01/10/2026
As a parent, you need a certain degree of paranoia to keep your kids alive.
Back in 2020, we suddenly noticed a swelling on my son's neck. Initially I dismissed it.
It is rare for me to rush to the hospital with my kids, but I pay attention. Maybe it has to do with my nursing background or I just brave thibgs out.
After few days, I sensed the devil will laugh over us if we continue to just watch what was happening to my son's neck. The boil was growing.
I know what is sepsis and how bad it can be if it happens
I told my husband we needed to go the hospital ASAP.
At the time, we were under his insurance because I had taken an extended period off work for maternity leave, so my work insurance had elapsed.
My late husband worked in a hospital. The very hospital where President Bill Clinton had his heart surgery; New York Presbyterian. Google it.
My husband worked as security officer there. Through his job, we had access to healthcare in a world renowned hospital, a preferred choice by Saudi Princes and a hospital system that has ranked #1 hospital in the nation few times. Stop read and pick the many nessages ( marriage dynamics, global relationships personal growth, employment organization, etc) in this paragraph please.
Anyway, we arrived the emergency department of the hospital and they carried out necessary tests and admitted us.
The team of medical professionals did their morning rounds and told us the plan. They gave us step by step information of what they planned to do.
They were going to do incision and drainage on the abscess. They were going to do it under general anesthesia due to his age.
I asked them for the sedatives that they planned to use and they told me.
We requested time to think about it.
I told my husband I wasn't comfortable putting our son completely out of consciousness just to drain an abscess. He deferred to me. I guess he trusted my judgement as a nurse.
I didn't make that choice as a nurse.
I made it as a terrified mom. So many what ifs were runniny through my mind.
Anyone who knows me knows I hate any form of medical intervention where you the patient is left unaware and at the mercy of health care staff .
The team came back and told us the other alternative was to drain the boil under local anesthesia but that we the parents would have to hold him down just in case.
We agreed.
I wasn't sure it was the right choice but with that alternative, alarm bells were not ringing in my head.
It was one of the most nerve wrecking moments of my life considering where the abscess was.
The procedure was done, he was covered with antibiotics and we stayed 3days on admission.
Those 3 days at the hospital with everything that was done turned out to cost over $50k.
Yes fifty thousand dollars.
Remember this was 2020.
Of that amount, I think the only thing we paid for was either $100 or $300 emergency room visit. Everything else was paid for by insurance.
I am not sharing this to say I did the right thing.
I am sharing to show structure, organization amd access.
I am sharing to show how they listened to parents and patients.
When it comes to children in the hospital, hover like a hawk. We the healthcare workers may not like it but sometimes attention and questions from concerned parents stop errors.
A system where your fears and concerns are dismissed is not a safe system.
A system where knowledge is hidden from you is not a safe system.
It is your body or the body of your loved one, you should know what they are putting into it or doing to it.
Every medication should have a name.
Medical practitioners are not gods.
They are humans with everyday trials and life challenges like you so subject to depression, tiredness, exhaustion abd errors.
JUST BREATHE
