I recommend Chungbuk National University Hospital, where pediatric endoscopy is available on weekends and specialized pediatric care is provided.

I believe there are very few people who raise children smoothly without any difficulties.

I am currently raising two children, one in first grade and the other in fifth grade, and I have experienced many things...

 

The story of my first child just turning two, falling at daycare, and having his forehead cracked open with exposed bone that was stitched up...

My first child, who has a weak tonsil, always had a fever of 30-40 degrees... a story of constantly going to the hospital as if it were his own home...

The story of the second child born with a congenital mole and its treatment.

The story of falling at home again and injuring my forehead, leading to a trip to the emergency room...

Both of the two kids suffered from warts, but they recovered with only Yulmu herbal medicine treatment without hospital intervention.

 

And, this is the story of how I came to know Chungbuk National University Hospital..

In 2020... COVID-19 spread rapidly... Our first child couldn't attend the kindergarten graduation or the first-grade school entrance ceremony.

One day in October, when I was diligently adapting to wearing masks and adjusting to school

My son is looking for me because he says blood came out when he pooped.

 

When I went there, I saw that the blood had spread across the toilet in a red stain.

Our children definitely have bowel movements once or twice a day without constipation.

I think the stool is hard, and it might have caused a wound in the anus.

First, I decided to clean it thoroughly and observe, but the next day there was again blood in the stool...

If the blood is dark red, it indicates bleeding occurring in the stomach or small intestine, which is digested and excreted with stool.

This is a very bloody stool, so I took my husband to a nearby proctology clinic in the morning after he took half a day off.

That day was a Friday.

 

The results from visiting the proctology department... there are no wounds on the anus.

There didn't seem to be any major issues when looking at the colon area.

 

First, I returned home, my husband went to work, and I entrusted the eldest to my mother.

When I got home from work, the child was cheerful and seemed to be in good condition.

But while preparing dinner and looking at the child's face, it was as white as paper and their lips were purple.

 

Wow!! I had a feeling there was a problem! I told my husband on his way home from work.

Sending you to the emergency room at the university hospital near your house.

It was not long after Chungnam National University Hospital opened in Sejong.

The groom is trying to contact me, and my son said he's feeling dizzy and vomited as soon as he got out of the car.

Chungnam National University Hospital still cannot perform pediatric endoscopy, etc.

They told me to go to Chungnam National University Hospital, the main hospital in Daejeon.

 

On Friday after work, I was told to go to Chungnam National University Hospital, which is far in the center of Daejeon, from Sejong.

If I take the usual 40-50 minute route on Friday after work, I won't be able to get through the traffic and go quickly.

I think I shouldn't take the sick child with me.

First, I told my groom to come home, and I called 119.

Explaining the situation, the 119 crew arrived around the same time and examined the child.

He looked at the pale face, turned up the eyelid below the eye, and said there was no redness.

First, they are taking the child by ambulance to find a hospital where an endoscopy can be performed.

 

My child and I will ride in an ambulance, while my husband will follow in a 119 ambulance.

I was really very grateful to the paramedic.

Gently soothing the child who was afraid and explaining calmly, then telling me that it was good to contact 119 as well.

They say that parents often take their children to the hospital without a clear plan and end up wandering around, so they advise contacting 119 in such cases.

 

Paramedics are communicating via radio near Daejeon/Sejong to a university hospital or general hospital.

I am inquiring about hospitals where endoscopy can be performed.

Because the next day is Saturday, there won't be many hospitals that can perform pediatric endoscopy.

Has it been about 7-8 minutes? All three university hospitals in Daejeon have said they are unavailable.

I heard that even one general hospital is difficult, and I was wondering what to do, but then I received a call saying it is possible at Chungbuk National University Hospital in Cheongju.

I turned the ambulance around, contacted my husband, and told him to come to Chungbuk National University Hospital, then we left.

 

Chungbuk National University has a Department of Pediatrics as follows.

 

 

And in the case of our son, we had to see a pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition specialist who could perform pediatric endoscopy.

 

 

Since they are children, it is correct to go to a place where pediatric endoscopy is available.

Professor Lee Ji-hyuk is truly kind and cares about the child's condition together with us.

He was a grateful person who patiently explained so that the guardian would not be surprised.

(Later, I found out that you saved an emergency pediatric patient and even appeared in the news.)

 

Since we arrived at the emergency room during the COVID situation, only one guardian is allowed.

Since the child is young and we both needed someone to soothe and care for the child, both my husband and I were able to go into the emergency room.

Go directly to Professor Lee Ji-hyuk and take a look, and also review the blood stool photos taken by the groom.

First, before performing the upper endoscopy, insert a nasal tube through the nose and insert saline solution into the stomach, then withdraw it.

They are asking to check if blood is coming out mixed.

 

No one who hasn't experienced it knows how painful a nasal cannula is.

I was just busy soothing and holding my crying son at that time...

Having experienced a serious illness last year and having a nasal tube inserted... it was very painful and distressing even for adults... I was crying and struggling... it was really tough ㅠㅠ

 

My groom and I are holding our son, soothing him, inserting a nasal tube, and taking out what is above.

And then add and remove saline solution again... Fortunately, the bleeding is not from the above bleeding.

First of all, if you look very pale and have low anemia levels, a blood transfusion may be necessary.

Hospitalization is decided. Of course, you also need to undergo an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy.

 

 

I felt so sorry for my son who was exhausted after getting injections in both arms.

I'm sorry, but I wonder why this happened suddenly...

 

Since I left my 4-year-old second child in my mother's care, I will go home first, and my husband will stay behind.

Fortunately, it was the weekend.

On Saturday, I had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy... the results... there were no abnormalities.

There are no traces of bleeding either...

 

And then you said it seems like a Meckel's diverticulum...

Meckel's diverticulum.....???? What on earth is this?

 

Meckel's diverticulumMeckel's diverticulum

A congenital intestinal malformation caused by the persistence of the vitelline duct, which is the blood supply pathway of the early fetus's intestine, instead of degenerating.

 

You probably still don't understand even after reading the explanation, right?

 

It is a truly rare disease that occurs...

There is a part where the intestine protrudes without normally regressing at birth.

There are cases where this causes bleeding, and even when they become adults, bleeding occurs, leading to surgery.

Professor Lee from Chungbuk National University mentioned that there was a case where the surgery was only performed after becoming an adult, even a year ago.

I'm so glad that it was a professor who is very knowledgeable about Meckel's diverticulum.

 

They said that a nuclear medicine scan is necessary to confirm whether it is a Meckel's diverticulum.

 

 

 

Fortunately, my son has not had any bloody stool since Sunday, and his color has greatly improved.

There was no need for a blood transfusion, and it has been decided that he can be discharged on Monday.

Still, since I need to know the cause, I scheduled the nuclear medicine test for two weeks later.

On Sunday, my son is taking a walk because the hospital room feels stuffy.

My son, who still happily smiles with needles in both hands, looks so pitiful... ㅠㅠ

During this time, Chungbuk National University Hospital was undergoing a major remodeling, so the pediatric ward had to take walks behind the parking lot.

 

 

Starting from Tuesday, my son returned to normal life, and two weeks later, we went for a nuclear medicine test.

You have to stay completely still and not move at all during this test.

I remember soothing my son who was struggling while showing him a video...

 

And a few days later, I visited again with my groom, and fortunately(?) they said it wasn't a "Meckel's diverticulum."

Then what is the cause... 😢

For now, everything has returned to normal.. but if you happen to pass blood again

At that time, they suggest proceeding with capsule endoscopy.

Capsule endoscopy involves swallowing a small camera-equipped pill that passes through the stomach, capturing images as it goes.

This is a method to locate the site of bleeding...

 

Fortunately... everything returned to normal for my son after that.

I am still living healthily and very well so far.

Really.. I still wonder why I had bloody stool while lying down back then.. I’m a bit curious about the unknown cause, though.

 

We are talking now with a smile, but

At that moment, riding in an ambulance, soothing my son who was devoid of any blood, I visited all three university hospitals and one general hospital nearby.

I received a message that pediatric endoscopy is not possible, at Chungbuk National University Hospital, which was my only hope.

I cannot forget the moment I was told that pediatric endoscopy was possible.

Professor Lee Ji-hyuk personally came down, soothing his son and carefully explaining to me and my husband.

Even the moment when they performed various tests for me...

 

Therefore, I am filled with immense gratitude towards Chungbuk National University Hospital and Professor Lee Ji-hyuk.

 

Chungbuk National University Hospital is the only tertiary general hospital in North Chungcheong Province.

I found out later that "Descendants of the Sun" was also filmed at Chungbuk National University Hospital.

That... the road where Song Joong-ki is walking...

It was the road I was walking on while parking in the parking lot during my son's hospitalization! Haha

Honestly, I haven't watched dramas because I've been raising kids, so I've only heard about "Descendants of the Sun."

It was an incredibly popular drama, wasn't it?

 

 

In Sejong, you can also reach Chungnam National University Hospital in Daejeon within a similar distance, but

Honestly, there was Chungbuk National University Hospital where weekend pediatric endoscopy was possible.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Professor Lee Ji-hyuk.

 

It's not just pediatrics; if you look at internal medicine, surgery, pediatric and adolescent medicine, and other departments, they are truly divided into many different fields.

In particular, the pediatric department is really divided into various specialties, so

As a parent raising a child like me, I am very grateful.

Children need to receive appropriate medical care for their age, and because departments are subdivided into specialties, they can receive professional treatment.

 

 

Chungbuk National University Hospital, which was undergoing extensive remodeling when my son was hospitalized, completed its remodeling in 2022.

Chungbuk National University Hospital's Department of Nuclear Medicine includes new nuclear medicine imaging equipment such as PET-CT, SPECT-CT, and gamma cameras.

Recently, after completing the remodeling, all equipment was replaced with new nuclear medicine imaging devices from GE Healthcare.

With the latest equipment, I believe the test results will be more reliable.

 

Chungbuk National University Hospital is located right next to Chungbuk National University.

Please note that the entrance road is separated from Chungbuk National University.

 

 

It is still unknown the cause, but it was truly a tense time raising the child.

And I introduced the events when my son received treatment at Chungbuk National University Hospital and met Professor Lee Ji-hyuk at that time.

 

I sincerely hope that from now on, all our family members, including my parents and siblings, will be free of serious illness... and that everyone stays healthy!!!