I nearly lost my son last night
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Topic: I nearly lost my son last night
Posted By: caraMel
Subject: I nearly lost my son last night
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:06pm
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Hi Guys,
It has been a long time since I've been a regular on here, I wanted to come back and post though because last night we went through something I hope I can help to prevent happening to any of your precious kids by sharing it. My little guy Benjy is 3.5 years old and last night he choked on a coin that my 5 year old daughter Ella had left in a bucket on the coffee table. (not her fault at all though) I was in the kitchen and heard him hit the floor. He was purple and holding his throat. I tipped him over my knee and whacked him on his back, tried heimlich and hubby then managed to dislodge it from his airway with a finger. He came right very fast but I decided to take him up to the A & E just to make sure it was in his tummy. A couple of minutes into the journey I looked back at him and his eyes were rolled back in his head. I called out to him and he came back, this happened a couple more times and each time he became less responsive so I pulled over and rang 111. As I talked to them I managed to wake him by rubbing his chest and decided to head straight to hospital as I was reasonably close and he was breathing ok. A minute later I looked back and he had passed out again but this time his mouth had dropped wide open and was pouring drool. He didn't respond to me at all so I pulled over and called 111 again. They advised to keep going as quickly and safely as I could but by the time I got to hospital he was blue and not breathing. As I got him out of his car seat he took a huge gasp of breath and regained consciousness as I ran into the emergency room. By the time they got us through to the Paed department he was talking and moving and pretty much back to normal. X-ray showed that the coin was in his tummy and now we wait for it to pass through naturally. Last night was absolutely the scariest night of my life. When I left the house I thought it was a pretty safe bet that it was in his tummy and I was just reassuring myself by going up to get him checked. He seemed ok, if a bit shaken and was breathing, moving and talking normally. Then a few minutes later it was blocking his airway again. We were VERY, VERY lucky and all I can feel about it is relief and gratitude. We've also had a big wake up call, reminding us how quickly these things can happen, how you can't relax too much just because your child is past the baby-exploring-putting everything in their mouths stage or because they're older and can understand your warnings about not putting things in their mouths. I think it is important to share this with other parents so that they might not have to go through what we did or worse. Please, please, watch your children carefully and make sure your older kid's toys or other small, choke-able things are not where they can get them. Please, please, get your children checked out after an incident like ours, even if they seem ok they might not be and it is so not worth taking the risk. I'm still really shaken up about it and keep seeing him blue and unconscious every time I close my eyes. It could have been so much worse... there but by the grace of God. ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Replies:
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:09pm
| OMG!! How terrifying. Thank goodness Benjy is ok. |
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:12pm
Thanks for coming in and sharing your story Mel - thank goodness Benjy's ok  ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:13pm
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OMG that is so scary! glad he is okay now! You did so well getting him to the hospital, it must have been a horrendeous drive! Thank-you for sharing... it is so easy for these things to happen and makes us realise how careful we all have to be... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:17pm
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OMG!!! that brought tears to my eyes!!! thank god wee benjy is ok!!! and thanks heaps for sharing that!!
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:24pm
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That brought tears to my eyes too. Thanks so much for sharing and I am so glad that Benjy is OK. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: MindyW
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 12:26pm
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Didnt want to read and run, I'm so glad your little boy is ok, that would have been the worst night ever for you! Take care ------------- My Beautiful Little Emily http://lilypie.com"> 
We've Waited for You Forever! |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 1:09pm
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I too had tears in my eyes reading that.
I have older kids that leave thinks like coins around & quite often take them off the 3yr old... |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 1:34pm
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Thank goodness he is ok Mel....what an awful experience and a good reminder for us all! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: EmDee
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 1:51pm
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OMG Mel, how terrifying . I'm glad Benjy is OK and thank you for sharing your story with us. ------------- DS 8 DD 6 DS 4 DD 2 |
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:00pm
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Oh my, how awful for you to go through that Thank you for sharing.
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:02pm
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You poor thing, Im soo glad hes ok, hope you will too ------------- http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
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Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:03pm
 How scary!!!! I cant even begin to imagine what you were going through. Just soo soo glad he is ok after all of that! ------------- 
 
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Posted By: LJsmum
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:20pm
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Thanks so much for sharing, it is easy to think because they are older they won't pick up something to put in their mouth. But your right we need to all be aware how quickly this can happen.
so happy everythings alright  -------------  
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:22pm
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omg!! I had tears reading that too,
Im so glad he is ok!! you poor thing!! ------------- |
Posted By: Joscia
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:29pm
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Wow - how completely terrifying!
Thank you so much for sharing though. I've been procrastinating over signing up for a CPR and choking course for DS - but reading your story has given me the incentive I needed to just do it! |
Posted By: NikkiB
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:36pm
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OMG, I'm so pleased you son is ok. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us ------------- A very lucky mummy to two gorgeous boys: RB 3/10/2008 JB 29/12/2009 |
Posted By: X
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 3:48pm
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Just wanted to add my big hug & say glad your little man is okay. That must've been terrifying! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 3:58pm
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Thanks everyone, you're all so nice!
Joscia, definitely a good idea to do the first aid/cpr course. Even though it didn't work in this instance I think that I was a bit calmer and more confident because of the things I knew to try and help him when he was first choking. I did my course through the local plunket, it was about $30 from memory. ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and:
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Posted By: ooEvaoo
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 4:20pm
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Wow, thank goodness he's ok. And your quick actions in the beginning!!. Thank you so much for sharing. ------------- 
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Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 5:02pm
| Wow I can't even imagine how scary that must have been for you. Thank you so much for sharing with us I knwo I'll be more careful Caprece still puts things in her mouth all the time. |
Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 5:44pm
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I'm so glad that your little man is ok. I almost chocked on a marble when I was 11 so its not like we get much smarter with age. I will be being extra cautious in with the kids in future. ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!) 
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Posted By: KiwiL
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 5:56pm
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Wow CaraMel, I felt absolutely frozen with fear reading that story. You are so brave to have handled it the way you did!
Thank God that Benji is ok. You poor thing. xxx |
Posted By: littleLittle
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 6:08pm
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Oh my goodness you poor thing! I had tears in my eyes too reading your story.
So pleased he's okay. Hope you and DH are feeling okay now and hope Benjy has forgotten his ordeal. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 7:02pm
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Oh my lordy! How scary for you! I cant even imagine how you must have been feeling. So pleased Benji is all ok now ------------- Our Angel July 08  Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 7:22pm
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OMG how scary that must have been for you! ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4 
 
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Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 7:39pm
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I had tears in my eye too!
Im so glad everything worked out ok, but it would have been sooo sooo scary! Thank you for sharing what happened. I will definately take note of your advice ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
3 Angels - Dec10 / Mar11 / Dec11
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 8:43pm
Shivers Mel, how awful  Thanks for sharing hun ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 8:51pm
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Hi again everyone,
Thanks so much for all your lovely messages. Benjy is doing great. He has a scratch on his tonsils and is pretty tired and sensitive after it all, but that is to be expected. I'm still feeling really emotional and freaked out, but just relieved and grateful overall. We got the best possible outcome. ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and:
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 20 November 2009 at 4:46pm
| That is so scary mel. you should be proud of yourself for being so calm and collected. |