a scary story for Halloween

Last night Dan and I put the boys to bed and kicked back to watch a little t.v. After a while we heard Parker making some distressed noises.
"He must be sick." I said.

We went down to his room to find him clawing at his throat and an expression of utter panic on his face. Dan asked him what he swallowed and he managed to get out "a button."
He has a magnet board in his room with 1" buttons glued to the magnets.

I quickly sat down on his bed and told Dan to get him some water. He was pulling at his throat like he was trying to get it from the outside. It was clearly still lodged in there. I was so terrified in the few seconds it took me to deliberate. Should I try to give him the Heimlich with my limited memory, or should I try to help him swallow it completely? If a kid swallows two magnets, it could cause some serious damage to their intestines.

Just then he started to vomit and I bent him over my knee to get it on the floor. As soon as he bent over, the magnet shot out like a bullet and landed across the room. The edges were all chewed like he was gnawing on it for a little bed time snack. It must have slipped down his throat accidentally. Why a 5 year old would put a button in his mouth is beyond me!

But he came away with nothing more than a sore throat and a whole lot of fear. For now, we will be hanging his artwork with tape.