Well hello.

I maybe shouldn’t be writing this, I feel like utter rubbish today, so it may not be a good idea, but I guess we’ll see. I’ll try not to let it affect the writing adversely.

There’s a few reasons, most of which are personal, but also, littlest fell yesterday when we went out. We actually had the car for the first time in ages, so I took them out in the late afternoon, it was beautiful. Until he fell on a sort of boardwalk which has metal things hammered in to stop your feet slipping. He went face first and lacerated his forehead (small but punctured) and above his top lip, that one was a bit deeper than I’d like, it was gaping a bit, so I decided after agonising about it, to try A&E in case it needed something more than steristrips. I also rang the GP and the receptionist told me to take him to the hospital because of the head injury….

So, I picked him up, sat him down, applied pressure to the bleeding with my jacket, when it stopped we had to walk back to the car, that took about ten/fifteen minutes. The journey to Sligo hospital then took an hour. You have to pay for parking, I didn’t have any money, so thankyou God, a fella came along and gave me his ticket. I took them in (J was with me too). You have to go to a sort of portacabin to be initially assessed (and either give health insurance or medical card details or pay the fee). Then you go through to the actual waiting room. There’s barriers all over in the hospital because of COVID, it felt so weird. The waiting room was packed. It was obvious that ambulances were coming in quite regularly too and my heart sank. It had already been over an hour and a half since he’d cut his lip. So we waited and waited. It got to about half 7 ish and a member of staff came and asked people to reconsider why they were there and that was the prompt I needed as I had two uncomfortable kids in the middle of a crowded waiting room, in a hospital where it’s been known to have outbreaks of Covid. One of whom had been wailing not too long before. So we left. Then it was another hour to get home. So, all in all from him doing it to getting home it was probably about 4 to 5 ish hours. By that time, his lip had swelled, so stripping it wasn’t that effective really. I’m not an expert in facial stuff, but I’m really hoping it heals well and doesn’t get infected. Praying. It’s not too uncomfortable today, but it’s still oozing and the strips are only to give it a bit of covering really. His head seems ok. Thankfully no signs of problems there either.

I was only saying the other day, I needed to get a proper medical kit together. And by that I mean a proper one, not the terrible ones with useless things in that you get as a pack. I think this has confirmed it. At least I have some knowledge of what to do too. During lockdown I had to repair little one’s head twice, he fell on stones. They healed well. Just leaving it, providing it’s clean, seems to do it. (covered with the strips). But this time, the lip injury made me feel unsure. Thankfully, his teeth are ok too. Bless him. We’re an hour from the nearest hospital, so good to be prepared..

This is my opinion and my opinion only, but I think the health system in this country is dire. We were so spoilt in the UK, with minor injury units, fast tracking, proper assessments.. Children’s units…Yes, there are problems, but nothing like over here. I’m not even sure here what you have to do to get things like smear tests and all that. (I’ve just looked it up, you’re supposed to get them free from 25-60), don’t know whether you need to chase them…but for most things there’s a cost. Children don’t get free dental care either, or regular check ups, they get one in school I think and that’s it, as mine aren’t in school, they won’t. I think if you’re seriously ill in this country, you have a problem, because of the structure, not the staff.

God bless the NHs and God bless the Irish system, may it actually benefit the people and not harm them.

I know his injuries weren’t that serious, that’s not what I’m saying, there’s just no support for health here as far as I can see. It’s very much laissez faire..as far as I have experienced and see. I’m very grateful we have a medical card at the moment too.

Cathy.