Chamber Currents
DOCTOR SUTTON TO THE RESCUE
This week, I have a funny story to share. I’ll admit, it wasn’t too funny two weeks ago, but today, we all get a few chuckles from it.
In late September, my three-year-old son began running a mild fever over the weekend. So, promptly on Monday morning, I walked into our pediatrician’s office for him to diagnose my son with what I thought was an ear infection. My son is prone to ear infections, bless his heart. Mind you, my little girl begged to tag along…so here I am with a sick son and a drama queen in tow.
After a quick peek into each ear, the pediatrician stuck what looked like a crochet needle up into my son’s nose. “Eli, what’s in your nose?” What? There’s something up in my child’s nose? What kind of mother am I? Oh boy. Eli certainly didn’t like that question either, and as he sat up, he successfully threw up all over himself and Mommy. But that’s ok. I’ve learned to deal.
Our pediatrician placed a phone call and explained that Dr. Darin Sutton could either see us right then at Carolina Bays ENT or we could wait until 2 p.m. For reasons beyond my control, I decided right then was the time. So, we make our way to Dr. Sutton’s with a little, big sister begging me not to let her brother die. It’s during times of distress we all realize how much we love each other.
Unbelievably, my kids were pretty well behaved in Dr. Sutton’s office, considering the circumstances. They were so calm and patient…the calm before the storm, right? Angela, Dr. Sutton’s nurse, invited us back and I explained, “Here, we have Eli, who has stuck a foreign object up his nose, and his big sister who is very upset and scared for him.” Not a problem for Angela. She took my little girl by the hand to show her Dora the Explorer, Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake on the computer. Eli was so curious about what Angela was doing he forgot why he was even there. He, too, enjoyed watching Spiderman and he even got a few Spiderman stickers.
Then entered Dr. Sutton. A tall and could-be intimidating persona for a little three-year-old sat down at eye level and said, “Hey, I’m Spiderman’s buddy.” Wow…he understood and played along.
Without further ado, we decided it best for Eli, who had previously determined NOONE was going to poke his nose with anything ever again, to be “asleep” when the object was to be removed from his nose. So next morning, Spiderman’s buddy, within what seemed three minutes of surgery, brought to me, in a small plastic container, a pencil eraser for my safe keeping. A pencil eraser had been in my baby’s nose long enough for his body to reject it. That’s what I get for bragging that he no longer eats rocks and acorns.
I’m terribly proud to have Dr. Darin Sutton, a Horry County native, back in town and as a Conway Area Chamber of Commerce member. A Magna cum Laude graduate of Coastal Carolina University, Dr. Sutton received his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Dr. Sutton specializes in all areas of otolaryngology (a specialist trained to treat ear, nose and throat disorders), including head and neck surgery and pediatrics (thank goodness!).
It’s pretty darn cool to know if we can’t have Spiderman to save the day we at least have his buddy here. And lesson learned for Mommy, always look up the nose! To make an appointment with Dr. Sutton, contact Carolina Bays ENT at 347-7300.
