January 8, 2009. It started out as any ordinary day in the Crosby household… yet, ordinary days for the Crosbys are not that ordinary, I’ve come to realize. I needed to get some blood work done for our adoption physicals and packed up the boys, who chose to wear hats instead of combing their grossly, grown-out hair. (Sad news about scissors is coming their way later.)
We checked in at the lab and 23 of the 24 chairs in the waiting room were filled. oh yes, I counted! NOT a good sign. The boys decided to sit on a sofa in the lobby and play video games. Fine. After 45 minutes, I asked how much longer until my name was called. Another half hour. I went to the lobby to inform the boys and Austin pointed to his brother across the room without looking up from his game and calmly stated, “He’s choking.”
There I found Keeve crying, chocking, sweaty and red. He ran to the bathroom and threw up his breakfast. (My apologies if you’re eating while reading.) After much questioning, he explained that he swallowed the metal end of a cowboy belt…. and it was stuck in his throat. This son of mine has swallowed ridiculously stupid objects for years… but this one was BIG in comparison.
Fortunately, we were across the street from the ER and arrived in three minutes. X-rays were taken… and boy does metal show up well.
The nurses were going to give him a numbing drink for his throat before putting in an IV to put him asleep for the removal of said metal object. Right before that all happened he threw up again…. into a blue plastic bag with a 5″ metal rim that I was holding for such a time as this. Keeve informed me that the end of the belt came out. Praise God. So the boys enjoyed Popsicles, Keeve was given a high dose of Motrin for swelling and pain, we paid $150…. and then we went to In-N-Out Burger…. for Elvis’ birthday. Get it? In-N-Out… so appropriate for the morning’s festivities!
We made a quick stop at a store for a dog muzzle for Keeve (just kidding), I can’t remember what we were shopping for. But Austin suggested, “Since you just spent $150 on Keeve, can you buy me a toy?” Um, no. (Austin’s ER visits triple the rest of the four family members put together.)
Later, when the excitement wore off, we did take in an advanced showing of Hotel for Dogs, (we renamed it Heartbreak Hotel for Dogs, being on Elvis’ birthday and all) which turned out to be an adoption movie… for dogs and kids. Yes, I cried in the end. Then we went to the Coyotes game against the Lightning. We wondered if it might be the last time we see Mark Recchi play here in Phoenix?? I hope not, but he is 41 this year.
The ordinary day ended with us picking up our beloved computer. Sweetness. Now to find all the start-up discs for the web-cam and the printer. Good grief, where do those things hide???
Tags: adoption, Coyotes, Elvis, Elvis Presley, emergency room, ER, Heartbreak Hotel, hockey, Hotel for Dogs, In-N-Out Burger, Mark Recchi, mom, ordinary day, Phoenix Coyotes, raising boys, Tampa Bay Lightning, X-ray
My Sister's Jar 
January 9, 2009 at 11:55 am |
Great shot of the belt.
That’s crazy!!
You can add one more story to your crazy long list:)
January 9, 2009 at 12:29 pm |
Being Canadian I’ve never heard of In-and-Out Burger, but being a pediatric nurse who’s dealt with plenty of kids having to get plenty of things removed after swallowing them, I burst out laughing at the pun of going to a place called In-and-Out after the belt piece had just done the same. Did you go there just for the pun?
January 9, 2009 at 1:51 pm |
I think they go there every time they visit that hospital – because it is right down the road…. and they visit the hospital often. Although the pun was great! I took Linda to In-and-Out when her other son was at the hospital recovering from concussion once. One of the three concussions he has had. Don’t you have a personalized parking spot at that hospital now, Linda?
January 9, 2009 at 1:57 pm |
By the way — AMAZING xray !! I think Keeve was just trying to even out the stories. Austin and Larisa have many more than he does – so he has to do something to catch up!!
January 9, 2009 at 2:20 pm |
I never thought of the In-N-Out pun, Tanya, but that sort of fits, doesn’t it!?
And Jill, Austin is on concussion #4…. I remembered he had one when he was 3 or 4 and he slipped in the bathtub. Ping pong is coming.
And because we were across the street at the lab, I didn’t use my designated parking space at Mendy’s Place THIS time. We walked over.
January 9, 2009 at 7:36 pm |
Does the Crosby family have a FREQUENT VISITOR card for the ER and walk-in clinics? Hmmmm….I am seeing a continuing trend.
January 9, 2009 at 10:13 pm |
Oh good grief Keeve. You’re silly!
January 10, 2009 at 12:39 am |
It’s a BAD sign when the admittance RN at the ER knows you by name and face. It’s the sign that I’m a mother of boys. (Larisa has made three trips there as well, however.) I guess it’s because we’re active??? (Or stupid???) or both.
January 10, 2009 at 8:53 am |
That’s okay Linda. We felt we were visiting too often this past fall. You figure that James would be the one with broken bones and stiches since he is the athlete in the family. Sadly, our little princess Rachel held those honors of being the first child in our family to have a concussion, a broken ankle, and then stitches. Her brother has yet to experience any of that…well, he did get hit in the back by a 60mph baseball one season AND walked it off. I was ready to go tackle the pitcher, but restrained myself. The positive, our kids will know what to do and how to react when they have kids and are in similar predictaments. :)
January 10, 2009 at 3:00 pm |
Whoa! My kids are now going to be going without belts. You seem awfully calm about this whole thing. I guess, since you guys have “frequent flyer” points at the ER…this is becoming normal to you.
Glad everything is alright!
January 12, 2009 at 12:43 pm |
Holy cow! Of all the things you think kids couldn’t swallow…Glad it worked out well!
January 13, 2009 at 7:52 pm |
well, Becca is on her second broken finger in about three months…and broke her foot 18 months ago…Bruce can’t figure out if she is active or just a clod…and she isn’t really that active in sports! I think she is just gangeley…Keeve…keep those belts out of your mouth! Jessica noticed how it looked like his neck was swollen…