How to Survive Life in the Suburbs

Butterfly Backings and ER Docs

in Everyday on

In the middle of June I took my two wonderful girls to get their ears pierced. They were 7 and 10 and had pleaded their case. Hubby and I figured these incredibly good girls were responsible enough to deserve such a privilege.
They (we) took care of those little lobes daily.
Cleansed, twisted, did not play with them.
They healed perfectly.

We were proud.

Last week they took out the big clumsy studs and put in the pretty wee earrings they have been coveting for months.

Still 14K gold. No cheapo stuff. We have heard about bad allergic reactions to those babies.

Continued to take good care for a day or two.

Then forgot about them.

One week later SweetGirl came charging into my bedroom yelling…

“Mommy Mommy I can’t find the backings to my earrings and I have looked everywhere!!”

I looked at her ears…those butterfly backings were INSIDE her earlobes. Her little earlobes swallowed up those backings and they were gone gone gone.

A quick trip to the pediatrician was not enough.

4 hours in the Emergency Room.
The very confident Emergency Room Physician had to freeze SweetGirls Ears while I acted all brave for her. My tiny 7 year old shook, whimpered and softly cried. ..my heart ached.

The butterfly backings were extracted with a little help from fancy tweezers and a scalpel.

I had no idea this could happen!

The lessons learned on this strange day:

Kids ears have the ability to heal over faster than Superman can fly.

Tiny butterfly backings should not be worn the first year. They are too easily PUSHED inside the earlobe by little girls who are fearful of losing the pretty little earrings.

Hoops are the best choice, followed by those great big post types of earrings.

Never wear the plastic cheapo backs…those ER Docs say they see A LOT of those!

Four hours in the ER for a relative simple procedure was emotionally and physically draining. Be thankful for your healthy children.

Hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend!

    • Comments

    2. Awww..thanks for the well wishes! She is completley fine now, managed to slide some cute little hoops in, and yes I will also survive! LOL

    7. eeeek, this happened to a friend of my daughter too. You are not alone. There is a culture here amongst the Asian Indian of having baby girls ears pierced. I actually think there is someting in it, that the holes are fully healed before they can fiddle with them themselves. Sounds like it was pretty awful for you all, at least it’s over now. x

    8. That happened to my 5 year old too. The earing came out, but the butterfly got stuck in the hole. We had to take her to the clinic, where she was very brave. They froze it and just pushed it out, they never used a scalpel. Thankfully she still wanted to keep her earrings.

      LOL, had that happened to my younger one, she’d not of done it again. Ironically, she’s the one with 8 holes all over her ears…UGHS.

    12. Oh Hon, I am so sorry. I know all too well how bad a mommy’s heart hurts in the hospital! Thanks for passing the info on, though. I never would have known!

    14. That is good to know. Thanks for sharing. Mine little one does not have earrings yet. But I know she will want them someday.