NHS

Phone call to 24/7 health advice service: charged at local call rate on our regular bill
Call back from nurse: free
Call back from out of hours doctor: free
Home visit from out of hours doctor at 5am: free
Taxi to hospital: £8, because we refused an ambulance, which would have been free
Two paediatricians consulting: free
Steroids for Astrid's lungs: free
Second dose of steroids when she spat out the first one: free
Teddy bear to cheer her up when she didn't want her pulse oximeter on: free
Balloon to cheer her up when she didn't want a stethescope on her skin: free
Three nurses tending to her and comforting me: free
Two disposable nappies because I forgot to bring any: free
Two phonecalls from hospital phone so I could let Astrid's Daddy know how she was even though there was no mobile reception: free
DVD to watch while she waited for her steroids to work: free
Dose of steroids to bring home just in case we need it again: free

Astrid is fine, and if she has another episode tonight we have steroids, and if they don't work more or less immediately we are to call an ambulance and that will also be free.

The people we met were all completely lovely in every way, too. Kind and friendly and attentive and loving and patient and gentle and competent and firm.

I love the NHS. I know I ended up minced by one specific cog, but that was not the NHS' fault, it would have been just as likely in private care. Except then I'd have paid for it.

Second trip to hospital

Quite like the first one. We are not, funnily enough, going to CenterParcs with Rob's family. Rob will bring the big girls tomorrow and collect them on Sunday night, but other than that, Astrid and both her parents are staying within spittin' distance of a hospital and an ambulance station.

The second dose of steroids went in better though, I was careful to only administer a drip at a time so there wasn't enough to spit out. So hopefully tonight will be ok.

If it's not, Rob won't be leaving Reading tomorrow, and even the two well children will miss the holiday. Which will make them pretty cross.

We couldn't do this without friends or taxis. Neither of us has had enough sleep to drive or cycle even if there was no other traffic on the road; since there is, we'd be a hazard to everyone. Luckily, we have friends AND taxis, and the friends are honest enough to tell us when they're too shattered to drive safely.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital has a gorgeous gorgeous Paediatric A&E, by the way. Incredibly lovely sea and beach themed murals everywhere - walls, ceiling, floors, everywhere. Masses of toys, incredibly lovely staff, nice clean bright chairs (uncomfortable, but so what?), places to wash hands everywhere. I love it.

I hope I never see it again.