My poor Brendan has been down with flu:( Fortunately it is 1-week school holidays and he does not have to miss school lessons. Usually when any boy falls sick, especially with fever, it is enough to wear me out as it means I have to wake up in the middle of the night to give him paracetamol to bring down the fever…..not to mention I have to wake up again before the sky brightens to prepare breakfast and get Darren ready for school before I set off for work.

It is a few days away from Brendan’s birthday. For the last 3 years, I somehow have this “dejavu feeling” before his birthday. Not a good feeling really because for the last 3 years, just days before his birthday, there had been emergency rush to bring him to the hospital!  Hence, although I am wishing for the best this year but somehow when he falls sick again at this time, I cannot help but worry…touchwood!

Firstly……………………………………..

When he was moving on to 7 years old, I received a phone call from school that he had a fall (just slightly before his birthday) and he was not able to walk. I remembered myself rushing from office to school, my heart very unsettled. Next I was carrying a 20 over kg boy alone, with his bag and my handbag and rushed to hospital.  This is the challenge for a mother when his father is working overseas.  The next few hours was mummy hiding all her worries and anxiety in her heart alone as Brendan was put on wheelchair, received x-ray and received treatment. Phew, fortunately, Brendan was able to go home to celebrate his birthday, and recovered after a week!

Secondly………………………………….

Just days before his 8th birthday, I received an emergency call from school and this time apparently Brendan believed that he had swallowed a chicken bone while in school.  A shaken mother, I made a mad rush from office to school to hospital with Brendan. What happened next was an ordeal as I was alone to pacify Brendan to allow the doctor to insert a hard stainless steel device inside his throat to check and extract any possible  bone.  Things were not very smooth and to tell the truth I was as frightened as Brendan to see such a cold steel matter inserted into my SON’s throat.  I had to remain calm though so that my boy could be strong….Phew….eventually no bone was detected but it was enough to scare the wits out of me especially when Papa was again in a distant land!

Then………………..

Coincidentally, just two days before his 9th birthday, when I least expected and when I was busy at work…..I received an unwelcomed call again. This time, my poor Brendan had a cut on his head after banging onto the edge of a classroom door while playing hide and seek with a classmate! His head was still bleeding when I reached school and what happened next was expected.  X-ray, making frantic calls to Papa Ed (who was obviously overseas), and using my best approach to soothe a frightened son, it was late night when we managed to pull through and went home together. Fortunately, he was able to cut his birthday cake at home.

All these unpleasant encounters for the last 3 years and I just want to say ”Not again please!”. Sound pretty coincidental but it is definitely a nightmare!