Motherofbun » Our exciting day

Our exciting day

Posted on July 6, 2005
Filed Under Uncategorized |

This morning, Seth was sitting on the couch watching tv and eating Cracklin’ Oat Bran like he does most mornings. But today he got a most brillant idea to shove a chunk of the dry cereal up his nose. And after he did so, he started screaming and frantically tried to dig said chunk out of his nose.

It didn’t work. He was hysterical. He was in pain. So I called his pediatrician. We saw his doctor and she referred us to St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Room. Marc met us at Children’s Hospital. What a milestone — our first trip to the ER with Seth.

Wierdly enough, visiting a multitude of doctors over the years and appearing in ERs several times for various stupid injuries, prepared me. Seth didn’t have a freaked out mom. He didn’t have an anxiety-ridden dad either. Marc is pretty level-headed and is rarely nervous. Or at least he never shows it.

For years, going to the doctor used to have my stomache in knots DAYS before the actual appointment. Just driving past a hospital used to give me a queasy feeling. I think it was mainly because my mom or dad would be incredibly nervous. Their anxiety would rub off on me. Kids sense even the slightest bit of stress. My parents were and still are extremely nervous, easily excitable people.

Well. I’m so happy that Seth had two calm, take-it-in-stride parents. It wasn’t a life or death situation, so what’s there to freak out about? Marc blew up a surgical glove while we waiting in the examination room. We played “bump the balloon”. We got to see Seth in a little clown-and-elephant-decordated hospital gown complete with his little diapered-butt exposed. (He has a “white boy butt” so the only thing that was really sticking out was the diaper.) At one point, he was actually having some fun.

He’s ok now. By the time two ER pediatricians saw Seth, they couldn’t find anything. The chunk could have dislodged itself when he sneezed while walking into the ER building. So the worst he had to deal with was a total of three doctors looking up his nose. No long tweezers or sedation necessary.

It was good practice for that fateful day when he will, like his mother, do something really stupid and break a bone. Hopefully he won’t have already chipped/broken five bones by the time he’s in his mid-20’s. Don’t even ask how many times I’ve had stitches or needed them.

I’m so happy we have a good healthcare plan.