So many people caution against using The Internet for medical advice, but it is hard to resist when you have a burning question about, for example, your child eating a penny.
I am happy to say this did not happen on my watch. My son “might have” eaten a penny the other night while my husband was watching him. Now, do not be upset with my husband. He is a good, dear father, and those pennies are tantalizing things, I hear, to the average two year old.
My husband told me yesterday, “I think Parker ate a penny last night.”
“Are you serious?!” I asked looking down at Parker. What does this mean? I thought.
My husband goes on to say, “He was playing with his piggy bank, and then I heard him make some kind of coughing, choking sound in his throat, but he looked fine. I didn’t see anything happen. Then, I asked him, ‘Parker, did you eat a penny?’ and Parker said, ‘Yes.’”
I just stood there with my mouth open and looked down again at Parker. Parker just looked up at me.
My husband went on, “He had a poo this morning and there was nothing in it.”
I couldn’t get to the computer fast enough. But, tell me, why do I go to The Internet when I KNOW that some sites will say, “Not to worry!” and other sites will say (in so many words), “Death is imminent!”
We don’t even know for sure if he actually swallowed the penny.
Most of the respectable sites said it could take a few days for the penny to pass without any incident. There would be other signs if it was lodged somewhere dangerously in the body somewhere. So, it is a waiting game, if it exists.
34 comments:
Ah yes - when you want to know about an important medical issue - ask a faceless drunk stranger what they think.
If I was your husband, I'd now be secretly hiding a dollar coin in his doings for you to find... see what the Internet says about that!
I suppose I'd have to come clean and admit the con BEFORE you either go on Breakfast TV to declare your son a miracle child or stuff him to bursting with pennies trying to get rich!
At least your husband went thru the poop all by himself!
So, I remember when I was little an swallowed a nickel or something my Mom went so far as to CUT the poo open on a paper plate in the bathroom. Why do I remember this? She told me....not ONE, TWO or THREE times, but like 18 times not to ever tell anyone that we used the good knife to cut open POO! I was sworn to secrecy and I actually forgot about it.....until reading this post.
Also, my husband's cousin ate one of those little disc batteries out of a toy or something when he was little and his dad is a physician. Can you imagine!!! Now THAT is a serious problem.
Hope is all comes out alright soon!! (PUN TOTALLY INTENDED!)
The highlight of my dad's childhood (age 2) was the hospital trip when he swallowed a penny. He pooped it out a few days later, and my grandparents actually kept the darn penny. Gross.
But having swallowed a button myself, I think Parker will be just fine!
What a man to go through poop. I don't think my husband would do that. I'm sure he'll be fine.
It takes great courage for a man to go through poop, i hear. You have a gem with you Kristy.
I think most people have swallowed currency and survived, so I wouldn't worry about it. But then I guess I'm just another person on the Internet!
I'm with Mama Sweet Pea -- there are some side benefits to Daddy feeling guilty.
I remember being shocked one morning to find a paper clip in the poopy diaper of my little girl. I didn't even know she'd swallowed it! Years later she swallowed a ring of mine. I rushed her to the emergency room. Got to keep a souvenir copy of the X-ray. Diagnosis: it'll pass. It did. I assumed... I chose to let that ring go. :)
I swallowed a penny when I was a kid and I'm okay.:)
oh no! I hope he passes the darned thing without incident. Great title to your post!
I'm glad it was just a penny. That's fairly small!
My daughter swallowed a quarter but it got stuck in her esophagus. We had to have it surgically removed. TG we had good insurance then!
Ah yes, the World Wide Web is a fabulous tool but it is also one that can create so much worry, especially when you google health issues. I hope that penny comes out soon!
I've heard of it happening and kids being fine - don't worry! And definitely don't google!
Oh my grapes! I'm definitely sending some luck over to you guys. It will be fine, and there won't be an incident, but that is some nerve wracking stuff!
What a well told penny story! It sure sounds like little Parker is doing just fine. You can embarrass him with this later in his life.
And I couldn't agree more about internet information. Probably better than calling all the neighbors though.
Enjoy the poo-search for the next couple of days! It will be a mystery until it passes won't it? Good on Dad for checking :)
How scary! Hope everything is okay.
Oh, I've been on Poop Alert before. You'd be amazed what kinds of things come out of those little bottoms. Then, again, there's the time my eldest swallowed the contents of an entire bottle of peroxide and lived to tell the tale! But that's another story...
Home Alone
Ok, dear friend...I am hear to tell you DO NOT BE ALARMED!!
True story: In high school my best friend swallowed a quarter **while** we were playing quarters (buzz kill). Everything was fine and in a couple of days the quarter reappeared down below. I'd have to believe a penny would have similar, if not exact, results.
Happy Holidays Mama;)
Oh I hear you!
I run to the internet every time my girls have some weird bump or are feeling sick...sometimes a good thing, other times I feel as if my next step should be the ER.
Can you imagine a time when we didn't google every little thing?
Ha.
I ate a lot of coins as a child. Don't know why. I'm okay - Waazaaa!
That's funny...well what you found out anyway, not that your son may or may not have swallowed a penny! And like you, it's always better when something like this happens on the Hub's watch! New follower from over at Flip Flops and Pearls!
LOL! He'll be okay :) Did you ever see that America's funniest videos episode where the little girl swallowed a nickel and they used a metal detector to track it in her body? Funny stuff!
There was a House episode not to long ago where the little girl swallowed a dime. I think if it doesn't pass in a few days you may want to get it checked out but otherwise not to worry too much!
The diagnostic powers of the interweb is, indeed, awesome. I was especially bad when I was pregnant. If Google didn't find the answer for me, I'd post on a forum and wait for Mary Blogs from Hicksville to diagnose me.
Oh my goodness! I always call the doctor, because the Internet is not always reliable for medical information. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all is well.
Mama Hen
Hopefully it all works itself out, so to speak! We have a telephone service here called "Nurse on Call". You can call a registered nurse and get her advice for the cost of a normal phone call. Its far better than the internet!
My brother, bless his heart:
1) Ate a penny.
2) Put a nickel up his nose
3) Swallowed my mom's earring.
Still around, still kicking. Still thrill seeking, too. Alas.
Aaaah, the penny in the poop dilemma...I know it well. In our case it was a Lego head, but it came out...we think...
The internet is the devil for such things! I'm sure your little buddy will be just fine!
Agh. "He may have eaten a penny"...words my husband would say. I'm glad things seem OK, whenever I ask my son leading questions he always answers yes. He'd be horrible on a witness stand.
If he did indeed swallow one, I hope it comes out without incident.
Post a Comment