Worst Three Minutes of My Life

Parenting comes with all kinds of highs and lows. Two weeks ago I definately had a low point. Braxton and I were just hanging out on the floor watching American Idol. He was crawling behind the couch and came around and sat down by me. He went to put a toy in his mouth, when all of a sudden he scrunched his face up like he was going to let out a major cry--but the cry never came. I looked at him closer and he started turning purple and convulsing. My first thought was that something fell off the toy and down his throat, so I picked him up and started the heimlich over my arm. I swear I pounded his back so hard, I was expecting broken ribs. I am not sure how long it lasted but the girl on AI that had just started singing when he started choking was being judged by the time he was breathing again--so at least a minute or two.

I am grateful that I acted so quickly; however, I came very close to stopping the heimlich and calling 911. The object would dislodge every 20 seconds or so, but when he tried to breath in, it would get stuck again. After this repeating 4 or 5 times, I started to panick and that was when it came dislodged for good. Unfortunately, it didn't come out and he spent the next minute swallowing with great effort to get it down. Once it reached a certain point, he just looked at me, sighed like 'thank you mom' and then wanted put down to play again.

I immediately ran over to the toys and looked them all over--nothing was missing of course--and spent the next 20 minutes hysterical and on the phone to Brian, my parents, and the after hours nurse at my doctor trying to decide whether or not to go the hospital for an X-ray or ultrasound to find out what it was. The nurse told us as long as it wasn't a battery or 2 magnets together and he could eat and drink and act normally, then we should just wait for it to pass.

Well, it's two weeks later and we still have no idea what he swallowed. The best ideas we've come up with is some change--like a penny or nickel that was just under the couch--or a sales receipt. The nurse told us that paper can block the airway like that and we won't see it come through.

Sifting through diapers is disgusting and even though I think I have looked through them good, I still have probably missed the item and we will never know what it was. All I have to say is that choking is definately on my top 5 list for things you hope never happens to your children. It was terrifying and for sure the worst 3 minutes of my life.