And Then We Got The Flu – Hospital Life With Our Medically Complex Child

This vlog continues our current hospital stay — filmed over several days after the flu hit while my daughter was already admitted. The flu hit me, it hit her, it hit dad, and somehow we all had to just keep going. On top of that we found out that it wasn't the hip dysplasia that was causing her severe pain. She had an osteoporotic fracture on her femur, caused by brittle bones and the instability in that leg, which, well, was because of the hip dysplasia. Alongside processing that, I had to advocate for my child: insisting that her care teams across different specialties and multiple hospitals actually talk to each other, facilitating conversations, keeping track of decisions, and knowing when to push and when to ask for help. It’s an uncomfortable place to be in, even when you’ve done nothing wrong. You’ll see what that looks like in practice: staying present, managing care, answering cues, and holding onto routine and connection inside a hospital space. There’s a lot of love in this vlog, and a lot of fatigue. Both are allowed to exist at the same time. Not to mention the realisation that I can't do it all alone, and if there is help to get, I have to ask for it. This is for you — the tired SEND parent who knows exactly what that parent bed feels like, and what it’s like to realise something important has been missed despite constant vigilance. For those who know every member of their child’s care team by name, and still have to be the one making sure they speak to each other. And who keeps pushing through, because if you don't, who will? Thank you for being here, and for watching with care. I'm a special needs mum vlogger in the UK with two daughters, one of whom is severely disabled. Elin is a girl with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, she has a feeding tube, is a wheelchair user and as she can't use the toilet independently she is in a nappy / diaper. Apart from cerebral palsy, Elin has complex medical needs and seizure disorder. She has tonic clonic, or grand mal seizures, partial focal seizures and absence seizures. She is on multiple medications every day, for her spastic muscles, for her reflux disorder and for her epilepsy. Elin is on a blended diet, which we give her through her feeding tube, and I share tips, how to and recipes. On this channel I share our day to day life, our morning, feeding, medication and bedtime routines, feeding techniques, how Elin communicates, etc. I also showcase the relationship between Elin and her sister Alice, and how they play and interact with each other. And I share what life is like for a single, midlife mom who always juggles too much. Organisation tips, perimenopause, and coparenting. Elin’s medical procedures playlist: https://bit.ly/2HhKFsE Tips and tricks playlist: https://bit.ly/2ugfoy1 Come and join us on other social media platforms: Instagram:   / parentxp   TikTok: https://tikTok.com/parentxp Facebook:   / parentxp   00:00 Getting the flu in hospital 00:28 Osteoporotic femoral fracture 02:18 Will She Have Hip Surgery? 03:58 When Everyone Got Sick 08:38 Medications, Equipment, and Skin Care 11:37 C. Diff (Clostridioides difficile) 13:35 Looking Ahead and Making Adjustments