Yesterday, Gabriel was scheduled for an MRI of his brain and spine.
It’s a long-anticipated test, already recommended when he was still in hospital, and later confirmed by the neurologist outside.
Objective: to see if there are any after-effects from his past, which could partly explain his motor delay.
So we went to do it in a hospital belonging to our health plan’s network.
The ambulance (sent by the plan) arrived a little late and, inevitably, the tension was already mounting.
The exam was making us anxious, and this setback wasn’t helping.
So the four of us set off: Geraldine, Manuela, Gabriel and me.
The ambulance drives with the siren on to make up for lost time.
Everyone has a role to play:
- Manuela takes care of the paperwork and exchanges with the doctors,
- I manage the oxygen and everything else Geraldine needs,
- and Geraldine guards Gabriel, without touching anything, to avoid contamination.
When we arrive at the hospital, the girl in the ambulance is very kind and tries to give us priority.
But after about thirty minutes, Manuela comes back and tells me that it’s not going to be possible after all: the anaesthetist refuses to put Gabriel to sleep.
Surprised that no one had anticipated this before our arrival, I go and check for myself, leaving Geraldine alone in the corridor with Gabriel.
Indeed, the anaesthetist explained that she didn’t want to risk putting Gabriel to sleep under gas for more than an hour and a half (the time needed to perform all the tests).
According to her, Gabriel would have to return either without oxygen (which is difficult to plan), or intubated…
Result: we get back in the ambulance and head home.
Stress, fatigue, and all that… for nothing.
Once again, a glaring lack of organization in the health plan.
Although, to be fair, I thank that anesthetist for having the wisdom not to attempt a procedure she didn’t feel was safe.
The other doctors treating Gabriel have assured us, however, that such an examination would have posed no problem elsewhere, and that in other hospitals, it’s done without difficulty.
In the end, it would simply appear that this hospital doesn’t have the equipment to intubate a baby in an emergency… and therefore prefers not to take any risks.
The problem is that this examination is important in deciding what therapy to give Gabriel, bearing in mind that all requests for re-evaluation of home hospitalization, even with new medical reports, remain refused, and we still have no news.
Gabriel, for his part, continues on his merry way… and never ceases to show us his strength for life!
