Grateful...a Warning to Other Parents

Sunday we were eating lunch after church, swimsuits on and ready to head out for a fun afternoon at the pool.  Thing 2 started asking a lot of pointed questions about batteries and water and electrocution. I didn't think much of his questions since we were headed to the pool and he is a boy.  But something Someone prompted hubby to randomly ask T2, "Why are you asking?  Did you SWALLOW a battery?"

"Yes. I did."

My heart started beating faster. "This isn't a joke.  Did you really?" I asked.

"Yes. I had it in my mouth and it just slipped down my throat."

Hubby immediately gets on the phone with a nurse, I call to see if Urgent care is open and text my best friend who is also a nurse.  We are suddenly not off to the pool for a fun family afternoon, instead we are making our first visit to the ER in our new town.  Quickly. Thankfully my folks are visiting so they were able to stay with the other Things.

At the ER they take us right back and the nurse proceeds to call poison control.  Here is where I get a little angry when I think back to that horrible day.  Poison control tells the nurse, no biggie, just take and x-ray and it will pass.  This is NOT the reaction I was expecting. My nurse friend had told me they can burn them and to get help right away.  I'm thinking, This is a big deal! But I figured they knew better. So time passes, we get the xray, see the battery (one of those round button sized ones from his little laser pointer toy) in his stomach and sit around and wait some more to see the doctor.  After a while the ER doctor strolls in with the x-ray and casually asks T2 what he swallowed.  When he hears it is a battery he says "you aren't going anywhere!" and rushes out of the room.

My heart starts racing again.

More time passes as the MD consults with a pediatric surgeon who is at another hospital.  We are told that since it is past his esophagus this is good.  But it still needs to come out immediately.  We drive to another hospital across town where the pediatric surgeon is waiting for us. They rush us right in through the ER. By then T2 is complaining his tummy hurts, no kidding - it is literally burning him from the inside out.  I'm praying like crazy for God to keep it in his stomach where they can reach it and that it won't burn him or damage anything.

They get T2 all hooked up and he is asking TONS of questions about everything they are doing.  His stomach might hurt, but it didn't curb his curiosity.  Then we are ushered out to a waiting room across the hall.  A little while later I see a nurse go in with some supplies.  Another nurse comes down to explain that he had a lot of food in his stomach they had to get out first (yes, he didn't tell us until AFTER he had eaten his whole sandwich!) But looking back I wonder if that helped move it down out of the more dangerous esophagus zone.

While we are waiting I'm thinking.  And praying.  And thinking some more.  T2 has always been an oral kid.  And I'm constantly on him about putting things in his mouth.  I think he was afraid to tell me about the battery. He thought he would get in trouble. That is what scares me the most.  He wasn't going to tell us.

He gets a lot of tummy aches so if he had complained at the pool hours later we wouldn't have done anything about it.  Probably would have chalked it up to pool water.  But he was afraid that he might get electrocuted at the pool with that battery so he started asking all those questions.

I NEVER would have thought to ask him if he had swallowed one and I am so GRATEFUL God brought it to light before it was too late.  (An answer to a frequent prayer of every mom for God to protect our kids, reveal when they are doing wrong and need correction, or in danger).

In that waiting room I also thought about all the parents that wait all the time for their children's test results, surgeries, chemo, answers to unexplained illness.  This scare gave me a small taste of what they go through and a larger perspective on their suffering. I'm not saying from my few moments of fear I know what they are going through, but I know a little better how to pray for them.

Finally another nurse emerged across the hall and gave us a thumbs up sign.  Some good friends showed up to pray with us and support us.  Soon after the doctor came out to give us the pictures and tell us everything went smoothly.  He did have some burns in his stomach but they weren't too bad.  We were lucky.  She told us if it gets stuck in their throat it can burn them within an hour and some kids don't survive.  I'm glad she wisely shared that bit of info AFTER the battery was safely out of him.

Incredibly, this was the THIRD battery removal from kids she had done that weekend alone.  She was surprised to hear of the misinformation that poison control gave the nurse and promised to call them.  She also indicated they are trying to get these little batteries off the market.  I don't know how to do that but I do know how to get them OUT OF MY HOUSE!

I bought back from my kids the laser pointers they had picked up at Wal Mart with their allowance.  It is the only toy they have that the batteries aren't screwed securely in. I've also had a several conversations with my kids about telling us right away if they accidentally swallow something or someone is hurt, and not to worry about getting in trouble.

 I knew that batteries don't belong in your body but I didn't realize how dangerous they are.  That is why I'm sharing this even though it still keeps me awake at night. I hate even thinking about it but am continually grateful it all turned out okay.  Please learn from our mistake, warn your kids how dangerous they are, even if you think they are too old to worry about it.Thing 2 is SEVEN years old.  It wasn't his four year old brother who swallowed it (though he recently stuck a lego in his nose). T2 was just curious what they tasted like (why, I don't know!) and swallowed it by accident. Remind them again that they can come to you and won't get in trouble if they do accidentally swallow something or do something that might hurt them. And pass this warning on to another parent.

 Raising boys is not for the faint of heart!  And I can't always keep them safe as much as I try.  But I can and do pray for them.  And knowing they quickest route to the ER and Urgent care doesn't hurt.