Our trip to the Belgian Hospital

Well, here is a post I never wanted to write, and certainly I hope this is the only time we have this experience!

Last week, I was enrolled in a SHAPE Newcomer's Class. Wednesday, among other things, we learned about how to go to the hospital in Belgium, including the word for emergency in French: URGENCES. Thursday, we took a great bus tour of Mons, which included a drive-by of the two local hospitals. Thursday evening, all of that came in handy as we anxiously drove our son to the URGENCES for a dog bite to the thigh.

He came limping in, bloody leg and a bit hysterical, as I quickly asked the receptionist, "Urgences, s'il-vous plait?" Jackson was scooped up in a wheelchair and we were taken right to the ER. We were seen within 3 minutes (which is a big difference from taking Jackson to the ER last time...an eight hour wait.) They put him on a table in a room that looked as if could also serve as an operating room, which scared Jackson even more. The nurse went to put a mask on his face, which I assumed was oxygen to help him calm down. Jackson was scared, but started to breathe deeply, and soon was talking very funny, and asking me what was happening. He said he could see nothing anymore except me, and then started yelling through the mask asking me if they were giving him anesthesia. "No, just oxygen," I said, until it sunk in that this probably was NOT oxygen. Jackson started to tell me about a dream he was having (while he was talking to me non-stop...he never went out or even closed his eyes), and I realized he was being given Nitrous oxide...laughing gas!

A few seconds later, the doctor pronounced he was done, and up until this point I had not even looked at the wound. I was completely focused on helping Jackson and trying to calm him down. So when the doctor said he was done I ventured a quick look at Jackson's thigh and saw a staple sticking out. Eek. At this point, I about needed some laughing gas. The doctor said that he only put one staple to help hold the wound closed, but that they wanted to leave most of it open to aid in drainage and healing without infection.

A patient liason helped me finish some paperwork, and then we were on our way to the pharmacy to pick up Jackson's meds. Very smooth, and very efficient. The hospital even validated our parking so that was free.

I was very happy with our visit. Obviously, it was helpful to Jackson to have service this quickly and seamlessly, but it was also so helpful to me...the could-have-been-hysterical parent. I also loved that they use the gas. Before the child even really knows what is going on, the wound is all fixed up. In the US, I bet they would have injected lidocaine around the wound, which I know for sure would have caused a SERIOUS freak-out in an already scared little boy.

Jackson also got a tetanus shot at home from one our owners here. It is soooo helpful to have your chateau owned by two MDs! Catherine has also been checking up on the wound, and changed the dressing for us.

Another Belgian funny- Catherine wrote the prescription for the tetanus shot, and I filled it at a local pharmacy. Strange to go in and buy a shot! Well, at least strange that I wasn't in a bar at the time, but that is another story. Ahem.

Here's to a from-now-on-hospital-free stay in Belgium!