Chapter 1 The Hospital Stay
Families are unprepared for serious traumatic injuries. During the early stage of hospital care, their child’s medical condition is the immediate concern of families. There may even be fears about whether their child will survive, need surgery, or become disabled. Traumatic injuries have more than just a physical impact. There is also an emotional shock for the entire family and for all those close to the child who has been injured.
Helping your child
Many parents remember how the injury occurred in vivid detail. Others recall only a nightmarish blur of events. Some replay the telephone call from the police or doctor. Others can’t forget the frantic trip to the emergency department and the shock and relief of first seeing their child. Many recall the agonizing uncertainty and fear as they waited to hear about test results and the many consultations with specialists. Explanations of what was being done were reassuring but often confusing with new medical terms and an array of equipment and tests.
I thought the waiting would never end.
This period is often described by parents as a terrible time as they waited for…
3 the doctor’s explanation
3 test results
3 a diagnosis
Even when they were allowed to visit or stay by their child’s bed, there was still the anxious wait for their child to…
