Coping with an ill child

As all parents would know you reach new worrying levels when you become a parent. You constantly worry about your child; if there ok, if that cough is normal, if there too hot/too cold, ect. When you feel that gut feeling worry when your child really does get ill and you know there is something wrong, you just feel heartbroken. You hope and pray that there is going to be nothing wrong with your child as you take them to the doctors. When eventually you do find out there is problems and not everything is right you just feel sick, empty and in pain. You wish you could take away their pain and wish it was you instead. Instead all you can do is remain strong for your child and hold your emotions in to try and make them feel ok. You feel like everything in your world just stops and the only thing you can focus on is making your child better. The worst feeling in the world is not being able to help your child in pain.

Waiting for results is daunting; not knowing what is wrong just makes your mind and thoughts wander everywhere. When the doctor is explaining the results and the moving forward process in all his/her technical terms your brain feels like it’s going into overload. You’re trying to take all the information in and the diagnoses and terms but your mind is just racing thinking all I want to know is how we are going to fix this problem. Then people ask questions like, “What’s wrong with her/him?” “Are they going to be ok?” “What’s the next steps?” You just don’t really know what to say to them because you don’t know yourself so you just explain the best you can and say something like, “everything will be fine.” You feel guilty like it’s your fault they got ill and you start questioning yourself and your parenting.

I think it’s easy to blame yourself but these things are out of our control. Illness is out of everyone’s control and unfortunately sometimes it can’t be fixed. Hoping for the best is about the only thing that you can do. The most you can do, and it is definitely easier said than done, is to try not to worry and stress. It is out of your hands therefore you just have to be patient and continue life with your child in the best way you can. Building a support network is crucial and there is a lot of help out there. For anyone going through any illness with their child I hope that you can relate to the worries and heartbreak it causes.

My girl when she was ill: 

It was horrible to see her like this and looking back now it still breaks my heart but I am extremely lucky to have my baby back at home with me. She may still have a few problems and back and forth with doctors/hospitals but at least I know she is ok and it is not life-threatening. I count myself lucky because being in these situations makes you realise how awful it must be for parents with children that are extremely ill and are constantly in the hospitals having different tests and horrible things being done to them on a daily basis. 

Illness is a terrible disease and I think having the strength to carry on through them horrible times is incredibly brave and tough. Remaining strong for your children is very hard yet very courageous.

She was still trying to smile whilst recovering, 

These quotes help keep my mind at ease: