Jackson and Batteries Don't Mix

I am sure that those who read my blog have already heard the news but in the off chance you haven't, well we had quite an adventure this week. Wednesday night Jackson took a battery that came from a laser pen and swallowed it. I had put it up on the counter so he wouldn't take it since he was fascinated with it but he took his grocery cart and laid it sideways and used it as a stool to take the battery. I was in the den when he did this.

I noticed that he was swallowing hard and that it seemed as if he had swallowed something. This is not a child who goes around putting everything in his mouth and certainly hasn't ever ingested something. I guess it was a mother's instinct but I immediately knew what he had swallowed when I saw the buggy turned over. I gave him some water b/c he seemed to need some and it was past the point of trying to make him throw it up.

Lee had gone to pick us up dinner and left his cell phone at home so I couldn't call him to tell him this, well, I tried but realized when I heard it ringing in the other room it was at home. I looked up online about kids swallowing things and batteries. Of course when I pull it up it says that most things that kids swallow will pass through except for batteries. Great. Just great. It specifically listed watch batteries, hearing aid batteries and of course the type he swallowed was this type.

I didn't know what else to do so I called poison control. The lady was super nice and told me that I needed to take him to the ER for an x-ray. That it probably had gone on down but if it stayed in it could corode and the acid come through. I called Jana and told her we were going to the ER and explained the situation. I then tried calling the restaurant Lee had gone to and they said he had just left. I think the panic in my voice made the guy go find him. Lee called me from the guy's cell phone and went straight to Sacred Heart. He started getting the paperwork ready while we were on our way.

We all get to Sacred Heart and we only sit out for a moment. We get put in a room and that's where the waiting begins. B/c the poison control had already called ahead to tell them we were coming and needed an x-ray I don't know why they were so slow, especially when the x-ray tech rolls the machine into your room.

The Dr. finally comes and and from what all we've heard thus far that as long as it's not in his throat still where the acid can burn out then we should be fine and he'll pass it. I try and keep the positive thoughts going. The x-ray tech comes in and takes the picture. He comes back a moment later and asks us if Jackson had a button on his shorts or something metal. I said "you found it? you found something? where is it?". He had no idea he was looking for metal. He tells us it's in the lower part of his belly and that he'd go give it to the Dr.

This is when it all turns not so great. She walks in and shows us the x-ray. It has already gone through his stomach and is lying in his intestines. The size of it and where it is makes it highly unlikely that it will pass. She tells us that they will need to go in a remove it. They can't do it there b/c there isn't a pediatric surgeon so it's either Sacred Heart in P'cola or Gulf Coast in Panama City. She did say that they would probably go in with a machine down his throat and just grab it out and general anetheisa wouldn't be done. How wrong those words would be.

Knowing we were about to head out to another city I tried calling Jana so I could take Mackenzie to her. I left her 1 or 2 messages and we got in the car and headed over there. i bangged on her door until she came to. It's 9:30 at night and I'm sure she thought we were crazy. I took Kenzie in and of course my Jana was perfectly okay with keeping Kenzie. She would take her to school the next morning although Kenzie did nto have any school clothes.

I had already called my parents and they were talking about driving down immediately. When I got back to the hospital Lee talked them out of it. I was with Jackson and Lee had gone outside to get something when the Dr. came up. She said that there is a great pediatric surgeon on staff at Gulf Coast and they were taking us by ambulance. Lee walks in and I tell him the news.

He leaves to run home and get my cell phone and the charger and a few items. Not many though. The ambulance comes and Jackson has to lie on the stretcher but he refuses so I get to lie on it strapped on with him. He falls asleep for a bit during the ride. I have to say that the TJ the EMT guy who sat with me was super nice. He's 22 and he's being doing this since he was 18. His dad was the Capt of the FD in Niceville but passed away 5 months after his 2 year old brother was born. He's had a hard time with it I can tell. He's the oldest of 5 kids. His family moved from Tampa a few years back and he was at home when his youngest brother was born and he had to deliver him because he came so quickly. He was also at home when his dad had a heart attack and all of his dads men were called to the scene to help save him. It was so sad. It really puts all of my problems into perspective.

Okay, so we arrive to GCMC (Gulf Coast Medical Center) and we are admitted straight to a room. The nurse comes in and tells me Dr. Taylor will be in shortly. In walks this Dr. who looks like he's 25 but is smokin' hot! I'm torn because he just doesn't look old enough to be performing surgery on my son, however, surely he must be to be their pediatric surgeon. He tells us that based on the x-ray that was sent over that the battery is way too far down and hidden for them to go in through his throat. It seems surgery is the ONLY option. He wants 2 more x-rays just to be sure though.

Jackson and I go and they do the x-rays. Yup, surgery it is. The anesthesiologist (sp???) assistant (and I certainly can't spell her title) comes in and tells me about putting him to sleep and how it will all go. The Dr. says this is really the only option for us. Lee finally arrives and just as he calls my parents to update them. They take us back to the post-op room and Lee insists on talking to the Dr.

I think he was ataken aback b/c of how young he looked too b/c he asked him how many of these surgeries he had performed. I wanted the Dr. to say 2000 but he said 4 or 5 of this particular kind. He told me previously that just last month they had the same situation w/ a little girl. The Dr. is great with Lee and tells him that if he had gone in by the throat it would have more risk of problems. He really made Lee feel better.

We went into the surgical waiting room. This was at 12:05AM Thursday. They tell us the surgery will be about an hour then another hour with recovery time. Lee went to get something and I asked him for a pillow and he said he could do better. He goes out to the car and brings in the bag he fixed. It has a blanket and he had gotten me a pillow. I was exhausted by now. It was 12:30. I laid on my stomach and passed out.

The next thing I remember is the phone ringing and Lee answering it. It's a nurse wanting to know if we want them to go ahead and remove his appendix since they were in there. I tell Lee sure and I don't care. He gives them the okay. I go back to sleep immediately. Around 2:30AM the Dr. comes in. It took a bit for me to get with it. He said the surgery went perfectly. They had to pull out his intestines and dig around for the battery. It was apparently hard to find and get out.

We get to Jackson and he was sleeping and out of it. He woke up or at least stirred every little bit. We were told that he did very well. One horrible part of it all is that he had to have a tube down his throat. Poor baby.

We get settled in on the pediatric unit and we finally all settle in for a good nights rest. Yeah right. It's almost 4 by now and we hardly slept at all. Jackson woke up around 6 crying in pain and they came in and gave him some meds. Lee left around 9 or so and went home to take care of some things and to bring us some clothes. I got on the phone and started dealing with work crap. Bob came by and although it was a nice gesture it was really all about work. He came back a few hours later wanting to sit down and go over stuff. He then called even later and Jackson is crying so hard in the background and you know I shouldn't have even worried about work, but no, I did. I literally spent all day in Jacksons room watching him sleep and on the phone with work.

Jackson didn't hardly wake all day. Just off and on. He was still sleeping off the anesthesia. My mom drove down and arrived in time to pick up Mackenzie from school. The two of them headed over to the hospital to see Jackson. In an email I sent out I said that Jackson smiled for the first time since all of this when he say Mackenzie, but it was actually when he say Grandmama. They stayed for a bit and Jackson I think enjoyed the time.

Lee arrived back at the hospital around 7. He was gone a LONG time. I finally left around 8:15 to run to Walmart and get something to read and to pick up Chick-fil-A. I got back around 9. It was nice to run out for a bit. Being holed up in a hospital room all day is not fun. It's not like I could walk around or go outside b/c he's a little baby and I had to be there incase he awakened.

We had a decent nights sleep, or at least I did. Jackson woke up only twice. I left around 9:30 to find an internet connection and then headed across the street to Countrywide to use a desk, internet and printer. We had 2 closings there on Friday and 1 purchase that afternoon. Yes, my son is in the hospital and I leave to do my job. Do I get one thank you from Bob? No. Do I get bitched out b/c this crazy realtor who Bob left 2 messages for acts like she never got them? Yes. And the crazy thing of it all is I'm not the one who was suppose to get in touch with her. I resent greatly the attitude I was given on Friday afternoon. I delayed Jackson's realease by 2 hrs because I was working. Ugh. It's frustrating.

Okay, so Jackson came home late Friday afternoon. He laid around Saturday and on Sunday he went was up and around playing. He was dying to go outside and ride in his car. He is much better and I am so thankful for the surgeon Dr. Michael Taylor. He was amazing!

This is my story and I'm sticking to it!