We have our son back, please wash your hands!!

[mjheathcote]

Thank you for all your kind wishes it is very much appreciated.
Friends and family have been very supportive, my sister in law flew in immediately from Bordeaux which was a great help, especially for my 12 year old daughter.
Work were okay, support from my immediate director, not a word from my MD, however as soon as I advised he was home and I would be back to work on Monday, I get an email from HR asking whether I had clearance from the environmental health agency to return to work, (I was immediately banned from returning to work until they had tested me, with me working in the food and soft drink industry), and that they would not be paying me for this last week...after the event...so much for being monthly PAYE staff with 16 years loyalty to the company.
Where did he get it? No idea. No petting farm visits (this was asked a dozen times or more), no BBQ's, no takeaways etc.

 

[conaero]

I feel your pain Mike, nothing like a seriously sick child for your whole world to stop and realise that all the other sh!t in our lives doesn't matter.

Here's to a full recovery, poor little lamb!

 

[spkennyuk]

Sorry to hear about this. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

 

[MrMickS]

That's terrible news Mike. First for your lad, though it sounds as though he's recovering, but secondly for work being a complete *** about it.

 

[mjheathcote]

I feel your pain Mike, nothing like a seriously sick child for your whole world to stop and realise that all the other sh!t in our lives doesn't matter.

So true.
Before the results came back with ecoli and before HUS set in, there was a worry it might be a surgical issue and he was transferred to the children's surgical ward at Leeds LGI. Seeing kids so poorly, if you think you have a bad day at work, its nothing.

 

[CatmanV2]

I get an email from HR asking whether I had clearance from the environmental health agency to return to work, (I was immediately banned from returning to work until they had tested me, with me working in the food and soft drink industry), and that they would not be paying me for this last week...after the event...so much for being monthly PAYE staff with 16 years loyalty to the company.

Love your job, but don't love your company. They will throw you away without a second thought. (Mostly. There are always exceptions, and often the 'company' is actually just an employee not doing a very good job. I hope this is the case in your situation, chap)

C

 

[D Walker]

Terrible news Mike and heartened by being on the mend.. there is nothing like these events to remind you that everything else is just stuff. Best wishes to you and your family.
Dave

 

[safrane]

Please to read your son is on the road to recovery.

 

[Contigo]

It can ravage the small and large bowel too so he was very lucky not to need surgery! It is most common in farms and also in some foods, there have been a few recent outbreaks of 0157 in the North. Hope he makes a full recovery soon that's for sure!

 

[BennyD]

Mike, I'm really glad your lad is on the mend and here's hoping for a complete recovery. Spending time in a kids hospital can be pretty traumatic and it certainly opens your eyes and puts your own life into perspective.

Fwiw, Thomas Cook is most certainly an exception to that rule. The last 7 years for us have been a pretty rough roller coaster but they have supported me every step of the way. Now I have lost my CAA medical they have merely regraded me as a grounded pilot and will continue to provide private health care and my pension contributions (18% pa) for the next 10 years. I can't praise them enough; a great company to work for.

 

[EnzoMC]

i can't even imagine the stress you guys went through, i'm glad to read he is on the mead and wish him the very best for a full recovery

hope your also feeling better

 

[CatmanV2]

Mike, I'm really glad your lad is on the mend and here's hoping for a complete recovery. Spending time in a kids hospital can be pretty traumatic and it certainly opens your eyes and puts your own life into perspective.

Fwiw, Thomas Cook is most certainly an exception to that rule. The last 7 years for us have been a pretty rough roller coaster but they have supported me every step of the way. Now I have lost my CAA medical they have merely regraded me as a grounded pilot and will continue to provide private health care and my pension contributions (18% pa) for the next 10 years. I can't praise them enough; a great company to work for.

Fantastic to hear, Benny.

Similarly, while I've not had anything of the types of problems described here, I fine Experian a pretty damned reasonable mob to work for.

C

 

[mjheathcote]

It can ravage the small and large bowel too so he was very lucky not to need surgery! It is most common in farms and also in some foods, there have been a few recent outbreaks of 0157 in the North. Hope he makes a full recovery soon that's for sure!

We do actually live directly across from an active farm, but he has not been across the road to physically pick up the ecoli from any livestock.

My wife works for Canon Uk, for the last 20 years, and it has been no problem at all, unfortunately my employer is a private company less than 100 employees across three branches.
Regarding Thomas Cook, we have had to cancel our summer holiday to Cuba, and we have lost over £3K, 70% of the holiday cost...however we should get that back with the travel insurance, the advantage of having an annual running policy and not buying just before you go!

 

[Rex B]

I can't imagine the worry and stress you went through, glad your son is recovering and will continue to do so.

Rex B

 

[mjheathcote]

Last Saturday night, I left the hospital at 8pm, for only one parent is permitted to stay over night, and we took it in turns, but to be fair, the Mrs insisted on doing more.
When I got home at around 9pm, the Mrs rang to say the last blood results had come back and that he needed an emergency blood transfusion as his red blood cell count had dropped below 50, but due to the potential possible complication of blood rejection, staff cover on a Saturday night, they were not prepared to do the transfusion until the morning.
That was the longest night ever.
Then at around 6am the Mrs was not responding to txt messages and her phone was switched off.
I basically panicked, thinking the worst, dragged my daughter out of bed and drove to the hospital.
When I arrived she had dropped her phone on the floor, and unknown to her, the SIM card had got dislodged, and all was fine, and he had the transfusion at around 8am.
That was worry and stress!

 

[RW3200]

So glad to hear your little man is recovering from what sounds like a truly horrific ordeal. I hope his progress is rapid and without incident and he's getting up to harmless mischief in no time.

Really good to read of all of the donors here, heroes one and all.

R

 

[Jkulin]

So pleased that things turned out for the better Mike, hope your lad continues to improve.

 

[Wack61]

When my daughter was 2 she came home from a party and just collapsed in the hall , she'd been running around and got hot , it was winter so hot cold hot in and out of buildings and cars , ambulance , luckily a neighbour is a nurse so she was straight there.

turns out she'd had a febrile convulsion , when they're that small the body can't control temperature very well so she'd had a fit

There were the very worrying symptoms she had

Signs of a febrile seizure

A febrile seizure usually lasts for less than five minutes. Your child will:

become stiff and their arms and legs may begin to twitch
lose consciousness and may wet or soil themselves

They may also vomit and foam at the mouth, and their eyes may roll back.

she made a full recovery and calling the ambulance was the right thing to do, the doctor said some drive them in but because it's cold they wrap them up which is the worst thing you can do when their brain is overheating

It reads as an everyday occurrence to the NHS but when you have no idea what it is you tend to panic a bit