plansrme Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I have not been on the board much this summer, and I don't doubt that this was covered extensively early in the summer, but I just want to put out a heads' up that it can happen to older kids, too. My teenaged daughter inhaled water in a lake this weekend when the tube-type contraption on which she was being pulled flipped over suddenly. I was not there and did not know what had happened until she got home hours later. She had gotten under the tube when it flipped and then coughed up mouthfuls of water when she surfaced. She says she felt wiped out for the rest of the day, but she drove herself home when the party was over. As soon as she walked in, though, I knew something was wrong. I was on my way out with another kid but stopped to talk for a few minutes, and thank God I did. She told me what had happened and that she had gotten out of breath just walking into the house. She is a highly-conditioned athlete--she works out for hours at a time; this was not normal. I took her to the ER, and the exertion of walking five minutes from our car to the check-in desk apparently sent her into respiratory distress. I had her sit down while I checked her in at the desk, thinking I was probably overreacting, but as soon as I had her paperwork in hand, I looked over and knew she was in trouble. She couldn't talk and was really struggling to breathe. I went all crazy mama yelling for a nurse, and they jumped on it and had her on oxygen within a minute or two (bonus! we jumped ahead of everyone else in the Friday night ER!). The hospital admitted her to watch her overnight, and she has been fine ever since, but I shudder to think what might have happened if she had come home to an empty house and had exerted herself in the slightest. Probably she would not have, but still, if you are going to not be able to breathe, the ER waiting room is a better place for that to happen than in your house or, worse, in your car alone while you are driving home from a lake party. She did not have water in her lungs--she apparently coughed it all up, but the resident (who looked like he was about 12--is there no minimum age to be a doctor?) said that water destroys the surfactant in the lungs that makes them pliable. Until the body replenishes it, you can have issues. She is fine now, but since the horror stories you read about all involve infants and toddlers who go to sleep and do not wake up after a near-drowning, I just want you all to know to keep an eye on older kids and adults as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 (((Hugs))) Thank goodness she is OK!!! And thank you for the heads-up! I hope no one else here needs to use the knowledge. :-( (Haha about the baby residents...I think new ones just came in July 1) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 :grouphug: How scary! I'm glad you were there to use your Momma instincts and get her to the ER. I'm glad she's on the mend. And, thank you for the PSA. Would you believe that I've never even heard of secondary drowning before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 :grouphug: to you and your girl. I'm glad she's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Glad she is OK and thanks for the PSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I'm glad you were there and that she's ok. Thanks for posting this. I'm not sure it would have occurred to me, for whatever reason, to look for this in a teen or adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 How scary. So glad she's ok and Doogie took care of her. Thanks for letting us know about this. I was entirely ignorant of such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in FL Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 :grouphug: :grouphug: and hope for a speedy full recovery. Given the sheer size and magnitude of this board, I have little doubt that one day, your post will indeed save a life! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Wow! I agree that this is a life saving thread. (Hugs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Goodness, so glad she is o.k. you took her in and they reacted seriously to the situation. And thanks for the heads up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Oh my goodness! I never knew about the lung tissue surfectant. Is lack of that the cause of secondary drowning? Thank you for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Thank goodness she's all right! How frightening! :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Kudos to your parenting instinct and glad you were there at the right time to use it! Thanks for the PSA. I'm another that suspects it could be actually "used" to help another at some point with the scope of this board. Um, and you deserve either wine or chocolate right now - or both... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Thank goodness she's okay. I've heard of this happening, but not for a long time. I'm not sure I'd have thought of it had it one of my kids presented to me this way. I'm glad your mama instincts told you to do the right thing and so happy she's fine now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I am in the water all the time-ocean and pool, but I've never heard about what you described. THANK YOU for posting. Knowing this can save lives. Glad your DD is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 How very scary for her and for you. I'm glad that she's now recovered. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Wow, thank you so much! Thank heavens you were alert and she got good care! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura's Haven Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Thank God she is okay! ((Hugs)) Thank you for sharing what happened; we can never be too aware of situations like these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 My gracious! I am glad that you followed your instincts and that everything turned out alright. I also agree with pp that this is information that could be valuable for many in this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 My dd the medic lost a teenage patient last summer to secondary drowning. She went to sleep in her bedroom after a scary incident when a canoe overturned. By the time her parents checked on her, she had been gone too long to be worked on. So PLEASE spread the word about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 My dd the medic lost a teenage patient last summer to secondary drowning. She went to sleep in her bedroom after a scary incident when a canoe overturned. By the time her parents checked on her, she had been gone too long to be worked on. So PLEASE spread the word about this. Oh, no. So, if a lot of water is inhaled (is that the term?), should victims be taken to hospital, even if they seem ok? I'm going to check my first aid books and scout info now. This simply doesn't seem familiar, shockingly. Should I be checking under the term 'secondary drowning?' Btw, addressing Faith, OP or anyone who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Wow! Thanks for the PSA, because I've never heard of it until now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I'm sorry for your experience but thankfully for your sharing. So glad your daughter is recovering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 Oh, no. So, if a lot of water is inhaled (is that the term?), should victims be taken to hospital, even if they seem ok? I'm going to check my first aid books and scout info now. This simply doesn't seem familiar, shockingly. Should I be checking under the term 'secondary drowning?' Btw, addressing Faith, OP or anyone who knows. OP here. I don't know what the official recommendations are, but you can google "secondary drowning" or "dry drowning," though I don't know that either of them is exactly what happened to her. I called the children's hospital's nurses' line before I took her in, and they said to bring her in, but her only symptom at that point was being out of breath when she shouldn't have been. In the ER, they asked about other symptoms that, it turned out, she also had had--headache and numbness in one hand, but those had gone away by the time she got home. There are several articles on the internet that tell you what to look for in younger children who can't tell you what is going on, e.g., irritability, listlessness, that sort of thing, but I did not really find any hard and fast rules about when you should take an older child in. I did not even think of this as a near-drowning because she was wearing a life jacket and not actually in danger of drowning, but she definitely inhaled water, so I suppose it might as well have been. In retrospect, I would have (if I had known what happened) not let her drive herself home. ETA: This is a good, short article on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Glad she's alright. That must have been very scary for all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Ys if someone struggled to surface, coughs up water instead of spitting...may appear to have difficulty getting enough wind to speak, etc.its worth checking out. Immediately feeling lethargic, being quieter than normal after the incident, disorientation,desperately wanting to nap...usually if a person has been under enough to swallow water more than multiple times, get checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thank you for sharing your DD's story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thanks for the info! Glad your daughter is ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 How terrifying! So glad she is okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 How scary! I'm glad she's ok now, I'm glad you were home! :grouphug: And it's a good reminder. Thank-you for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thank you, OP. I have lots of acquaintances and extended family with little kids, and a lot of teen "friends" (friends of my kids, who are old enough and go to the lake frequently, BY THEMSELVES) so I'm going to pass along your PSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 this warning has been on our local news a couple of times this summer. I had never heard of it before. We have a pool and my kids are in it daily. I do watch them carefully since I saw this on the news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I'm so glad your DD is okay! I had no idea this could happen. Thanks for the PSA. We have 2 water events planned with our youth group next month and I can let the other leaders know what to look for in case something happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 How scary! I'm so glad she's ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwallowTail Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I am so glad she is okay and that your instincts protected her. I know of people who experienced what they called "aspiration pneumonia" after being the storm surge in Hurricane Katrina, and it is scary stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I'm so glad she is okay! Thank you for sharing so everyone is aware it is a very real risk. :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thank you for sharing. I just read your story to my teenage sons. I have not been on the board much this summer, and I don't doubt that this was covered extensively early in the summer, but I just want to put out a heads' up that it can happen to older kids, too. My teenaged daughter inhaled water in a lake this weekend when the tube-type contraption on which she was being pulled flipped over suddenly. I was not there and did not know what had happened until she got home hours later. She had gotten under the tube when it flipped and then coughed up mouthfuls of water when she surfaced. She says she felt wiped out for the rest of the day, but she drove herself home when the party was over. As soon as she walked in, though, I knew something was wrong. I was on my way out with another kid but stopped to talk for a few minutes, and thank God I did. She told me what had happened and that she had gotten out of breath just walking into the house. She is a highly-conditioned athlete--she works out for hours at a time; this was not normal. I took her to the ER, and the exertion of walking five minutes from our car to the check-in desk apparently sent her into respiratory distress. I had her sit down while I checked her in at the desk, thinking I was probably overreacting, but as soon as I had her paperwork in hand, I looked over and knew she was in trouble. She couldn't talk and was really struggling to breathe. I went all crazy mama yelling for a nurse, and they jumped on it and had her on oxygen within a minute or two (bonus! we jumped ahead of everyone else in the Friday night ER!). The hospital admitted her to watch her overnight, and she has been fine ever since, but I shudder to think what might have happened if she had come home to an empty house and had exerted herself in the slightest. Probably she would not have, but still, if you are going to not be able to breathe, the ER waiting room is a better place for that to happen than in your house or, worse, in your car alone while you are driving home from a lake party. She did not have water in her lungs--she apparently coughed it all up, but the resident (who looked like he was about 12--is there no minimum age to be a doctor?) said that water destroys the surfactant in the lungs that makes them pliable. Until the body replenishes it, you can have issues. She is fine now, but since the horror stories you read about all involve infants and toddlers who go to sleep and do not wake up after a near-drowning, I just want you all to know to keep an eye on older kids and adults as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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