Her Great Adventure

Little Bee had an adventurous (and probably traumatic!) week indeed. So did I. 

Monday was her first day in school, and despite her usual sunny and gregarious personality, she still needed my Mum - whom I had asked to accompany her - to be by her side throughout the first 2 days. 

All ready for the first day of school! 

My mother told me the distinct differences between Big Bee and Little Bee in N1. Whereas Big Bee would usually put on a mature and accommodating facade in front of teachers and friends as well as focusing with full concentration on all the lessons at hand, Little Bee will be easily distracted, often hunkering down only for activities she enjoys (like art and singing), and then doing her own acts of singing and dancing when the whole class is sitting quietly for Show and Tell. It will be interesting to map out how their future careers and education journeys will be like, given their very different personalities and approaches in the early years of their social education. 

In the wee hours of Wednesday, Little Bee started throwing up. The vomiting did not stop for the entire day. She threw up a total of 13 times at home, despite not taking in any food and very little fluids - despite hubby and me bringing her to the PD in the morning and letting her take an anti-vomiting suppository. 

I made the difficult decision - in consultation with my excellent PD - to admit her into Mount E hospital. It doesn't help that hubby had to fly off for a business trip on the very same evening, much to his remorse. But it certainly is a blessing that I have the stalwart and dependable support of my Mum for helping out with Big Bee at home. 

I sought the help of my brother who was also a strong pillar of support to fetch Little Bee and me to the hospital. By 8.30pm, she was limp and listless, lethargic and dehydrated, having slept for the entire day. For a little girl who is highly active and animated with constant chatter, this silence, this perpetual drowsiness is indeed alarming. 

She had to be put on the IV drip, and I had to endure her loud screams and cries of pleas when the PD and nurses wrestled with her poor tiny left hand to inject the drip in. After that procedure, when she was well ensconced and settled in her room, she looked at her massively bandaged left forearm in shock and self-pity.

Luckily, the smart PD gave her 2 lollipops, having promised her these in the midst of the earlier struggle. She was a tough little cookie - her cries subsided immediately when she saw the 2 lollipops materialising in front of her after the tube was inserted, and she was back to herself shortly after. 

Feeling scared and grouchy on the first night, with her drip and her lollipop!

My brother also helped me a lot by being there and helping to console Little Bee. She fell asleep holding a half-licked lollipop in her hand and watching TV - after an arduous and exhausting day.

The drip did wonders for her little dehydrated body. The next morning, I woke to a pair of big eyes peering at me, followed by a grumpy "A bit hot", and then Little Bee pushed away her blanket and stood right up on her bed. This was after a scary whole day of not even standing up the day before. 

How I wish there can be some miraculous and painful way to put all little kids with no appetite through constant drip! It gives that powerful boost of energy into all kids, and it was with wonder that I gazed at Little Bee who was transformed back to her usual animated self. 

I had to convince her that she was staying in a hotel room and she was suitably persuaded, although she now viewed the PD and nurses with great caution and suspicion. 

Does this look like a hotel room to you? Little Bee believed my little tale, and Big Bee also exclaimed that this resembles a hotel room when she saw this photo!

The second day was long and tiring, because I had to keep an (overly) active toddler entertained the entire day on the bed as her movements were restricted by the IV drip. It helped that all the grandparents came in the morning to play with her. By late afternoon, the restless pair of mother and daughter were pushing the IV stand around the corridors, much to the amused gazes of passers-by. 

Back to her vain self - posing prettily beside her trusty IV drip stand!

Between the PD, nurses and myself, we nursed her back to eating small amounts of food without throwing up. By the 3rd morning (which was today), she was highly talkative and getting very restless, referring to her bed as a cage! 

She was put off the drip at 10.30am, and we roamed the hospital for a well-deserved walk. She was elated at the liberation! Mum came to help me with the discharge procedures at 1pm, after the nurses ensured that Little Bee could eat a little lunch.

 

Off the drip and liberated! She was using the bed as a makeshift slide.

However, back home, without the drip, she became slightly lethargic and tired, probably due to the lack of appetite, hence lack of energy-providing foods in her little body. We had to deal with a tired and cranky soul the entire evening. 

What was really touching and heartwarming was to see the 2 sisters reunited after 2 nights of being away from each other (very very rare for them!). Both of them started chitter chattering about Little Bee's hospital experience, with Little Bee proclaiming proudly to jie jie that she was staying in a hotel room! Big Bee knowingly flashed a look at me while acknowledging Little Bee's tale. 

I can literally observe the love and happiness emanating from their shiny eyes as they gazed at each other excitedly, and it made my heart sing with joy. I hope they can be powerful pillars of support for each other when they grow up.

There are many ways to look at such unfortunate incidents. Although I am still fairly angry at the source of her infection, I appreciate the wonderful opportunity of spending such quality time with her. She certainly loves the fact that she can get the full attention of Mummy, and now she is super sticky to me!

It will take some time for this severe bout of stomach flu to be fully eradicated from her strong little warrior body. But I am sure she will do fine...I hope!