@Samantha thank you so much for your reply. They all sound like really good suggestions and I'll check all of those out! Xx
No advice but I am about to be in the same boat.. My little one has just been diagnosed with an eye condition which means she will have a hospital appt every 6 weeks and surgery before she is 2. She absolutely hated being prodded and poked the other day at hospital so I'm so anxious about it!
@Becky aw bless! Totally get the anxiety about it! I used to be ok as he took it all in his stride but now he’s getting so upset I’m dreading it all!
Can you speak to the team your child is under about exploring the hospital play therapist - I know they tend to use them to prepare kids for treatment and engage them during procedures so might be worth looking into it
@Dianne I'll definitely look into this! No one in his medical team has even told me this is a thing! X
I'm not in the same situation but I do have experience of children having medical procedures. It can be overwhelming for little ones at any age especially if they are expecting a negative experience like pain or being held. I think your plan for a play doctors kit would be a good start for him to explore in a safe environment maybe role play the tests on a teddy or doll with him first and then pretend your the one having the test and then his turn. There's some dr ranj and mr tumble episodes about tests which might desensitise him from it. I would also get in touch with the hospital play team and see if they can come and do some play with him before and during the tests or at least offer some suggestions. Hope it all goes well for you both xxx