Diamond Butt

We had an interesting weekend/week so far.  Friday night Joel started throwing up. He said he had a lot of spit and needed to spit it out and walked around outside spitting after Norah's dance class.  We told him it was gross and to try to swallow it.  He said he couldn't but stopped spitting.  We got home and ate dinner in front of the tv while we watched a movie.  Joel got up from the couch and threw up his entire dinner.  He threw up a few more times so we thought he had a stomach virus.

 We didn't let him go to a birthday party Saturday morning.  He was looking forward to it. The ENTIRE class was invited.  But around lunch time he started feeling better and acting normal so we went to Jeffs house to swim all afternoon in the pool and stayed for dinner.

 Jeff swam laps.... the rest of us lounged in the pool during break.

 The kids had so much fun! Norah's asked several times already when we were going to go back and do it all again.

 Joel swam around like normal.  We even made them all swim 500 meters to get smores that night.

We thought Joel was fine and over whatever was bothering his stomach.  But then he threw up several more times Saturday night after we got home and a few more times Sunday morning.  

Then Joel became really agitated and not listening and yelling at us. He wanted to eat but we told him he could only eat pretzels because his stomach was upset. He was mad and yelled and didn't listen and threw things around. We sent him to his room and I left to go to Walmart.  I was  getting into my car at the end when Brent calls and said "I know why Joel's been throwing up.  Meet me at urgent care!!!"  Joel had finally told Brent what had happened.

ON FRIDAY!!!!!! He had been coloring with a diamond pen and I guess something had gotten stuck on the end of it. He tried to use his teeth to get it off and the diamond popped off and he quickly swallowed it before he knew what was happening.  He was afraid the doctors would have to cut it out so he didn't want to tell us.  His chest really hurt and he was in a lot of pain. But he was so afraid the doctors would cut him open. He had been in so much pain all weekend which explains his really foul mood sunday afternon.  He had a good reason! Poor boy! 

 We spent several hours at urgent care and then 7 hours at the children's hospital. Our pretty ears were rubbed a lot that night.  The xrays didn't show up the plastic diamond and he was having chest pains so they ordered a swallow test. He had to drink some special drink and the radiologist watched him swallow it.  His esophagus is bruised and scratched but nothing was leaking from it. Also we saw that the diamond had passed through his stomach. All good reports but then it was just a waiting game.

 Monday he couldn't keep any food down. He would just throw up and then cry in pain.  He said his pain level was at a 4 in the hospital and Monday night he was crying and said it was at a 10.  Then just as I was getting ready to head to the hospital again he would fall asleep and seem to be comfortable.  To be honest I thought it was stuck. We've been really worried.  But I waited a little longer to take him back in because he seemed better and also knew if we went back in they would take him back to the operating room. They had said that on Sunday. Then on Tuesday he said his pain level was at a 5 and it was in a different place on his stomach so I knew the diamond was moving.  He still couldn't keep food down though.

 And thankfully this morning he finally passed it!!!! And it has such a sharp point on the end. I'm sure he's all scratched up inside.  He also kept down his lunch so I think hes good to go back to school tomorrow - for his final day! Poor thing has missed all the fun days of school this week.

I told him he has a new found talent - that he poops out diamonds and maybe he could actually make us some money from this.  He didn't think it was that amusing.  I hope this had taught him a lesson to never stick anything that's not food anywhere near his mouth again.