Crazy. Sometimes life is just crazy.
For example, yesterday Madi and Grayson came downstairs where I was making lunch to inform me that they had beans up their noses.
See, we have a sensory bin. It's a large, flat tub that I keep filled with things like dried beans, corn, or rice. We pull it out when we need a little extra fun and the kids can dig around and play. It's obnoxious to clean up, but otherwise a great activity. We have had it in our home for the last two years and have NEVER had an issue with it. I guess we were due.
So Grayson plugged up his nostril and blew his bean out, no problem. However, Madi, who is only three, did not quite understand the concept of "blow" being different from "suck". Even so, it almost came out, but then she sucked it back up into her nose. We called the doctor, packed up Brooklyn's school work and headed out. (I very nearly left the house with the stove on and my grilled cheese sandwich cooking, but remembered at the last second - Praise the Lord! My sandwich was just very well done!).
The nurse practitioner did her best to extract the bean by placing a device over Madi's mouth and blowing air into it while I plugged her nostril. If Madi would have sat still, I'm sure the bean would have popped right out. But it's Madi. She is very shy and possibly embarrassed and having the nurse asking her questions about something was not supposed to have done was just too much for her. She fought and cried and buried her head despite my best pleadings, bribes, and assurances that it wouldn't hurt. The doctor came in and we tired again. And again. Poor thing! The doctor declared that it was too far back and would probably have to be removed. They sent us to an ENT Surgery specialist.
At this point I had Ray leave work to get the other kids because we had no idea how the rest of the day would play out. My sense from the doctors was that this was a high priority, but not yet an emergency.
The ENT doctor was very nice and he established quickly that she was clearly not going to sit still and let him attempt removal unless she was asleep, and since she had eaten lunch anesthetic was not a good option that day. The second issue was time. The doctor didn't have any time available Tuesday or Wednesday to schedule the removal. Finally they scheduled us for Thursday morning and sent us home.
Ray and I were both so nervous. The doctor assured us that the chances of the bean dislodging and getting in her throat or somewhere else was pretty slim. The bean was swollen and really not going anywhere. But still, it was a possibility to watch for! I looked at Madi and all I could see was a giant bean in place of her head! She was so sweet. On the ride home she said, "Mommy, I'm sorry I put a bean up my nose." and every time I asked her if she the bean was still there she said, "Yep!"
Right before bed, Ray got a flashlight and looked up Madi's nose. The bean was right there...visible...taunting us with its nearness. We decided to try just one more time. I held Madi's head and plugged her nostril while Ray blew air into mouth. THE BEAN POPPED RIGHT OUT! My guess is that her time at home allowed her nasal cavities to relax. I can't even tell you the weight that was lifted! The levity in our home that night was magical!
The moral of the story is: Don't put beans up your nose.
For example, yesterday Madi and Grayson came downstairs where I was making lunch to inform me that they had beans up their noses.
See, we have a sensory bin. It's a large, flat tub that I keep filled with things like dried beans, corn, or rice. We pull it out when we need a little extra fun and the kids can dig around and play. It's obnoxious to clean up, but otherwise a great activity. We have had it in our home for the last two years and have NEVER had an issue with it. I guess we were due.
So Grayson plugged up his nostril and blew his bean out, no problem. However, Madi, who is only three, did not quite understand the concept of "blow" being different from "suck". Even so, it almost came out, but then she sucked it back up into her nose. We called the doctor, packed up Brooklyn's school work and headed out. (I very nearly left the house with the stove on and my grilled cheese sandwich cooking, but remembered at the last second - Praise the Lord! My sandwich was just very well done!).
The nurse practitioner did her best to extract the bean by placing a device over Madi's mouth and blowing air into it while I plugged her nostril. If Madi would have sat still, I'm sure the bean would have popped right out. But it's Madi. She is very shy and possibly embarrassed and having the nurse asking her questions about something was not supposed to have done was just too much for her. She fought and cried and buried her head despite my best pleadings, bribes, and assurances that it wouldn't hurt. The doctor came in and we tired again. And again. Poor thing! The doctor declared that it was too far back and would probably have to be removed. They sent us to an ENT Surgery specialist.
At this point I had Ray leave work to get the other kids because we had no idea how the rest of the day would play out. My sense from the doctors was that this was a high priority, but not yet an emergency.
The ENT doctor was very nice and he established quickly that she was clearly not going to sit still and let him attempt removal unless she was asleep, and since she had eaten lunch anesthetic was not a good option that day. The second issue was time. The doctor didn't have any time available Tuesday or Wednesday to schedule the removal. Finally they scheduled us for Thursday morning and sent us home.
Ray and I were both so nervous. The doctor assured us that the chances of the bean dislodging and getting in her throat or somewhere else was pretty slim. The bean was swollen and really not going anywhere. But still, it was a possibility to watch for! I looked at Madi and all I could see was a giant bean in place of her head! She was so sweet. On the ride home she said, "Mommy, I'm sorry I put a bean up my nose." and every time I asked her if she the bean was still there she said, "Yep!"
Right before bed, Ray got a flashlight and looked up Madi's nose. The bean was right there...visible...taunting us with its nearness. We decided to try just one more time. I held Madi's head and plugged her nostril while Ray blew air into mouth. THE BEAN POPPED RIGHT OUT! My guess is that her time at home allowed her nasal cavities to relax. I can't even tell you the weight that was lifted! The levity in our home that night was magical!
The moral of the story is: Don't put beans up your nose.
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