Speak up--there's something in my ear

I know what you're thinking:  Karen, again with the ears? 

Yes.  Always with the ears.

It's kind of our thing.  Apparently.

Because of his surgery last summer and the resulting big hole in his left ear and the tube in his right ear, Justus was recently fitted for custom earplugs for his swimming pleasure (and the preservation of my sanity) this summer.  Yay!  They aren't in yet, but they will be red/blue/purple swirled together.  He is super excited for them to come in.  This is him getting fitted for them.  He thought the pink foam was really cool.  Note that it is pink.  That will be important later.

When we first went in for him to be fitted a couple weeks ago, he apparently had an ear infection in his left ear (surgery ear) and we didn't know it.  So, we had to do antibiotic drops for a week, and go for a recheck before they would do the molds.  He was disappointed that we didn't get the earplugs right then.  Last Friday was the big day for the fitting and he's been talking abou them at least daily since.  Lord, let those plugs get here soon!!

So, this week, he's mentioned from time to time that his ear was itching or bothering him a bit.  We figured it was still just from the ear infection.  But, it seemed more than usual post-infection, so I was actually thinking of calling the ENT again just to run it by him.  I'm somewhat hyper-sensitive about that left ear.  Or, so I thought I was.

Last night at dinner, Justus mentioned his ear was bothering him and itching and said it was "the hard pink shiny thing."  I thought he was talking about the PINK foam from the fitting.  He mumbled something about the hard pink shiny thing with the grey back.  Didn't know what he was talking about, moved on.

After I put Delaney to bed, I went in to Justus' room for prayers, where he and Kidd were reading in bed.  Since they were mid-book, I went to snuggle up next to him and listen to the rest of the book with them.  Then, I saw this:

I freaked out almost broke into tears, took a deep breath, and hollered at asked Justus what was in his ear.  He immediately cried and covered his face with the sheet (certainly not at all because of my reaction).  He said he stuck it in there "yesterday."  So yes, "hard pink shiny thing" exists.  In his ear.  Where he said it was.  oops.

I get him up and tell him we're going to the ER, to which he says he doesn't want to go and wants me to get it out with scissors.  Hmmmm....NO.  On the way to the ER, I find out the rest of the story.  He put it in his ear on MONDAY and did it because he thought it was an earplug!!!!  Yes, 4 days have gone by as it is now Thursday evening when it's discovered.  I'm officially the most inattentive mother ever.  I asked if he told a teacher, which he said he did and she told him not to put anything in his ear anymore.  Methinks he failed to mention that it was stuck there and wouldn't come out.  So, while I continued to overreact at the very thought of a foreign object in the ear that has a huge hole and not a bone to be found anywhere inside remained calm as we pulled into the ER, I hear this quiet and sad "it's all my fault...it's all my fault..."  poor kid.  Yes, I finally got it together then and filled the role of good and reassuring mom who hugged and promised him it wasn't a big deal and that they just needed to get it out.  I just wanted him to know that when something like that happens, he has to tell someone and keep telling someone until it's taken care of.  I know he didn't because he just worried he was going to get in trouble.

Despite the lying, piece of junk sign in front of the hospital that promised only a 6 minute wait, we waited almost an hour before we were in the triage where the nurse on duty was making him laugh about the various ways they would get it out, like blowing an air hose into his bellybutton all the way up and pushing it out his ear from the inside.  Thank God for people like that in moments where frustration has firmly taken root.  And 2 hours later, we had this:

The hard pink shiny thing that came from the floor of the block center at school, next to a penny for good measure.  It's not nearly as big as what I originally saw jammed up in my child's head.  I suppose it never is.  He didn't fuss or complain at all about them getting it out and went home and immediately crashed out, since it was waaaay past his bedtime, and ours.

So, another story in the adventure of the left ear in the Royal household is in the books. 

Lesson of the day, kids:  Don't stick hard pink shiny things in your ear and not tell anyone for 4 days!