Thursday 20 September 2012

I remember being awake on the Wednesday after the accident, so no fragments of Tuesday exist for me.     I had been put into an induced coma for the day. I had severely fractured both hips and my right femur. I had traumatic brain injury and fractured ribs, a hematoma in my right ear and a few other things. I didn't know any of this for a while. Maybe I'd been told and didn't understand, maybe I understood and forgot or maybe...I don't know. I don't know a lot.

I was in the intensive care unit and bel marito said when he saw me I was awake and I thought that he was a doctor. I don't remember. I wasn't allowed to see bella bambina because I was under intensive care and no one was allowed to enter except my husband. I wasn't allowed to see bel bambino but bel marito told me he was fine.

It wasn't until I was transferred out of intensive care on Thursday and transferred onto the orthopaedic ward that I was told a little of the truth. I started to cry when the truth came out. I thought that bel bambino was fine and over in the paediatric ward. This had kept me going throughout my days in intensive care, I was happy that he wasn't suffering like me. The truth when it came hit me hard. Bel bambino had not and still was not in the paediatric ward, he had been and still was in the room opposite mine in intensive care unit. He had been put into an induced coma from Monday evening until Thursday afternoon after suffering traumatic brain injury, a double fractured jaw, a broken femur amongst many other things. I couldn't stop the tears when I found out that he had been so close to me and no one had told me. Bel marito admitted that as difficult as it was, he had been sworn to secrecy. The doctor's needed me to be calm and thought it was best not to know how grave the situation was. Finally on Thursday afternoon when I was taken to the horrible orthopaedic ward they wheeled bel bambino into my room for a brief visit. He was so small and frail on the adult bed, he had a feeding tube in his nose, bandages on his arm, massive bolt thing on his leg and his face was covered in grazes. He smiled and cried when he saw me but was still under medication so didn't make any sound. At least I was able to hold his hand and sing him a song for the few minutes that he was with me. As hard as it was to see him so sick and injured at least I was able to see him alive.



Bel marito spent as much time as possible with bel bambino down in the intensive care ward but it was difficult as he was normally put to sleep. At night time bel marito returned to my room where he slept on the chair. Well sleep was near impossible for us both what with all that had happened. But you're probably wondering what happened to bella bambina during all of this? We are thankful everyday that I was not hit or didn't fall onto my stomach during the accident. Bella bambina was born at 8.30pm on Monday 20th August at 35 weeks weighing 2.2kg. She was not injured at all and obviously was put into an incubator under constant observation, but she was fine.


She was beautiful, or so I was told. You can imagine the anger I felt when I had visitors who had seen bella bambina (through the glass) when I had not yet seen my own baby. This will be the beginning of my story taking a turn to talk about the horrible hospital in which I spent a terrible 17 days.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Leanne,

I thanked Madonna di Monte Berico at Mass last Sunday for saving you and your sons' lives.

Giorgio

Leanne was in Italy now in Australia said...

Grazie Giorgio x

nuccia said...

I am so sorry you and your family had to go through all this but thankful you are all alive! The baby is beautiful - may God Bless you all.