Riding down the road last weekend, I turned back to look at Silas and noticed what I believed to be an alarmingly huge booger hanging out of his nose. I grabbed it with a tissue, only to discover that it was actually a sunflower seed. Four more of them followed. This was not the first time something like this had happened and Jonny and I discussed the fact that we were going to end up in the E.R. one of these days.
This afternoon I looked outside to see Seth examining Silas’ nostrils. Oh dear. Seth’s opinion was that it was just a booger. I looked and agreed. I grabbed a wet cloth and squeezed his little nose the way you do when you are trying to help the nasties escape onto a tissue. Only, nothing landed on my cloth and Silas started really crying. I realized with horror that I had just sent something foreign deeper inside Silas’ nasal passage. I yelled for the kids to run get Jonny from his office, because he always knows what to do, and I usually panic and cry and am generally worthless in emergencies. Jonny came inside and with a flashlight confirmed that there was a pebble inside Silas’ nose. He tried the trick where you hold the clear nostril closed and send a puff of breath in through the child’s mouth, but after repeated attempts and lots of screaming, we realized we would have to go to the E.R. The girls both started wailing (and saying sweet little prayers) and I worked myself into a sobbing mess as well. I need to be braver. I do. But I’ve heard the stories, very real ones, of children putting something in their noses and ending up with the object in their lungs, and the worst happening.
Jonny and I, not experienced in these things, assumed that Silas would be put under so that the pebble could be removed from his nose. I wanted to drive him by myself, but Jonny insisted on the whole family dropping us off. I reminded him that we don’t have a cell phone anymore (Silas lost it awhile back) and I wouldn’t be able to call him when we were ready to come home. His idea was that he would drop us off and go straight to Wal-Mart, buy a phone, and then bring it to me at the hospital along with dinner. We were expecting the very worst, that Silas would be admitted and that we would be in the hospital for a good long while. I guess we’re kind of silly. Within minutes of Jonny dropping Silas and I off at the E.R. we were back in a room, and about five minutes later a very kind physician’s assistant had already removed that pebble from Silas’ nose. It was all so quick and so simple, and I had been so afraid. The PA looked over at me with concern and asked if I was allright. I stuttered, “I’m just so grateful.” And I was. It was huge, that feeling, in that moment. One of the nurses offered to get Silas a popsicle, and he responded with a “wooooo!”
I was back in the waiting room just half an hour after setting foot in the hospital, with my perfect little boy, with only a bit of blood around his nose and a pebble in a cup to mark the occasion. I explained to the woman working at the front desk that I didn’t have a phone, and needed to try to reach my husband. I knew it might be a good long while before he arrived back to get me. She looked up the number to Wal-Mart, and the super nice security guide loaned me his phone. The woman who answered didn’t quite know what to make of my request, “Hi, I am trying to reach my husband who is in your store buying a cell phone. Could you page him for me?” I wanted to tell him to come straight back to get us, rather than taking everyone out to dinner first. She hesitated, and I added, “I’m at the hospital.” Several minutes of being on hold later, I realized that I had already missed him. Silas and I headed outside to wait. Nevermind that I had dressed us both in pants and long sleeves and it was 90 degrees; I was terrified of E.R. germs. We spent a lovely hour or more sitting on the benches outside. I relaxed and just enjoyed Silas. I didn’t have an agenda or anything else I needed to be doing, it was just me and my little boy, and thankfully some water, a few board books, and his ABC cards (seriously–love those.) We were a bit hot and sweaty when Jonny pulled up to get us, but even more so, I was relieved and happy and thankful.
Lessons learned:
1. Don’t ever assume it’s just a booger.
2. Get with the program and keep a cell phone. There is something to be said for being unplugged and disconnected and all that. But, sometimes cell phones really are nice to have. Our new one is charging now. Jonny splurged and bought the twenty dollar one this time! Woohoo!
p.s. That first photo was taken to amuse myself. It includes reminders of the day. Yarn arrived in the mail, I admired my latest batch of pressed flowers, and the rest is obvious.
When my son was three he stuck a big white bead up his nose during nap time at daycare! Fortunately Daddy got it out with tweezers.The whole class at daycare got a lesson on not sticking things in their noses or ears the next day 😉
Oh boy. We do not have a cell phone either. Just in the past year I have learned to completely power down and run on pure mama-power during emergenices. You did too! Don’t underestimate yourself! ER’s are a nightmare.
One thing that has worked for us, is blowing air with a nasal aspirator IN the unplugged nostril. Sometimes it forces OUT the plug in the other one. So been here with our tribe of kids.
Hang in there good Mama.
Nancy
Oh Ginny, I can’t imagine what you must have felt like! I’m so glad they were able to remove the pebble so quickly and easily. I go to Jeff during emergencies too.
Once our truck broke down in the middle of the highway and smoke starting pouring out from under the lid! It was so scary. It was me and baby Bracken. Jeff was at home working. We didn’t have a cell phone. Some kind people passing let me borrow theres. I was so grateful. We got home safely in a tow truck. We got a tracphone cellphone after that! When you have a vehicle that breaks down a lot, it’s good to have one. Luckily we have a more reliable vehicle now. We don’t even use the cellphone very often, but I feel safer knowing it’s in our car at all times. I thought we could live just fine without one, but it’s been really nice to have.
Love to you all,
Taryn
I nearly had a heart attack a few weeks ago when my almost 3 yearold stuck a pea in his nose. I think I would lose my composure in face of a pebble in my child’s nose too. Glad to hear everything turned out okay; hopefully Silas will keep the foreign objects out of his nose from now on!
Oh my. I did have a giggle but with my heart in my mouth. So far we’ve had 3 kids (the eldest is 5 in August) and all they’ve wanted to stick up their noses have been fingers (ew). We’ve had the hospital run for our middle child with croup once and 2 croup runs and a dislocated shoulder run with our youngest (one of his older siblings went running down the hall with a chair and barrelled him over) which involved an ambulance trip. He’s also swallowed his sisters rubber bead bracelet beads which sparkled beautifully in a nappy one day giving me a heart attack and he just LOVES my knitting needles which scares the socks off me. The part of parenting that you never think of… Until it happens.
Here’s hoping it’s the last ER trip for your family.
i actually winced and gasped and made my kids wonder what was the matter when i read it was a pebble! oo my! you have my symphathy…my tilly has smith magenis syndrome and one of the behaviours is inserting foreign objects into body orifices….like i said i sympathise! xxx
Sweet Ginny, I am so sorry! Give my hugs to Silas and tell him to stop worrying mommy! My oldest daughter stuck Red Hots up her nose and although it did not require an ER trip( they melted in her nose), it was quite painful!
Oh, you poor thing! But you really did handle it all very well, I think. And poor little nose that belongs to Silas. So many things finding their way into it! ( we are forever instructing little ones to remove their fingers, but knock on wood no foreign objects yet!). Everything working as it does though, I’m happy you had that little respite at the end of the excitement!
My little one has been sticking things up her nose lately too. I accidentally spilled dried pinto beans a couple of weeks ago and didn’t get them all up. She put a couple up her nose when I was busy cooking. Fortunately, the nose/mouth trick worked. But that’s not to say there won’t be a next time. So glad Silas is ok.
Now I know what my mum went through when I was a child. I stuck beads up my nose. We had no hospital in our town nor a car. Out came the pepper and up my nose it went. Out came the beads with a good sneeze.
Hope Bea’s forehead is healing nicely.
phew!!!
That was actually a very endearing story! Glad Silas is ok 🙂 He sounds like a childhood friend of mine who got a skittle and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sword stuck in his nose (not at the same time, though).
Oh Ginny. I just love you. 🙂
Oh wow! I’ve not yet had the thing stuck in the ear/nose *knocks on wood* We have had the fall on the open cabinet door, break two front teeth thing though. Glad it was relatively easy + painless 🙂
We ended up in the ER 3 times with my youngest son because he stuck something up his nose! Finally he learned and/or listened to the doctor’s and/or our talk about not sticking things up your nose! Weird how this is appealing to children.
I once had to be brought to the hospital as a toddler for stuffing a piece of kleenex up my nose and then snorting it into my nasal passages! (And this was while on a road trip.)
People think I’m pretty calm and cool on a day-to-day basis, but I fall apart in an emergency, especially when blood is involved. It’s a good thing my husband works at home (like your Johnny) or some of my kids would have bled to death (O.K., maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but at the time it seemed like there was an awful lot of blood). It’s funny, because my husband’s normal persona is more expressive or dramatic, but he’s calm and resourceful in an emergency.
Ginny, I’ve been reading your blog for years and have always meant to comment and say hello. I feel like I know you (in that “I read your blog” kind of way). A couple of weeks ago my son stuck a nice round bead up his nose. He’s two- something about two-year-olds make them do these sorts of things. (My daughter stuck a peanut up her nose at 2 years old.
My son’s problem sent us to an ear-nose and throat doctor, who couldn’t get it out in the office on a Friday. We left the office with an appointment for “surgery” the following Monday. My husband and I spent the weekend trying to get that bead out of the little guy’s nose. We tried all the tricks others have commented about. My husband even adapted the hose of the shop-vac to fit the end of a toddler sized nose. Nothing worked. So, Monday morning came and my son went in to the hospital for outpatient surgery. They put him under for a few minutes and dug that bead out. Much worry and several hundreds of dollars later, we have the bead in a jar. We just got the bill from the anesthesiologist. I can’t believe the cost of medical care.
Anyway, nice to meet you over a shared experience with our sons.
oh, mercy…. i remember my husband using a super strong magnet to pull out something… from someone’s nose…!!! and we are like you with the dang cell phone…. finally wondering if we need 2 trac phones instead of one. (what good is that when you need to talk to each other?!)
My 2.5 stuck two Legos up his nose last month. I was freaking out. My husband took him to the ER and he was fine. I kinda laugh about it now…lol
Oh my gosh, so glad it worked out okay! My nephew put a bean in his ear (like a counting bean or something from preschool maybe?) and it was in there for a few months (!) before anyone figured it out and got it out. I’m so glad that you realized it so quickly and that nothing horrific happened. Plus, Silas got a popsicle and you guys got a cell phone! 🙂
My little girl stuck a bead up her nose. We headed to the ER, and they tried the mouth, nose trick too. It didn’t work, so my husband covered her mouth and blew in the clear nostril. It took a couple tries, but the bead came right out!
So glad that he is fine! The joys of children…they make me pray SO HARD sometimes! I will never forget the visit to the ER after my son put a craft ‘googly eye’ up his nose. The doctor showed me the trick of closing the other nostril and blowing into the mouth….and I have done it a few times since then with the other children….but of course I freak out a little bit first.
Oh, I am sorry for laughing so loud…. but a googly eye is so funny. Glad your child was O.K.
Oh believe me we have laughed about it a lot since it happened! I especially remember the look on the doctor’s face when I said “googly eye”….and he had no idea what that was. I don’t think he was much of a ‘crafter’.
OH MY! Well at least you had a good story to amuse us with today! I am so glad to hear everyone is alright. I hurried through to the story before the picture were all loaded and started to inform everyone in the room that Silas was in the ER with a pebble in his nose. Liam goes, “I want to see the pebble in his nose.” I said, that’s gross, they would show a picture of the pebble.
Low and behold, you did. and it looks much prettier with some other stuff in the picture like flowers and yarn!
So glad that it worked out well for both of you.
ha, oh my. I’m sorry you had such a rough afternoon. We’ve been to the hospital for similar things…seed beads in ears, a giant moth that flew right into my OWN ear while I was sleeping (I swear that thing wouldn’t die, I tried so hard to flush it out, drown it..etc.) and tic tacs up the nose. We’ve all been there, Ginny! It’s like some terrible rite of passage that every mother has to go through at one point or another.
The best part about your blog is that you include it all–the beautiful, the funny, the crazy… Kids are such a rollercoaster! Thanks for sharing these stories with so much realness and personality. Best wishes to Silas, and all of his caregivers!
You know, I heard all these warnings about kids doing things like sticking things up their noses and in their ears. Little Man is two and a half and has yet to even think about doing anything like that. However, that child has no fear and will happily jump down three stairs if I let him (and I do because he has to learn). Of course, when I break something like the handle to the outdoor spigot, I call my husband, bawling like a baby because I can’t figure out how to fix it. ::sigh::
yep, cell phone are handy these days. Thank God it was so simple! It is not easy to be a mother of many plus one on it’s way when these things happen. Lord have mercy!
What a story! I’m definitely praying for NO MORE ER visits for you guys.
Also: yes! Always have a cell phone!
oh no. i am glad it went so well and was over quickly. sometimes you need a nose guard for those kids. ((hug))
enjoy your brambleberry yarn, i love mine.
Oh I am so glad all is well!
I know that mama-terror you speak of. It makes your knees weak and your ears rush and you can hardly function, yet you do. It is a very vulnerable thing, being a MAma!
Try the vacuum cleaner to suction it out before you run to the ER. I know it worked for me.
Oh my goodness, Ginny! I’m so glad Silas is ok. My heart just stopped when I started reading your post. I’m so sorry you all went through this terrifying experience. I completely fall apart in situations like these. I can so relate. 🙁
Poor little toots………. Oh the temptation little ones have in putting things in their little noses and ears ! LOL..
I’m so happy ti all end up well I would be terrified.
What a relief! I had something similar happen to my oldest. He stuck a mesquite seed into his nose while we were in the checkout at the grocery. Fortunately after a lot of blowing and worrying it came out. Those kiddos of ours rally test us don’t they!
Been there. Except it was a plastic bead. I got a call from summer camp (I was at work). Had to rush to pick him up. Luckily, called my pediatrician and they said to bring him right there. Doc got it out, no ER visit. I remember being so scared. Glad it all turned out so well!
We’ve only had 2 incidents of items up the nose, but both kind of have funny stories attached. When Elizabeth was 4 and we were at the lawyer’s office during the closing for our house, her preschool called to say she had playdoh stuck up her nose. What timing! And last year, Finn had a pig snout from one of those tiny Japanese erasers stuck in his and after trying for many minutes to remove it. After informing him that we would have to go see the doctor, he dropped his head and cried, exhaling heavily, and out flew the snout! I’m glad Silas’s story didn’t turn out more serious. ((Hugs))
We’ve had a few hospital visits with my two kids, and thankfully the worst part always seems to be getting in to see the doctors as your mind is racing with the absolute worst-case scenarios!! I’m so happy for you that everything ended well. I agree that you need to stay calm though, otherwise your kids are even more frightened. Wendy
So happy it all turned out well. My boyo had to have surgery to remove a popcorn kernel from his ear. Same boy who spent 6 hours in reconstructive surgery after running full tilt through a plate glass window. He is 12 now and it has been a while since our last ER trip. They grow and survive despite the odds! I am convinced these boys have entire choirs of guardian angels. One alone would be worn to threads!
as scary as it all was, you totally crack me up and are such an excellent storyteller 🙂 And I bought the ABC cards…too cute! My Henry is my most challenging toddler too…I am sure we will be digging paraphernalia out of his nose shortly.
I know that huge relief you feel, glad that it was quick painless and you’ve moved into cell phone owning 🙂
So glad everything worked out for you!
My daughter stuck a raisin up her nose just before her 2nd birthday. I called my mother in tears (hubby was at work!). Finally I pulled it out. The little one laughed & said it “tickled” the whole time!
Don’t ever assume it’s just a booger – mom words to live by!
Thank you for the smile today (and every other day too)!
I think i read all of that whilst breathing in with my hand over my mouth! Good to hear it wasnt as bad as first thought.
While I was pregnant with my third boy, my (then) youngest accidentally swallowed one of those flat ended marbles used in crafts. We think he was holding it near his mouth and was startled. In a panic I called the doctor, rushed him in, and then didn’t sleep for a week while we waited for it to pass through his system. I never found it but one day it finally stopped appearing on the x-rays. I, like you, fell apart and assumed the worst. I envisioned stomach pumping or it ending up in his lungs or worse, getting stuck somewhere on the way through. Ugh. But everything worked out. I’m relieved to hear that everything turned out okay for you all as well.
I’m glad it all turned out OK in the end. But what a frightening day!
Keeping a cell phone is an excellent idea. We have two – a remnant of the days when George’s work took him on the road regularly, and he never wanted me to be without one, just in case – but I think we are going to downgrade to one soon. It’s always a good thing to have when you have children, I think, now that pay phones are impossible to find… xo
Oh what an adventure. Silas really does give you a run for your money. I am glad it was such a quick fix. I love your lessons learned. “Don’t ever assume it is just a bugger.” lol
A girl I used to work with as a 20-year-old had surgery for a deviated septum; the surgeon apparently found a button up her nose! She did get lots of razzing after that.