We were all running around getting ready to leave the house for church when I heard the unmistakable sound of choking. I was only 10 steps away and as soon as I got to my 9 month old I scooped my finger into his mouth but came up empty. He continued to gag and choke and then broke into a fit of crying (good sign though because if he is screaming, he is breathing!) This alternating choking, gagging and crying lasted an agonizing 10 minutes or so with me doing everything I knew to do physically, and all the while, praying. My little one finally calmed down but was not acting right at all. He would gag intermittently but was breathing fine and swallowing. I still had this feeling of dread and uneasiness so I drove him over to the local children’s urgent care. He was breathing and had pretty much ceased choking but something was just not right. While there an x-ray confirmed what had happened. That was the scariest thing for me, not know what he had choked on!
It was a coin. Where he got it, I do not know as I really do try to make sure there isn’t anything lying about that he might choke on. It was there on x-ray and it was not very far down in the esophagus but it had passed the windpipe. I was so thankful at this point that we knew what it was and that he was in my arms and had not stopped breathing during the choking episode. It was about this time that hubby arrived, he had been at work and driven to meet me at urgent care.
The doctor at the urgent care advised that he wanted to send us by ambulance (we had 2 more gagging episodes in front of the doctor at this point) to the main children’s hospital where our son would likely be having endoscopic surgery to remove the coin. I was thankful that they just let me hold my little guy during the ambulance ride, he was in my arms the entire time. Friends stepped in to care for our other children and hubby drove to the hospital. Once there we were advised that the course of action would include an overnight admission at the hospital and a follow up x-ray in the a.m. to see if the coin had passed or was still lodged. We were admitted and it was a long worrisome night. I held my son all night and the nursing staff was amazing. I was not allowed to nurse my baby though, not sure he would have even been able to, but without a pacifier (he doesn’t take one) it was hard to have ways to comfort him.
In the morning the follow up x-ray showed that the coin had not moved. It was stuck. My son’s lethargic behavior had not at all improved either. This is where I began asking for lots of prayer as the thought of my son being intubated and put under anesthesia worried me terribly. I could almost tangibly feel the prayers as I got a number of text messages, facebook messages and a few phone calls letting me know that prayers were being said for our little guy. Our pastor came to the hospital to check on us, my friends offered to help, people everywhere were reaching out. We met with the surgeon and he advised of what his plans were. The hardest part was letting my little one be wheeled away and to being able to go with him. The surgery went fine, the surgeon came in to let us know that the coin was a penny but also that it had flipped to a horizontal position so that it was covering the esophagus like a lid. We were then given the penny…most expensive baby book memento ever!
I am just so very thankful that we had so many prayers on our side, God was with my little one and he is now home safe and acting like normal. Amazing the scare that something so small can cause.
It was a coin. Where he got it, I do not know as I really do try to make sure there isn’t anything lying about that he might choke on. It was there on x-ray and it was not very far down in the esophagus but it had passed the windpipe. I was so thankful at this point that we knew what it was and that he was in my arms and had not stopped breathing during the choking episode. It was about this time that hubby arrived, he had been at work and driven to meet me at urgent care.
The doctor at the urgent care advised that he wanted to send us by ambulance (we had 2 more gagging episodes in front of the doctor at this point) to the main children’s hospital where our son would likely be having endoscopic surgery to remove the coin. I was thankful that they just let me hold my little guy during the ambulance ride, he was in my arms the entire time. Friends stepped in to care for our other children and hubby drove to the hospital. Once there we were advised that the course of action would include an overnight admission at the hospital and a follow up x-ray in the a.m. to see if the coin had passed or was still lodged. We were admitted and it was a long worrisome night. I held my son all night and the nursing staff was amazing. I was not allowed to nurse my baby though, not sure he would have even been able to, but without a pacifier (he doesn’t take one) it was hard to have ways to comfort him.
In the morning the follow up x-ray showed that the coin had not moved. It was stuck. My son’s lethargic behavior had not at all improved either. This is where I began asking for lots of prayer as the thought of my son being intubated and put under anesthesia worried me terribly. I could almost tangibly feel the prayers as I got a number of text messages, facebook messages and a few phone calls letting me know that prayers were being said for our little guy. Our pastor came to the hospital to check on us, my friends offered to help, people everywhere were reaching out. We met with the surgeon and he advised of what his plans were. The hardest part was letting my little one be wheeled away and to being able to go with him. The surgery went fine, the surgeon came in to let us know that the coin was a penny but also that it had flipped to a horizontal position so that it was covering the esophagus like a lid. We were then given the penny…most expensive baby book memento ever!
I am just so very thankful that we had so many prayers on our side, God was with my little one and he is now home safe and acting like normal. Amazing the scare that something so small can cause.
