Starship hospital - bloody hell!

[Tank]

Wow! What a day.

I got called at work today by my wife who told me that we had to get my son to Starship hospital - NOW!

Jumped on the bike, screamed home (new land speed record on Oteha Valley road), and met them - dumped the bike and headed to Starship in the cage, son and wife in tow.

Now - I know a lot of people complain about the Health Service in NZ - but bloody hell - I could not imagine what a awesome crew that they have there.

Our details had been faxed - I went in to the A+E entrance (we needed a wheelchair as the boy couldn't walk due to the pain) - they lady actually said "Are you Nicks Dad?" - I said yep, was given a chair they had waiting, and forms already filled in by them.

Seen immediately by triage nurse, on ward within 10 minutes, surgeon with us within another 5. He inspects son and says he needs urgent sugery and he will bump him up to the top of the list - will be operated on within the 1/2 hour.

Taken to the next room (Nurse with us every min), anasetic (sp?) doc comes in double checks everything - and within the 1/2 hour (as promised) my son was in surgery.

We have coffee while he is in there. Go to ward - Nurse looks after us, surgeon comes up and tells us all is well. We are taken to recovery, nurse sitting at foot on sons bed keeping eye on him while he comes back from being under.

We are escorted to ward for next few hours.

Son is 100%! (would prefer not to say why it actually was for our privacy).

I swear you COULD NOT get better service by a more professional group of people anywhere for any money in the world.

Im now sitting back - having a beer and reflecting on how lucky we are having people like this looking after us.

So a big thanks to all you medial staff on here (esp if you work at Starship) - you guys ROCK!!!!

[Edbear]

Apart from asking why an ambulance wasn't called, I offer you my sympathies and thoughts for your day.

I can't speak highly enough of what I've seen in both Starship and the oncology ward at Auck. hosp.

I'm sure all on KB would wish you and your family well.

[Tank]

Apart from asking why an ambulance wasn't called, I offer you my sympathies and thoughts for your day.

I can't speak highly enough of what I've seen in both Starship and the oncology ward at Auck. hosp.

I'm sure all on KB would wish you and your family well.

Re the Ambulance - the main reason is that we could get there in the same time (Im only a couple of mins away).

Also if they went an an Ambulance my wife would have been there by herself until I got there.

That normally wouldn't be an issue - but sadly my wife (before I met her) had a small lad who had a horrendous and short life - most of it at Great Orman Street (sp?) London - she has a justifiable phobia of children hospitals - and I needed to be there to support her as well.

Its been a long hard day.

[ynot slow]

Hey great to hear good news both family and hospital.Mate is tough on parents when kids are hospitalised,my daughter had her surgery postponed 3 times,stuffing up my work schedule,and stress levels lol,and she was 15mths at time.Other daughter had a lump removed at 18mths,only thing was we had medical insurance for her even before she was hatched,public was as good as private,hard to watch them take them to surgery though.

[MIXONE]

A good result and I agree with you.Us old bastards might have to wait for the surgery to fix the injuries from a mispent youth but any time I've had my kids in hospital due to emergency I couldn't have had better treatment.Blame the system if you have to but don't blame the staff who do their best under a heavy load.

[Edbear]

Re the Ambulance - the main reason is that we could get there in the same time (Im only a couple of mins away).

Also if they went an an Ambulance my wife would have been there by herself until I got there.

That normally wouldn't be an issue - but sadly my wife (before I met her) had a small lad who had a horrendous and short life - most of it at Great Orman Street (sp?) London - she has a justifiable phobia of children hospitals - and I needed to be there to support her as well.

Its been a long hard day.

Understand mate. I had to rush my wife to hospital a while ago and got a slap on the wrist for not calling the ambo but with her fobia of hospitals it was the only way I could get her there, and had to be very insistent even so!

[avgas]

yep - medical staff are always heroes in my mind.
The do the jobs i could NEVER do.

[rainman]

Son is 100%! ...

I swear you COULD NOT get better service by a more professional group of people anywhere for any money in the world.

Brilliant outcome - glad to hear that he's OK. Having sick kids is the least cool bit of being a parent.

And I agree entirely about the state of healthcare - anyone who whinges about it clearly hasn't experience the systems available in some other countries.

[CookMySock]

Shit, that is not the best, Tank. Glad everyone is fine.. a nasty fright ay..

Yeah I hate hospitals as well, they give me the heebie jeebies. Only time I been in one was for a buggered toe, and for the snip.

Steve

[Pedrostt500]

Glad to hear you are all ok, wish you all well.

[pete376403]

Not just Starship that rises to the occasion. A few years back I started having odd feelings in my chest, so I drove to Hutt Hospital and told the reception at A&E that I thought I was having a heart attack. They had me on a trolley with things plugged into me in minutes, tests underway etc, the whole nine yards, they were great.
(It was a mild HA, the enzymes in the blood confirmed it the next day, and I had the angioplasty within a few days)

Lower Hutt Hospital gets some bad rep from time to time, but when I needed them, they were great

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Thoughts are with you - I too cannot fault the speedy action I received recently and still am - they gave me an mri appt for 2 Oct - at the neuro surgeon's today - he rang them and said he wanted another one within the month! The staff esp in a&e sure are overworked. Wish your son a speedy recovery.

[jim.cox]

Lower Hutt Hospital gets some bad rep from time to time, but when I needed them, they were great

I think that goes for ALL the NZ hospitals

In my experience they really do a great job

[MyGSXF:Me]

I swear you COULD NOT get better service by a more professional group of people anywhere for any money in the world.

Im now sitting back - having a beer and reflecting on how lucky we are having people like this looking after us.

I hear where ya coming from & I thoroughly agree Tank!!!

My youngest son was prem & severely sick.. & was rushed up to the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Wellington Hospital, at a few hours old. It was a complete nightmare for us, as Alex was not expected to live.. but the staff there were absolutely incredible, unbelievable & they pulled him through!! they also looked after us, as well as they looked after him! We owe them Alex's life! I'm not a religious person, but I thank God for those people!!

Thoughts & hugs go to you & your family Tank, & wishing a speedy recovery for your son

Jen

[Tank]

Just a follow up note.

The little guy is home. Wont be at school for another week - but he is all 100%.

Thanks for all the PM's of support, well wishes and the nice bling messages.

Tank