Back...sort of.

Well, it's been a couple weeks since I last had a chance to blog. That's because one of the kinder came into the room one night complaining of a stomach ache. Thinking nothing of it, we let him get his blanket and pillow and lie down on the floor next to the bed. Next thing we know he's throwing up. No big deal...not the first time something like this has happened. At least it wasn't in the middle of the night on Shabbos and the Shabbos clock has just shut off all the lights and I'm barefoot, because, well that's happened. Anyway, we get everything cleaned off and get him calmed down enough to fall back into a fitful sleep. Next day he's kind of out of it, throws up a couple more times, very low fever. It gets chalked up to a bit of flu and he stays home from Talmud Torah. Same thing next day. Except late in the afternoon there seems to be some blood in it. So, off to the family doctor, who conveniently lives a few houses down the street and is married to my Rav. And with that the lovely wife bundles him up and heads off to the emergency room. I'm on my way home from work and I get a call. "We'll meet you half way...we're off to the hospital". Great.
We arrive at the Emergency room and the yingle is complaining and kvetching. The test start. Poking, prodding, looking at vomit, blood test, urine tests. The only thing conclusive is that there's some sort of infection somewhere. So, it's off to do an ultrasound. Nothing. Chest x-ray's. Nothing. Guess what...we get to spend the night. Around 11 my wife goes back home and I stay. About 1 am we get admitted to the hospital and head up to pediatrics. Next morning more tests and questions and prodding and such. Meanwhile, I've spoken with my father, who happens to be a pediatrician. He says, don't bother...it his appendix. At about 10 am the senior pediatric surgeon walks in, takes one look, and says "Next opening in the operating room, appendix is coming out". So, at about 4 pm we head down to the operating room. I hold his hand while they administer the anaesthetic and then go out. And promptly collapse from lack of sleep. My wife wakes me up 45 minutes later, the surgeon has walked into the waiting room. As expected, appendix was inflamed. That was Thursday evening. Anyway we ended up spending a wonderful Shabbos in the hospital with a kvetchy kid (understandably so, but doesn't make it anymore fun) who hasn't had anything to eat since Monday and is going out of his mind even thinking of us eating Shabbos meals. At least we had good company in the room. Motzei Shabbos my brother-in-law came to stay with him so we could get home (I hadn't been back to the house since Wed. morning when I left for work). As a matter of fact, the only time I left the hospital was to go the mikveh on erev Shabbos (last time I go to a Yerushalmie mikveh...can you say...personal space? Didn't think so.) and to crash on the couch in someones apartment (my wife slept in the hospital).
Suffice it to say we were let out on Monday. Only to go back Wed. night with stomach pains, stiches open, dead skin removed and sent home (while there were Arabs rioting outside...I got a faceful of tear gas running to the car). More pain next morning...back to the hospital. Seems to have picked up an infection. So, we're in the hospital until Tuesday. Fun.
I was zocheh to meet some very interesting people though and see some amazing acts of chesed. There's a family who comes to the hospital every shabbos, sets up Badatz meals for everyone who has to be there. Including preparing them so they can be brought up to the various departments. A group of boys from Brisk volunteer, helping set up and organize the show. So special thanks to Dovid. And all the Sem girls who came to stay the night so we could go home. Girls from Darkei Binah and Orot. Of course they spoil my son rotten, but that's because he has the most angelic smile and makes everyone melt.
Also, there was a very special family next to us. Gerrer Chassidim. The father, I understand, is a chashuv rav in the community, teaches yoreh deah for ba'alei hora'ah. Lots of chassidim coming in and out to visit. Unfortunately their 3 year old had Tay-Sachs and passed away last night. Sh'yiyeh Nishmaso Tzarur b'Tzror HaChayim.
So...that's why I haven't had much time to post in the last few weeks.

Update: We're all home. Things are getting back to normal. Hopefully he'll be able to go back to Talmud Torah on Sunday. Very much looking forward to having a nice quiet Sabbos at home.