Chapter 7

בס''ד


Avi Goes to the Hospital

Avi is not feeling well at school.
He goes to see the school nurse.
Find out what is wrong with Avi.

"Have a nice day at school," said Mrs. Brown to her twin sons as she drove up to their school. "Thanks Mommy, you have a nice day too," they both replied. Seconds later, Avi and Ari were in the schoolyard, greeting their friends.

The school bell rang and the boys went to their classrooms. Avi and Ari had settled nicely into the school routine. The boys were learning so many new and exciting things. They loved going to school.

The class was learning how to read in English and Hebrew. After only two months in grade 1, Avi was able to read short stories by himself. Ari was the math genius. He was able to figure out the answers to math questions in a jiffy.

Mrs. Eisen, Avi teacher called the class attendance. She asked the boys to take out their language workbooks. Everyday Avi’s class worked with their language books. Today they were learning how to write a little story. In this exercise, the boys had to write the last sentence to finish the story.

Mrs. Eisen collected the workbooks. “Tomorrow,” said Mrs. Eisen, “we will take turn reading everyone’s last sentence. You will see how much the story will change. Now take out your spelling workbooks.” The boys were learning how to spell three and four letter words. Everyday, they did a different exercise with the same spelling words and on Thursday morning was the spelling test.

Just as the class was putting away their spelling workbooks, the school bell ran for recess. Mrs. Eisen told the class to line up and led everyone outside. That is everyone but Avi. When he stood up and started to get into line he had a terrible pain on his right side just below his stomach. Mrs. Eisen, seeing that Avi was not well, told him to sit down and she would go and get the school nurse.

Mrs. Miller was the school nurse. First she checked Avi’s forehead to see if he had fever. His forehead was very warm. Next, Mrs. Miller asked Avi where he was in pain. Avi showed her the exact spot and told Mrs. Miller he wanted to throw-up. Mrs. Miller gave Avi a special bag to throw-up in and checked around his stomach. When she touched the sore spot Avi cried OUCH! Mrs. Miller told Avi she would help him go to the nurse’s office and there she would call his mother.

Avi was scared and wanted Ari to come with him. Mrs. Eisen, who was waiting to hear what the nurse had to say, said that she would go outside and find Ari.

Slowly, Avi and Mrs. Miller walked to the nurse’s office. Avi lied down on the bed and Mrs. Miller called Mrs. Brown.

“Hello,” said Mrs. Brown. “Hello, this is Mrs. Miller, the school nurse,” came the reply. “Avi is not well and he needs to see his doctor. His forehead is quite warm and he has a very bad pain just below his stomach.”
“I’ll be at school in fifteen minutes,” said Mrs. Brown.

In a jiffy, Mrs. Brown arrived at the school and immediately went to the nurse’s office. When Avi saw his mother, he started to cry, “it hurts so much.” Mrs. Brown telephoned Dr. Gold, the twin’s pediatrician, and after speaking to him for a few minutes, handed the phone to Mrs. Miller. Dr. Gold told the school nurse to call for an ambulance. Dr. Gold told Mrs. Brown the ambulance would take Avi to the hospital emergency room and he would meet them there. Avi was so scared. So was Ari. Mrs. Brown told Ari to stay in school and that his father would come and pick him up and take him to the hospital.

The screeching ambulance siren was wailing down the street and stopped in front of the school. Two medics removed a stretcher from the back of the ambulance and went to the nurse’s office. Gently they picked up Avi and lied him down on the stretcher, covered him with a soft white blanket, and quickly rolled him out to the ambulance. Avi asked the medic if the sired was going to make noise. “Yes answered the medic and the red light on top of the ambulance will flash.” The medic told Mrs. Brown she could sit with Avi. That made Avi very happy.

In less than five minutes, the ambulance was pulling into the hospital driveway. The hospital nurse was outside ready to receive Avi and rushed him into the emergency room so that the hospital doctor could examine him. “Where is Dr. Gold?” asked Avi. “He is on him way”, the nurse replied. “While you are waiting, we are going to do a small blood test. Have you ever had a blood test?” “No”, Avi quietly answered. “Will it hurt?” Avi looked at his mother for comfort. He didn’t like being in the emergency room. “Mrs. Brown, told Avi not to be scared. “The doctors and nurses are trying to help you feel better.” Mrs. Brown told Avi that she would stay with him.

“Hello Avi,” said Dr. Gold in his deep voice. “What seems to be the problem?” Avi showed Dr. Gold where it hurt. Dr. Gold skillfully examined Avi’s stomach and looked ever the blood test results. He then asked Mrs. Brown to step into the hall with him. ‘We will be right back,” said Dr. Gold.

Dr. Gold told Mrs. Brown that he felt Avi’s appendix was inflamed and was going to have to be removed. He told her the operation was going to have to be that day, as he didn’t want to take a chance of it bursting. He said that Dr. Able was a very good pediatric surgeon and would call him to do the surgery. Mrs. Brown agreed.

Together, they both went back to Avi and told him what was going to happen and why. The nurse admitted Avi to the hospital and Dr. Gold went to call Dr. Able.

Avi was so upset and scare. He never had an operation before. Other than an occasional cold, he was never sick. “Where is daddy and Ari,” Avi asked his mother. ‘They are on the there way,” she said. And just as she finished speaking, in walked his father and Ari. “I need an operation, Avi announced to his father and brother. “Wow, a real operation, asked Ari. Avi went on to say that there was something wrong with is appendix and it needed to come out. Dr.Gold said that Dr. Able was going to be the surgeon.

“Did I hear someone say my name?” a great big man said as he entered Avi’s room. “Are you Dr. Able, asked Avi? “I sure am, and you must be Avi or are you Avi pointing to Ari. I’m Avi, he is my twin brother Ari, said Avi. Dr. Able handed Avi his right hand to shake hands. “Nice to meet you. Now Avi, show me where it hurts,” said Dr. Able. Dr. Able examined Avi very gently, but when he touched the area of the appendix, Avi cried, “it hurts so much.” “Dr. Gold was correct. The appendix feels ready to come out. We will do the surgery in a couple of hours and in three days from now you will be able to go home explained Dr. Able. Dr. Able then asked Mr. and Mrs. Brown to talk to him in the hall. Ari asked if he could stay with Avi. “That’s a great idea,” said Dr. Able.

Dr. Able told Mr. and Mrs. Brown all they needed to know about the surgery. He told them how long it would last and that Avi would be in the recovery room for about 2 hours after surgery. He said that he didn’t expect any complications and they shouldn’t worry. Avi will be just fine. Now you can go back and visit with Avi until the surgery.

The nurses were busy getting Avi ready for his surgery. They gave Mr. Brown a paper to sign for permission to do the surgery. Avi’s nurse, Adi, gave Avi special pajamas to wear for the operation. They had snaps running up and down on both sides. She asked Avi if he needed help to put on the pajamas. “No, if I do, my mother will help me.” Avi was being so brave, even thought he was so scared. Adi, told Avi he needed to have one more blood test before the surgery. Now close your eyes and in one second the blood test will be finished. Avi liked Adi. She had a nice smile and was very kind. Adi told Avi, Mr. and Mrs. Brown and Ari that the operating room orderly would come a take Avi to the operating room in a few minutes. She said that the family could walk with them and stay until it was time for the surgery.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown told Avi how proud they were of him and that he was so brave. They told Avi that everyone would be waiting for him after the surgery. Ari piped in that he was also so proud of Avi and after the surgery, he would do anything Avi wanted.

Adi, walked into Avi’s room with the orderly. “This is Jack and he is going to take you to the operating room. When the surgery is finished, Jack will bring you back and I will come to visit you, said Adi.

Jack and Adi helped Avi onto the special bed for surgery. Mr. and Mrs. Brown and Ari walked with Avi and Jack to the waiting room outside the operating room. Ari, didn’t say so, but he was real scared for his brother. Dr. Able passed by and told Avi that he was going to scrub his hands and that the nurse would bring him into the operating room in ten minutes. Dr. Gold also came to see Avi and said that he was very brave.

Ten minutes seemed to take forever. Just then, a nursed dressed all in blue from head to toe, with a white mask over her mouth and nose came to get Avi.

“I’m Talia, one of the operating nurses. It is now time to have the operation. Dr. Able is ready.” Mrs. and Mrs. Brown gave Avi and kiss. Ari started to cry and said how scared he was for Avi. Talia and Avi disappeared behind the large green doors.

Mrs. Brown hugged Ari and told him she knew how hard this must be on him. “Don’t worry, Avi is going to be alright, she reassured him. Mr. Brown bought Ari some juice and they sat down to wait.

In the operating room the doctor that puts you to sleep so that you don’t feel anything asked Avi if he could count backwards from one hundred to one. He told him that while he is counting he will give him something to smell from a small mask. Avi started to count. “one hundred, ninety nine, ninety eight,” and before he could say ninety seven Avi was asleep.

Every few minutes Talia would come out a give a report. Avi was doing great. The appendix is out. The surgery will soon be over. The last report was the surgery was over, Avi is in the recovery room and Dr. Able will be out to speak to you in a couple of minutes. The family was so relieved. Dr. Able said the appendix was ready to burst. Avi did very well during the surgery and he should be able to go home on time. The recovery room nurse came out to speak to Avi’s parents and said that one parent could come and sit with Avi. Mrs. Brown went.

A could of hours later, Jack brought Avi back to his room. Adi was waiting for him. She told Mr. Brown and Ari that they could visit for a few minutes now, but that the next day, they could visit all day. Mrs. Brown was going to spend the night with Avi.

As predicted, by the next day, Avi was recuperating very quickly. He was out of bed and very busy in the play room talking with the other children. He had so many stories to tell Ari.

Mrs. Eisen, Avi’s teacher, came to visit with a gift from the class. Mrs. Miller, the school nurse, bought Avi the biggest chocolate bar he had ever seen. Rabbi Schwartz, the school principal, came to visit and brought Avi a book about Israel.

One the fourth day, Dr. Able told Avi that he could go home. He gave Mrs. Brown instruction on what Avi could and could not do. He said that he wanted to see him in a week to take out the stitches.

Avi was so excited to be going home. Adi helped Avi to sit down in the wheelchair and pushed him to the front door of the hospital. Mrs. Brown and Avi thanked Adi for her kindness. Avi asked Adi to bend down a little. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As Mrs. Brown and Avi drove away, Adi gave him a wave.

Avi arrived home to the waiting arms of his father, Ari and his little sister, Bracha. “It is so good to be home. I missed all of you so much. Now Ari, what did you say about doing everything for me?” inquired Avi with a smirk on his face. Everyone laughed as Avi asked Ari for a drink, to play a game with him, to pick up a book he dropped and the list went on and on.

Avi and Ari were back together again and loving every minute.



See you soon.

Have a great week.

Saftala Miriam