It happened. We just got back from traveling and I was partly unpacked. I was simultaneously fixing my hair, putting makeup on, and entertaining my 19 month old. She sat on the counter and happily took everything out of the toiletries bag and then put it back in. Out again, in again. I knew the counter wasn’t the safest place for her, but she was happy and I was almost done. But then I found something small in her hand. My heart sank. It was medicine. An adult dose. And there were more pills on the counter. I was fairly certain that none had made it to her mouth, but what if one had? I knew it would be an overdose, but how bad would it be? I thought about calling the poison control hotline, but wasn’t sure if it was really necessary since she probably didn’t eat one…but then, what if she did? My level-headed husband suggested I simply call the poison control hotline to see what they’d have to say.
I didn’t want to call the poison control hotline because I was afraid it would be the same as previous experiences with nurse lines.
I assumed I’d call, go through an annoying automated system, wait on hold, and then be told to take my daughter to the ER “just in case.” I also somewhat expected to get a slap on the hand for allowing her to have access to the medicine. I couldn’t have been more wrong about what to expect–the call was quick, very professional and helpful, and non-judgmental.
I cannot express how impressed I was with the poison control hotline–in the future, I won’t hesitate to call.
After dialing 1-800-222-1222 a real person picked up after one or two rings. And, this person was a compassionate expert who walked me through what happened and what I should do about it. This professional took into account my daughter’s weight and age and calculated how many pills she would have needed to ingest before there would be significant adverse effects. He suggested I give her some milk and cheese in case her stomach was upset. He gave me real recommendations with real numbers. Thankfully, the possible one or two pills she may have ingested was far below the poisoning threshold for her. Still, he was reassuring, told me what to look for in case of an overdose, and even offered to call back later in the day to check on us.
Apparently, I was completely wrong about what to expect, and in the future if(when) I have concerns about any type of poisoning or potential ingestion I plan on calling instead of googling, since I know I’ll speak with a knowledgeable professional and not just read someone’s random opinions.
