Medical emergency while on vacation??

[lilaurora]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question.......

Has anyone had a medical emergency while at WDW when on vacation with your child(ren) and you were the only parent? Who cared for your child(ren) while you were being treated?

Thanks in advance!

 

[disneymomjcs]

We've visited the Urgent Care for my child's illness and phnemonia so I was the main caretaker for my child. I have often wondered the same thing as I have a severe allergy to stinging insects. I've thought about what would happen or if I had an issue arise suddenly. Yikes!

I will say that if you fell ill at the park they would transport you and I would assume your minor children. They'd ask if you had anyone to care for your kids. I am watching for replys since we travel every August on a Mother Daughter Trip.

 

[lilaurora]

Also, if you were unable to care for your child (like if you had to have emergency surgery), what would happen to him/her? Not that I expect the hospital to babysit, but I imagine that this kind of situation must come up from time to time where there is not another adult that is available to provide care.

 

[nchulka]

I really wouldn't worry about it, something would be done. It's not like you would collapse at the park and the paramedics are going to take you to the hospital and leave your child at the park! At the hospital someone would look after them until a relative could be reached and arrive. The hospital isn't going to be let themselves be liable for a young child left unattended. I'm guessing this is the first time you and your child will be someone on your own? Don't worry, in the extremely rare case something should happen to you someone would step up and help.

 

[lilaurora]

The reason I thought to post my questions is that today I was told that I *may* be in the very early stages of appendicitis and that I may experience ovarian torsion (due to a cyst) while on vacation.

Both situations are fairly unlikely, but yes, this will be my first trip where my husband will not be joining us. I will most likely need to go to urgent care while we are at WDW and I feel comfortable taking DD with me there and have a few days to research which urgent care centers nearby are in my insurance plan's network.

I am a bit nervous, though, about what would happen if I do need emergency surgery. I thought that medical emergencies must happen from time to time and someone may have (unfortunately) experienced one.

Thank you so much for your reassurances.

 

[momto2inKC]

On one of our trips I had to go to the emergency room with a broken foot. Of course it was one of the trips it was just the kids and I. They were 10 and 12 at the time. They stayed in the waiting room while they did the X-rays then came back to the bed with me to wait. The hospital staff couldn't have been nicer to them.

 

[MSSANDRA]

How stressful this must be for you. I honestly would not go alone with your child unless your medical issues were solved before hand. We do have a friend that is a patient advocate at our local, largish, hospital and I do know that they have social workers either on site or on call at all times and they would be called in to assist with the situation until your DH could arrive to care for your child. Most likely they would simply find a empty room where a staff member would watch him until your family gets there but they do sometimes do a temporary foster parent placement if you family can not get there right away. Someone has to have authority to care for your child and if you are in surgery, that can't be you. Not what you want to hear but something you might want to think about.

 

[deegack]

It is likely if you ha to stay overnight that you child would be placed in foster care until you or a relative is able to care for them.

 

[JimShockz]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question.......

Has anyone had a medical emergency while at WDW when on vacation with your child(ren) and you were the only parent? Who cared for your child(ren) while you were being treated?

Thanks in advance!

We would imagine that if were a bad emergency or accident that the police would be involved to watch out for the familys welfare.

-JS

 

[lilaurora]

On one of our trips I had to go to the emergency room with a broken foot. Of course it was one of the trips it was just the kids and I. They were 10 and 12 at the time. They stayed in the waiting room while they did the X-rays then came back to the bed with me to wait. The hospital staff couldn't have been nicer to them.

That must have been a difficult situation for you. It sounds like it turned out ok in the end. Which hospital did you go to, if I may ask? I think for my insurance, the closest for me is Florida Hospital in Celebration.

How stressful this must be for you. I honestly would not go alone with your child unless your medical issues were solved before hand. We do have a friend that is a patient advocate at our local, largish, hospital and I do know that they have social workers either on site or on call at all times and they would be called in to assist with the situation until your DH could arrive to care for your child. Most likely they would simply find a empty room where a staff member would watch him until your family gets there but they do sometimes do a temporary foster parent placement if you family can not get there right away. Someone has to have authority to care for your child and if you are in surgery, that can't be you. Not what you want to hear but something you might want to think about.

It is likely if you ha to stay overnight that you child would be placed in foster care until you or a relative is able to care for them.

My DH and I have discussed the potential of delaying the trip. My healthcare provider didn't seem to have any concerns about me going to WDW knowing that it would be just me and DD. So that makes me a feel like it should be a fairly low change that something would happen.

I hadn't thought about the potential for DD being in foster care until I could care for her or until DH would be able to get there. Thank you both for bringing up that point. It's some definite food for thought that my DH and I will talk about today.

Thanks for everyone for taking the time to respond!

 

[gilliansmommy]

Three years ago, I had to have emergency surgery while at Disney. Luckily, DH and my cousin were with us. I don't know what I would have done if it had only been me. I don't think they would not let the kids stay with you. In case you need to go, Celebration has the closest hospital and it was a very pleasant stay for me.

 

[momto2inKC]

That must have been a difficult situation for you. It sounds like it turned out ok in the end. Which hospital did you go to, if I may ask? I think for my insurance, the closest for me is Florida Hospital in Celebration.

That's the one I went to. We had just gotten off the Disney Wonder and were going to spend the day at Downtown Disney before our flight home. No way that was happening! lol It honestly wasn't too bad. My kids were great about it. They kept themselves busy with their Nintendo DS's and what not. The only thing that could've been an issue for us was if it had been my right foot, for driving. We had a rental car since our trip ended with the cruise. I guess we would've had to have returned it at the Car Care Center and taken a taxi. Luckily though it was my left and I could drive
I hope everything works out for you and your trip!

 

[kerstfan1]

well im glad u are oke here u cant drive with a broken foot insurance wont cover it

 

[momto2inKC]

well im glad u are oke here u cant drive with a broken foot insurance wont cover it

I don't know the laws here. It wasn't casted because of where the break was. I had a lovely boot to wear. My SUV is manual not automatic so when I had to drive. I just took the boot off.

 

[kerstfan1]

here even with a boot u cant drive i know this because i had surgey 8 weeks ago and could not drive with my boot on (well was not even allowed to walk without the boot)

 

[Missy1961]

When my sister had appendicitis, she couldn't walk because she was in such pain. I'm really surprised your doctor has no problems with a trip. Honestly, I don't think I'd chance it if I were the only adult traveling with a 7 yr old. Heck, I think I'd postpone if I were the only adult traveling with a 15 yr old. Emergency surgery can be traumatic for all involved, much less when on vacation.

 

[lilaurora]

When my sister had appendicitis, she couldn't walk because she was in such pain. I'm really surprised your doctor has no problems with a trip. Honestly, I don't think I'd chance it if I were the only adult traveling with a 7 yr old. Heck, I think I'd postpone if I were the only adult traveling with a 15 yr old. Emergency surgery can be traumatic for all involved, much less when on vacation.

It's a really tough call. My doctor and the radiologist looked at my CT scan and said it "might" be early appendicitis or I might just have an abnormally big appendix! They and I wouldn't have known anything about it had they not been checking me out for the ovarian cyst.

The chances that something will happen are small. I just got me thinking that there are emergencies that happen out of the blue. On the off-chance that something could happen (and it would more likely be the cyst), I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with an emergency.

My husband and I discussed it and the chance of something happening is probably only slightly higher than normal, especially since my doctor is the one who told me to go and have a good time. This is something I probably should have thought about regardless of these "issues" just to be prepared. Doesn't help that I'm a bit of a worrywort on top of it, too!

It's so great to have all of you to hash things out with!

 

[bearloch]

My Hubby is a over the rd trucker so I am alone most of the time with DD ( shes now 13) but we have traveled alot alone!.

heres a few tips I have used! get a throw-a-way cell phone and program all numbers to family in it! have her use the phone to get used to it!

write up a emergency plan with all your numbers on it and seal it in a envellope show dd where it is and what it look likes

get another one giving any medical location permission to perform and surgerys on yourself and get it nortorized ( in case you pass out). again show DD where its at in hotel room..

at check in of resort give them a emergency number just in case to put with your room info!

I have done all of the above and have never had a promblem But Ive felt better knowing it was all ready just in case!

 

[bearloch]

OH BTW bring her birth certificate with you! I was asked for that before at airport!

 

[lilaurora]

My Hubby is a over the rd trucker so I am alone most of the time with DD ( shes now 13) but we have traveled alot alone!.

heres a few tips I have used! get a throw-a-way cell phone and program all numbers to family in it! have her use the phone to get used to it!

write up a emergency plan with all your numbers on it and seal it in a envellope show dd where it is and what it look likes

get another one giving any medical location permission to perform and surgerys on yourself and get it nortorized ( in case you pass out). again show DD where its at in hotel room..

at check in of resort give them a emergency number just in case to put with your room info!

I have done all of the above and have never had a promblem But Ive felt better knowing it was all ready just in case!

OH BTW bring her birth certificate with you! I was asked for that before at airport!

This advice is great! I will feel so much better having a plan in place. It's much better to be prepared and end up not having a problem then not being prepared at all.