Mr. Stinky Breath

Allie came home from the hospital last Friday morning, after having his tonsils (and adenoids) out on Wednesday (the day before his 6th birthday!). Naturally, he's a tired and volatile boy, but I was surprised at how stressed the rest of us were too. We've been going to bed early, getting up twice a night to comfort the wee boy, and trying to make sure he eats and drinks the appropriate stuff. Tobe has turned into a complete loon!

Well, we're on the downward slope now. Fetid breath has gone down a bit, he can go a little longer than 3 hours between drugs, he wakes up once a night, and he can play with Tobe without bursting into tears. It really took a lot out of him, and he can't go to school for at least 2 weeks. Gone are the days of quick kitchen table chops.

We got a firsthand view of Swiss healthcare. The hospital (which we know quite well now) is new and (what I found really shocking) quiet. Even in the ER. We have the 'cheaper' insurance, which means that one shares a hospital room, but it was quiet enough for Allie to have his own room. The paediatric department has a large playroom with an 'educator' there in the morning, who also gives parents a break. The rooms are cleaned every morning and afternoon and the food was very good. All the nurses disinfect coming and going. This contrasts with the new hospital in Wishaw (Scotland), where the room was cleaned twice in 8 days and the nurses often forgot to wash hands. Allie was in at that time with (extremely contagious) RSV, and came out with a stomach bug. Is it because Switzerland has more money than Scotland? More intelligent people? A better attitude towards the general population? A better health insurance system? I would really love to know. Of course, we haven't received the bill yet, but children are completely covered...

The great thing about Allie being out of school for a couple of weeks is that he's missed all kinds of dreaded lurggies going around. Scarlet fever is currently raging around the canton...hehehe.