J3's Crazy Bubble Scare

A couple of days ago we had to run an errand to Walmart so I could pick up some folders for some MOPS Coordinator's training packets. J3 is the only one of my kids who's ever latched onto something he wants to take home when we go to a store. This day it was a bubble gun. Naturally I declined, but I did put the large container of bubble solution into the cart. Typically we make our own solution, but we hadn't yet this season so I thought, "Why not?"

The next day he spent hours in the afternoon with his sister and brothers blowing bubbles. Ever seen a just-turned-3yo blow bubbles? I kept trying to teach him technique and encourage him to keep the bubble wand OFF of his face. To no avail. Eventually they all get the hang of it and in the meantime his face was a bit soapy and none of us witnessed any drinking. Honest. and I'm pretty sure we would have noticed. When I brought him in I rinsed his face well and that was that.

All that evening he complained about his mouth and he kept running to the bathroom to look at it. Not once did he say, "My mouth hurts!" That night he complained when we brushed his teeth and wiped his face from dinner. I noticed his lips were pretty red and thought that perhaps the extended time in the water chapped them. I put some Vaseline on to relieve the discomfort.

Friday morning he looked the same. He still complained about his lips and I reapplied the Vaseline.

Finally, it was time to leave for the picnic. Dan's lab has a huge picnic annually for the staff and users of the facility. The plan was to drive to the lab, pick up Dan, and head to the park. When I got there Dan was snagged by someone and he needed to talk to this guy for 10 minutes. I took the kids in to wait. That is when I noticed it.

The whitish blue crazy creepy flaps of skin hanging off of J3's mouth. White. With a tinge of blue. HANGING over his teeth. I quickly made an assessment. First reaction. WHAT IS THAT? Second reaction. Gross! I decided water would help. By this time J3 would not swallow and looked quite miserable.

I phoned Dan again and we met up in the atrium of his building where I showed him this crazy creepy skin thing going on in J3's mouth. I said, "Does this look like a trip to urgent care to you?" Yes, was the emphatic reply.

So, instead of heading to fun and frolic. We went to urgent care and I sat down with the check in lady spewing out allergic reaction...bubbles...yuck....

When all was said and done, his vitals were fine and his breathing was good. He just has this awful chemical burn in his mouth and the crazy creepy flaps of skin which, in case you are still wondering, were the surfaces of the inside of this sweet boy's mouth and tongue. He lost the top (and probably several more) layers of those sensitive epithelial cells lining the inside of his mouth and the top of his tongue. The whole thing. The back of his throat was fine- so no swallowing. We didn't think so.

We've been treating him with a mixture of liquid Benadryl and Mylanta. Today it looks much better and he will swallow now too. But he's still losing the crazy creepy flaps of skin.

This is much later in the day when it was looking way better. His top lip was really awful. The whitish layer you see is skin that has died and will slough off. The redder part is the raw, newly exposed layer. Imagine it being like that on top only it was hanging down over his teeth! And trust me this photo does not do the carnage justice. AAAhhhhh!

Dead, white skin on the back of his tongue and the front is the red and newly exposed layer. It came off in chunks all over his mouth.

So, now what to do? I'd like to know what's in those bubbles- the harmless big bottle of little kid fun. I don't know if it was an allergic reaction or an oversensitivity to harsh chemicals and long exposure. I do know the doctors and nurses at the urgent care had never seen anything like it. I hadn't either. J3- constantly taking us to new levels of parenting.

Of course I've also thought of generating one of those "pass this to all your friends" emails. Instead of my 3yo's face being burned by Magic Eraser, it'll be my 3yo's mouth was caustically burned by Walmart Bubble Solution in the large bottle. I wonder if it's made in China. I wonder if Snope's would have an answer as to whether or not it's a hoax.