweet face in the picture you had before.
For your kind thoughts and words. You are both right and Oryx it is great that you acknowledge the power of paternal love. This is one of the many things I love about Arabs (I know you are not an Arab, Oryx) that they do value the role of the father and acknowledge that fathers can and often do, love their children just as much as mothers. In the west, there is a big problem with absent fathers and many people think that fathers are not important. They are. I adore my own and dread to think what would have happened to me without his support, love and guidance.
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. Mahatma Gandhi
Oh boys you made me cry. these are wonderful testimonies of paternal love.
Richard knows how I feel about paternal instincts... I am vindicated once again in my strong views.
Richard I will be thinking a lot of you today because it must be very difficult.
And don't forget, Richard123, you and your daughter are connected by an invisible thread that cannot be broken and is as long as it needs to be when she is away from you.
My heart goes out to you. My parents also lost a child, a little girl. She will ever be dear to them. I totally agree with you, you can never value a child too highly or give a child too much love.
If ever I feel down, I think of how lucky I am to have the privelege of being a father and the love of a daughter and things don't appear so bleak.
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. Mahatma Gandhi
Richard, that was lovely. You should write it down and give it to your daughter when she is older. Happy Birthday Leah, you are a very lucky little girl.
so true richard and diamondgirl.
richard i do wish you will be able to have your little girl with you.for education, my siblings and I were in India with my mom, and dad was here, so its a real pain to be away from family.i know what you feel.
if azilana comes here, shes gonna cry.
happy heart
DRIVE SAFE,someone is waiting for you at home
I have seen firsthand the pain of losing a child. In my childhood my family spent some long, dark years in London with one of my brothers who was receiving medical treatment. Eventually all I could do was watch as he died in my mother and fathers arms. I honestly felt their hearts break as his hearbeat petered out. It was by far the most painful thing I have experienced. We nwever really got over that, I guess we gradually found a new way to go on.
Now being a Mother, I value my little miracles lives so very much and it always feels like somethings missing if they are not around me. I've never been apart from them for even a night. Can't do it!
My own parents showered us with love in my childhood (still do) and myself and my siblings have always felt adored and valued.
Please, everyone, do the same for your children!
Richard123, I'm so sorry you don't live with your daughter. I can only imagine how much you miss her.
I totally sympathise about the outpatient experience, it is not always fair the way people shamelessly push in the line and it has an air of chaos about it. I too had a good experience of the surgical services here, a million times better than the UK. There, they will not remove tonsills at all anymore, unless the child's airway is occluded by the inflammation. Even though they suffer terrible pain, become resistant to anti biotics and miss numerous days of school the answer is always no, I worked in paediatric services just before coming here, it drove me mad. The reason, because it has a risk of complications and they do not want to be vulnerable to litigation for a "purely routine" (their words) op. Many parents I have met have opted to pay for it to be done privately, an equivilant cost of about 15,000-20,000 riyals. I hope your little one fells better soon, at least you get lots of ice cream!
therefore...you can never understand the feelings of being a parent, unless you become one:)...Get well soon dear child of e46M3:)
so so true e46M3,
my heartful wishes to all parents.
happy heart
DRIVE SAFE,someone is waiting for you at home
Thanks, King Ed, you're very right. My kids taught me to count to ten. All those daddy, daddy, daddy are infuriating but they look up to you. Who could admire you like that other than your own children!
Kids are not mean, they are just so innocent and their innocence is like a spear in the heart.
I hope you will have your own; sometimes it's hard work, definitely a tremendous responsibility but always a great blessing.
How are you doing sister? How is life and how is everything going on there? Thank you for the complement sister, still looking for the best way to help here :)
Thank god for your son safety, how is he doing now? Guess that he is enjoying the mixture of Ice Cream and Jelly at home :) and thank god again for the success of the operation. Sorry buddy, but I did not notice your post but now. Wish that I could see it before, but I was blinded by some other issues here on QL and also some real life matters.
I don't know what to say, but I felt like if i was just standing beside you through those 8 hours that you spent in the hospital. Of course I did not get the same feelings that you got while your son was in the operation I'm not a father yet, but I know how precious our children are and that's for sure makes the minute pass like an hour, the hour pass like a day back then.
They are simply everything that we love about our life, we will do whatever it takes to make them happy. We will break all the roles and remove the first 'I & M' in the 'Impossible' to make everything possible. Never to mention that no one would wish that someone can be better than him/her in his/her life but their children. They bring happiness to the world, especially our world when they first come to this life. Our happiness grows by the time they grow up too, no matter how many times do they upset us sometimes. We know that we would never be mad or upset with them, no matter what they do.
We can be upset with ourselves, but we can't be like that with them, can we? Get angry at your kid for any reason, let him/her fall sick after 5 minutes and you will race the people on the streets and run to the hospitals to know what is wrong while your heart shifted to the bottom of your feet. It is just simply called the power of the relation between the parents and there children, the power of unlimited love and that is why it is so pure, soft and nice.
Can't wait to get married and see my little cute girl walking her first steps.
Hey, Greeker, buddy. It's the magical power of children, my friend. One day you'll have your own and then you'll know.
E, I am moved.
You are worth your weight in gold. And you write very well.
I bow my head in front of the power of words.
Thank you for your warm and genuine sentiments Mak1, novita77, han19, dweller, diamondgirl, richard123, butterfly and vishal.
Butterfly, that's a great quote. So true.
It's moving experience. Glad, your son is fine.
You've brought about all the fatherly feelings in a nice-way.
It's heartening to note that HMC is taking care of all the small things that shows their concern and attitude.
DiamondGirl - I loved your words "They are my miracles, my blessings, my hope, my joy, my dream, my future. They are my heart"...
Cheers,
Butterfly, you are SO right. That's a great quote. Love for a child is different than any other love. The thought of losing that love is unimaginable. I would give up everything and anything for my children in an instant.
It reminds me to the quote: "Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body"
E46, I´m glad that everything is good with your son.
I have been through a similar experience with my daughter. What I really like about your story is the kindness and humanity of the staff. They remembered all the little things that make so much difference to both the child and his parents. Okay, so HMC is bureaucratic, disorganized and unhelpful on the administrative side, but the actual healthcare professionals sound wonderful.
I am glad your little boy is fine and I hope he enjoys telling all his friends the gory story of his tonsils.
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. Mahatma Gandhi
e46M3, I love the way you write about your children. I feel the same way about my children. They are the sunshine in my day, the light in my life, the smile on my face. My heart soars when I see them. I love enveloping them in great big hugs and squeeeeeezing them. I watch them when they sleep, the innocence, the perfectness. I can't bear to be parted from them. I take them whenever I travel. They are my miracles, my blessings, my hope, my joy, my dream, my future. They are my heart.
your son is OK e46. I know the feelings you mention and it's nice to see something good written about the HMC
alhamdullilah e46, good to know this.
MAk1, you havent seen KIng Edshels posts, he never stops and he too writes well.
Wasta can be dispensed with, and they do their best even if there isnt wasta.with a little wasta you get additional information.
happy heart
DRIVE SAFE,someone is waiting for you at home
Glad your son is ok now. :-)
I thought only Greeker is the one who writes well.
No..
Here is another one.
Well done mate.
God bless your little one.
By the by..Wasta..Can it not be dispensed with!
What a shame!