I knew she hadn't but what if she had........

Today was not one of my better days.
I often joke about my terrible parenting skills. Today I demonstrated actual terrible parenting skills and it's only luck that sees me at home writing my Blip as usual rather than sat by a hospital bed.
Or worse.
Mr K woke me up at 7.30am to say that Miss L had climbed up to the kitchen cupboards and taken a packet of Ibuprofen into her room. He took one out of her mouth and she said that she'd eaten one other.
It was obvious from the packet that she'd neatly peeled the foil off just two pills and the rest were all pushed through from behind by us leaving jagged edges.
A panicked call to NHS Direct set our minds at rest that the dosage was fine for her weight and that all should be well.
Thank goodness she hadn't taken any of the Paracetamol we said.
But what if she had? we thought.
And once we'd thought that we couldn't stop thinking it.
She said she'd only had one pill but what if she was lying, worried she'd be in trouble?
What if she'd taken a packet of paracetamol too? 
And hidden it somewhere?
Googling the effects of that was terrifying.
Takes four days for your liver to pack up completely.
She said she hadn't but what if she had?
Today was the day she was due to have her annual check up with the Consultant at the John Radcliffe in Oxford. I bundled them into the car and drove to my Mum's planning to drop Miss E off and carry on to Oxford with Miss L and take her to A&E. Just in case.
On the way Miss L said she wanted Miss E to stay with us, and Miss E said she wanted to stay with Miss L so I picked up my Mum and we all went together.
It took ages to park and even longer to find the entrance to A&E. We ended up wandering through a ward full of very obviously ill and injured old people which was pretty awful and I was getting more and more stressed about getting Miss L seen. A nurse took pity on us and led us to the A&E reception.
We got registered and went into the Children's Emergency Department.
Telling receptionists, nurses and the doctor that I had been so stupid to keep packets of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol in the kitchen cupboard above their snacks was awful. Saying it loud made me realise how ridiculous it was. Above their snacks.
We'd never even told them not to touch them assuming they never would because they never had.
They took blood from her - and in a masterclass of NHS efficiency they took enough bloods for the Coeliac tests which were due to be done at the appointment later at 4.30pm. 
The doctor said to go and get a cup of tea, speak to the Gastro people and come back in an hour or so.
So we found our way upstairs (back through the ward of old people) and trekked to the Children's Hospital to explain to the Gastro people that she'd already had bloods taken and could they just weigh and measure her to save us waiting until 4.30pm.
Nope. You have to see the consultant.
They moved the appointment to 3pm to save us waiting so long and said they'd try and catch the consultant before his first patient to see if we definitely had to see him.
We went to Pret for lunch. I kept alternating between thinking everything's alright now we're here and that she's been seen and then remembering that we were no better off than we had been at 7.30am. She may or may not have taken a massive overdose. And hours were ticking by.
After lunch we went back upstairs to see if they'd found the consultant. No.
So it was back down to A&E. Through that bloody ward again. Signs to A&E lead you there and then disappear. At one point we went through a door marked Authorised Personnel Only!
No results yet so we sat and watched Nanny McPhee and the Little Misses played with toys and did colouring. 
Still no results at 2.50pm so we headed back up to the clinic to see the Consultant and get her weighed and measured.
And explain why we'd already had bloods done in A&E.
The good news is Miss L has grown 6cm since her appointment last year. 
The consultant could see there still weren't any results on the system so we stayed up there for another half hour. There is a fab outdoor play area and the Little Misses loved it. Dressing up in princess dresses and scooting around, doing cartwheels and making friends.
We went round the outside of the hospital because I couldn't face walking through that ward again!
Still no results. At 4.30pm. They took bloods at 1130am.
We waited and waited, they watched The Lion King. I couldn't focus. By now I'd convinced myself they'd lost the bloods, hadn't done the test at all and we'd have to start the whole process all over again.
Meanwhile the clock is ticking.
The doctor said she'd check the system again for results. Then got waylaid with something else.
I took my pulse at one point. To try and calm myself down and stop a full blown hyperventilating meltdown.
It was 130. Normally about 70!
The doctor checked the system again. Obviously still nothing as she got on the phone. But couldn't work the phone. Kept dialling and hanging up and looking at the wall and trying again and hanging up.
I don't think she normally works in the department!
Eventually she got a nurse to call and finally, six hours after we got there, they told me she had no trace of paracetamol in her system.
I burst into tears and cuddled Miss L sobbing. The doctor was very sweet and sat down to give me a cuddle too!
We went back to my Mum and Dad's to give the Little Misses some dinner. Mr K called in on his way back from work and we ended up staying until 9pm. 
A nice to end to a difficult day.
My phone battery had died shortly after we got to the hospital so Mr K had had a horrible day hearing nothing from me apart from a quick update after the gastro clinic when I borrowed a phone from a woman in the waiting room.
So tomorrow it's out shopping for a lockable medicine cabinet.
Because we got off pretty lightly. If she'd taken a different packet out of the cupboard, if Mr K hadn't gone in to see her, if, if, if.........

The same photo a year ago. On a less stressful day!