Hospitalisms...by Milo

Milo with his Project Linus blanket, a new stuffed wolf from Grandpa and Kiana, and the donated stuffed owl that he got at the hospital (note the "Class of '98" graduation cap!)

Me: "You were so brave Milo. Were you scared?"

Milo: "Huh?! No, Momma. Why did you think I was scared?"

Me: "Because honey, sometimes it's kind of scary when you can't breathe."

Milo: "No, Momma, I was just scared because I couldn't talk. I couldn't really breathe and I kept on thinking that I wanted to go to your hospital to get better but my voice wouldn't work so I couldn't tell Daddy. (pause) And then, next thing, I just realized that I was at your work already!" (He kept losing consciousness because he was so hypoxic.)

*****

Isabel (in the E.R.): "Could somebody please fix that? (pointing at Milo) Because I don't know why my brother's voice sounds like that!"

*****

Me: "Milo, Dr. Guenther will be back to see you in a little while. Then, in the morning, you'll get to meet another doctor that works with Mommy. She's my friend; her name is Dr. Sampera."

Milo: "Oh. Okay Mommy. But, when will Dr. Arnold be here?" (His opthamologist!!)

Me: "Oh baby, Dr. Arnold doesn't need to see you this time."

Milo: "Oh. Okay. Are my eyes okay this time?"

*****

Me: "Look Milo, Hannah (a nurse) brought you this cool blankie to sleep with. It even has a valentine (a heart) sewn on the corner of it!"

Milo: "Oh Momma, let me see that! Oooohhh, this is great! This is so I can just look at it and think about my sister Issy when she's not here!"

*****

Milo: "Momma, do you want me to tell you what happened?"
Me: "Sure, Milo. Tell me what happened."
Milo: "Well, I was at home sleeping and I woke up and my throat was just like this (holds up a closed fist) and my voice wouldn't even work. And then pretty soon Daddy came into my room and he just ripped me right out of my bed and we couldn't find any medicine and then Daddy got Issy and he drove us to the hospital soooo fast Mommy! But I wasn't scared. But Daddy was REALLY scared. And then they gived me some medicine and it made my throat like this instead (makes an 'O' with his fist and looks through it at me) and then I started to feel a little bit better."

*****
Milo (looking at the Project Linus tag sewn onto the corner of his blanket--with a little picture of Linus sucking his thumb and holding his blanket): "Hey! Mom! My blankie has a picture of a little boy holding a blankie and sucking his thumbie! (pause) Why is he doing that?"
Me: "I think that maybe he gets scared sometimes too and sucking his thumb and holding his blanket makes him feel a little better, just like you."
Milo: "Oh...does he have to go to the hospital a lot too?"