Fun with paint

Had a trip up to the ED last night about 1am, having had a day of increasing headaches with a few slightly worrying features later in the day. By the time I rocked up I was told I looked 'like shit' due to being grey, clammy and with a temperature of 38.6. One dose of steroids, antibiotics and a lumbar puncture later (RCC 40->20 over three bottles, WCC 25) and the resulting diagnosis was a viral meningitis. Spent the night but decided in the morning that I'd be as well feeling crap at home rather than stuck in hospital seeing as there wasn't anything else to be done.

From my stay on the 'other side', I am left with a few take-home messages.

1. all the whingers about waiting times must just be malingerers. I was taken straight through to a resus bed immediately on arrival, seen (actually, helped into bed) immediately by a consultant, registrar, and charge nurse, and had an LP within an hour and off to a private room in the ED short stay unit as soon as the LP result was back. I suppose there is a remote possibilty that attending the department I work in may have helped, and the consultant was there until 5am anyway because of multiple overnight trauma patients.

2. intravenous steroids are weird. They make your balls tingle. Sort of prickly tingly. I was asleep when they gave them to me and was woken with a start with this odd scrotal sensation. I wonder if I should warn my patients about this?

So I have been told not to handle Hamish for a few days (Jen will love this when he cries at 4am), but other than that no big deal. Not really helping the exam preparation though.


Hamish has started smiling at 3 weeks, but not yet on demand.


Callum has been a royal pain in the arse today as he has now started getting out of his bed repeatedly. He's been able to for months but until now never would, so when he gets put to bed he stays there. Today's afternoon nap consisted of him yoyo-ing in and out at least twenty times until we gave up at 5.30pm as he'll be getting his evening sleep at about 8.15pm.

He also sneaked out and found a pot of sudocrem while Jen was feeding the ginger leech. At least the polished floors wipe clean (though not the gaps in between).

 

Land of Nod

Noddy and Callum go for a joyride.



There's a baby gecko ("gink") tucked in behind the plastic. Callum's fascinated by them.

 

Weigh-in

We had the boys weighed today at the community nurse's clinic (lots of pharmacies here have them once a week to drum up business from worried parents). Callum has reached 12.5kg which is about expected. Hamish tipped the scales at 4900g (about 10lbs 13oz) which is all the more impressive seeing as he's just reached term (he was 3 weeks early). He continues to eat like a fat female horse.
Callum gets some light reading in - Possum Magic being a current favourite.



Callum has a dance at the shoe shop to celebrate his new shoes while the crowd claps him on



The boys in their stroller at the shopping centre.



Callum in the garden playing with some clothes pegs.

 

More photos...

Callum feeding Bella (who is staying with us at the moment) some chicken in the garden



Hamish reclining after a feed



Hamish



Hamish in his plug-in swing chair

 

Mischief

Tom in the cubby-house at Liz and Gregs'



Callum too



The pair of them, up to something

 

More new old photos

These were from the hospital where #2 made his first appearance.

With his poor exhausted mother

And his poor exhausted dad

All of the Brisbane Campbells, Callum tries to make a getaway

 

New old pics

Have grabbed all the photos from Jen's mum's camera so have a load of them to add to my collection. Some of them date back a few months though.

Callum using a plant pot as a hat.

But still offers everyone else a go

Callum in the pool in his swimming togs with his fat dad

Jack, Callum and me in the pool on Christmas day.

 

The Emperor's New Shoes

Callum got his first pair of shoes the other day. He thinks he is the bee's knees in them, and runs around, tripping more often. His big fat wide feet ensured that we have to shell out extra cash to go to the only Clark's shop in Brisbane, as they are the only ones that make shoes to fit him. and even then we had to get them to order some in big enough.

Hamish is gaining plenty of weight (though not yet formally weighed) by eang incessantly.


Callum has also taken to turning round and round on the spot to make himself dizzy, then running around and falling over. This pic was with flash on so the floorboard reflection makes it look a little Saturday Night Fever.


All the boys together.


And some of Callum's new teeth. There are about another 5 on their way, and he's been a bit unwell today and had to be put to bed early (I think because of all the new teeth.).