Gillian Lord Meier, from Fourways, was shocked and deeply concerned after her teenage son unknowingly swallowed a sharp, folded bottle cap while out with friends, an incident that quickly turned into a medical emergency.

“He came home and told me about it at around 13:00. We went to Olivedale Clinic emergency room (ER), who immediately did x-rays to confirm that he had ingested the bottle top.”

What made the situation even more unsettling, was that her son hadn’t realised at first what had happened. “He did not see the top when he swallowed it. His friends told him that they were sure they saw a bottle top in the glass, and they believe he swallowed it. At the time, my son did not feel it go down his throat, but he started feeling very concerned that he might have swallowed it.”

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Acting quickly, Lord Meier said she insisted they go to the ER, despite the uncertainty. “When he told me, I immediately said that we should go to the ER, even if he wasn’t 100% sure he had swallowed it, for peace of mind.”

While waiting for the initial x-rays, she said her son began to feel a sharp pain in his stomach. “They confirmed what he was feeling was indeed the sharp folded bottle cap. They also said they would need to decide what type of surgeon would remove it, as it depended on where the object was located by the time they attended to him.”

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She said it took several hours for the surgeon to book him into emergency surgery.
“They did another set of x-rays to confirm it had not moved out of his stomach into his intestines, as that would have been very high risk and potentially life-threatening, as the object could cause punctures or internal damage.”

Thanks to prompt medical care, the object was located and managed before causing serious harm.

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Lord Meier is now sharing the story to urge other parents in Fourways to trust their instincts and to encourage teens to speak up when something feels wrong, even if they’re unsure.

“Peace of mind is everything,” she said.

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