The 'Hunger' for Money!

I was reminded recently of an episode that took place in my life when I was about 11 years of age. I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact details but I put a 10p coin in my mouth and I accidentally swallowed it.

I can't remember the dimensions of the coin but it was no mean feat to swallow one of these, without choking. For some strange reason I decided no to tell anyone. After a few hours had passed my mother became a tad suspicious as she could obviously see that there was something bothering me. Later in the evening I eventually cracked and told my parents what had happened.

I was brought to the local GP and he advised that I should go to the hospital and get an X-ray done. This we did, and they decided that they should keep me in for a few days. They wanted to see if I would 'pass' the coin through the digestive system but they were also concerned about the possibility of the coin getting stuck somewhere along the way.

After a week in hospital there was no sign of the coin. The nurses had a good laugh at my expense, as they used to come in every day and ask if there was "Any change?". Another X-ray was done and they confirmed that the coin was stuck. They then decided to operate as they were fearful of the internal damage that the acid in the stomach would do to the coin if it was left in there any longer.

The surgeon duly operated to recover the coin. I did wonder, later, why he had to make the hole so big, as the scar is about five inches in length. It is not something that would enter your mind at that age but the coin could have been no more than an inch in diameter.

Following another week recovering in the hospital I was allowed to go home. Before I left the hospital the surgeon came in with the coin, black from the acid, and asked if I wanted it. I said "Yes" and his reply was "I think I should keep it because I found it". The last thing I needed was to start laughing with a belly full of stitches.