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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Be careful when eating.

When I became a Mother I had a lot of fears but my biggest was the fear of choking. A child sucking on a piece of candy, a too-big grape, that hot dog that wasn't cut up properly, a tootsie pop... you name it, I was afraid of it if it would cause a child to choke. ::sigh::

Yes yes. I know that we have to have faith that things things won't happen but I'm also not stupid. I carried scissors in my purse everywhere. I. went. when the kids were small because it was so easy to cut things up (and FAST!). Not to say that this was the reason we didn't have any choking incidents, but still, it helped. I cut grapes. Sliced hot dogs. Watched when kids ate suckers. Yeah. All of that.

We managed to get through infancy, toddlerhood without even ONE incident of choking. Not one. I guess you could say I felt like I was a very good Mother for getting through all those years unscathed. Mind you, my children are very close in age (roughly 18 to 22 months from each other). I was always pregnant by that first birthday party. lol Yikes. (I know you're thinking that it was a lot, and it was, but truthfully it's harder when they get older. More to worry about.)

So, when we were coming home from Walmart after buying various school needs (for the LAST THREE DAYS), I couldn't believe the incident that happened as we pulled onto the highway. Let me tell you, it all turned out okay, but still.... I needed a good, stiff drink to get myself to settle down after what I'm about to tell you.

I hear "are you okay" and I turn my head to look behind me to see Nadine looking at a frantic, wide-eyed Nicole.

What is it? I say.

Nicole shakes her head, points to her throat, making no noise.

ARE YOU OKAY?

She wildly shakes her head no.

The next fifteen seconds are a total blur.

Jeff whips the car off the highway, I throw open my door... and I truly do not remember the next bit...I grab Natalie by the arm and toss her out onto the grass, which was covered in gravel (so she's now scraped and bleeding).... I take hold of Nicole and pull her out of the car.

With cars racing by us my mind was spinning. (my mind doing that screaming thing again)

I do the Heimlich maneuver on Nicole and nothing happens. She is still not breathing. She's waving her arms about and her face begins to take on a not-so-pink color. I am truly, without a doubt, panicking like I have never panicked before. My heart is pounding a mile a minute.

I perform the maneuver again.

And out it comes. Nearly 3/4ths of a Popsicle that had slid down her airway, blocking her from breathing.

My heart relaxes and I feel that sense of relief wash over me.

It's okay. It's going to be okay.

She's shaken up and I say, are you okay? She replies with, "now I am." :)

I turn to see Natalie, who is crying and scraped and bleeding... and I realize in my manic I threw her from the car. I felt so badly and told her so. Poor thing. (she is now okay, when we got home she went swimming next door and felt fine)  It made me realize how people can do things without realizing they are doing them, that your body literally takes over in that moment of fear and panic and you just DO. You do whatever needs to be done. I am thankful that I was there at that moment, and that everyone is okay.

My family is the most important thing to me in the world. I do not know what I would do without any. of. them. :)




ps: i put some new earrings in the shoppe. check them out.

5 comments:

Kristen said...

WOW!! I have huge tears in my eyes!! It's my biggest fear as well as a mom. I'm so impressed that you performed that on her while keeping your thoughts together. Good for you! So glad everything turned out ok! Kind of puts things in perspective. Life is precious.

Rachel said...

I think that is the fear of every mother out there! I had tears in my eyes reading that and my heart was racing!! It's so easy to imagine that happening and putting yourself in that place. Thank God she was alright!!

Anonymous said...

Wow that must have been scary! I almost killed my cousin Jason when he was two, I was five. We were in the car waiting for my mom and I had a starlight mint (the round, flat red and white mints). He asked if he could have one and I asked him if his mom would let him have one. Of course he said yes and I gave him one. We were pulling in the driveway when we noticed he was turning colors. It took my parents an eternity (sure felt like an eternity!) to get it to pop out!

We get patients that choke every so often too. It never gets any less scary. Someone's life is depending on you and you don't want to fail them.

I am so glad that she is okay!Good job mom!! :D

Donna Smyth MacFawn

byLGD Glass Jewelry said...

i know. it was really scary. when i turned around to look at her, i could not believe what was going on. that look on her face. ::sigh:: i have never seen anything like it, the panic, the fear, all there on her face, looking at ME for help. i am so thankful to Mr. Heimlich. Let me tell you! it was easy to do too, and quick! :)

Lanyardlady said...

So, scary...Thank goodness for a brave mom who had the presence of mind to take quick action. In high school I choked on a piece of hard candy. There was no one around to help me and just as I felt I was starting to black out, i "Heimleched" myself and it came out. To this day I don't go near hard candy. It was terrifying.