So yesterday was an eventful day in the Allalunis household. It all started at nap time….. I recently had a huge molar pulled and have been literally counting the seconds until I can put my kids down for their naps and lie down too. Unfortunately for me, the kids don’t always want to sleep (and it’s still illegal to drug them right?!) Add to that the fact that my two-year-old has learned to crawl out of her crib and nap time is rapidly becoming less of a time of rest and more a mini family war everyday.
Of course this meant that I needed to take apart the crib, which also mean I got to use my brand new set of screwdrivers which I bought at Walgreen’s last week for only $5 and which I’ve been dieing to use, so I was pretty excited – until I realized that meant I actually had to do carpentry work, and also that I’m not good at carpentry work. About halfway through my dismantling of the crib, I realized I needed a smaller screwdriver, so I left the kids in the room and ran to the living room to grab it. As I was walking back in I heard the baby start choking on something and her brother screamed, “She’s got a screw!” I ran to the room, stuck my fingers down the baby’s throat, but I was just a hair too late – Jilly swallowed a 1″ wood screw. Now for those of you who haven’t ever seen a wood screw, these things aren’t for sissies! They are especially designed to be extra sharp so they can pierce wood – they work great to hold cribs together but they aren’t really part of any one’s balanced diet. Then the baby vomited blood and I lost my mind. I grabbed the baby, called a neighbor to watch my older two kids and went straight to the ER, where they X-Rayed Jilly and discovered that there was a 1″ wood screw sitting in her stomach. The screw scratched her going down (thus the bloody vomit that almost made me lose my mind), but it was otherwise not bothering her, so the pediatrician decided to wait and see if it passed on its own. Now, 25 hours later, the screw is still in her tiny little body. We did another X-Ray this morning and nothing has changed. (I wanted to take a picture of the X-Ray to show you guys, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to ask the radiologist to text me a picture for the blog…… on second thought maybe I should have, it probably would have solidified my “Mother of the Year” award at the hospital.) We are still waiting and hoping that the screw will pass on its own, but if it doesn’t start moving soon, or if it starts to hurt her, we’ll need to remove it surgically. If you can all keep my little Jilly in your thoughts over the next few days, I would really appreciate it. And if I can get a picture of the X-Ray I’ll post it ASAP, despite being terrifying, it really does look kind of cool.
9 COMMENTS
Claude
14 years agoMy heart dropped when I read this! Glad it turned out fine!
heinzmom at hotmail dot com
14 years agoanxiously awaiting an update, please tell me everything worked out naturally.. poor baby
michelle
sometimesuwin.blogspot.com
Brandy, April, and Amanda
14 years agoHi Everyone,
Thank you so much for your positive thoughts! I am happy to tell you that Jilly passed the screw yesterday with no problems at all – the things kids can eat!
Amanda
OrangeHeroMama
14 years agoOh my gosh!!!! Prayers!!!
Heavenly Savings
14 years agoAmanda you are such a wonderful Mother! My prayers have been with your family since the first time I read what had happened. I think this might take the cake to April's loosing her child in the soda cooler at the store 😉 Prayers for you and Jilly!
Alicia C.
14 years agoOMG! I'd have flipped out right then and there! I sure hope it passes ASAP.
Cathey
14 years agoOh my goodness! I'll be praying for her!
Twingle Mommy
14 years agoUmmm I would have totally freaked out!! So you get mom of the year for not freaking out. And I take pictures of everything so I think I would have asked even knowing I would be talked about for years to come. Praying for your little girl, I really hope it passes on it's own.
Sarah
14 years agoYou are waaaaay calmer than I would been! I'll say a prayer that it passes on its own.