A few questions...

Just a few questions Internet fans...
How many x-rays can one child have?
Have we met our deductible yet?
Is there a way to budget for childhood injuries?
Is there a way to measure the years off your life each time your child gets hurt?
Is Motrin really enough for a broken clavicle?
Is there a way to keep kids from climbing on chairs, etc.?
Is there a way to know how we are going to cope these next few days?

Our more accident prone child--no names, Carsten--fell off a kid chair tonight (so 1 1/2 feet off the ground) to the kitchen floor... He has done this before--this time he wasn't consolable, he kept clutching his collar bone... I just felt like something was wrong. Off to the ER, where we are starting to recognize the staff... An x-ray later we were told he broke his clavicle and that all there is to do is give him Motrin... So, we are home and trying to figure out how to accomplish the normal tasks of getting him undressed, dressed, how to nurse without crushing his side, should we let him walk around and fall like he is always doing??? Oh, boy...

Carsten Ola Ola...and last night...

Picture: In recovery...

Well, let's see... the overflowing potty seems like such a small thing now...
Long story--Last night Jim and Reese went to a highschool concert and Carsten and I stayed home. We were waiting for them to get home and Carsten was just playing. He found a finger flashlight and was content with that. I followed him while I was doing something and noticed a little battery on the floor, and then another... then I found the flashlight and no batteries in it. I pretty well knew that it took three batteries and when I put the two back in I knew for sure it took three... where was the third??? I searched and searched and then googled--swallowing a battery. It said to immediately call poison control, which I did. They said to immediately take him to emergency for an x-ray...

Picture: The Battery

So, I met Jim at our local hospital where they quickly did an x-ray and there was the battery, big as life in his stomach. This was somewhat good news as it can do damage to the esophogas if stuck there... the doctor came in, took one look and said, "That has to come out!". This is when I started crying...

Picture: The Removed Battery

He then told us we'd have to take him to the children's hospital an hour north of here... They speedily finished the paper work and off we went (we drove, no ambulance)... Our VERY good friends, Jim and JoAnn came and took Reese home to put him to bed and stay with him--THANK YOU!!!
Carsten was pretty fussy in the car, but he hadn't nursed since five and was very tired... They wouldn't let me nurse him or feed him in the event of surgery.

Picture: The Battery in Carsten's Stomach and on the Way Out

We got to the children's hospital and did lots of waiting... They did another x-ray and the battery was still in his stomach so the pediatric gastro doctor wanted to take it out. At 3:30am this morning they took him from me--second time I cried... and ten minutes later they came and handed us the battery in a bottle... five minutes later we went in and he was holding the anesthesiologist's finger and playing with the cords to the blood pressure cuff. They took it out by endoscopy.


Picture: Waiting in the ER

They let us take him right home after he nursed and seemed fine. We got home at 6am this morning...
You can make financial contributions directly to our bank account.

The staff at both hospitals were super and they even let me use the employee breast pump as I was a mess in that department.

I hope you all have a good day and please keep all small objects from your little ones... very scary!