To warn you all about the dangers of Foxgloves?

[Outfoxgloved]

Yes. I am unreasonable for sticking this in AIBU. Yes I'm fully aware that it's not at all unreasonable to warn someone about something dangerous.

Yes I'm also aware this post outs me, and so that's why I've name changed.

I'm hoping it's not against the rules to share a blog here? If it is, feel free to delete :) I shall take it like a woman.

Some of you may know the other me on here (since you know the story) please don't out me!

The story of what happened to DD2 last year

Well done for sharing this. Not everybody knows. I do because I grew up on a farm and learned at a very early age, not to eat anything, but a lot of people have no idea about the foxglove poison.

We actually had some grow in our garden last year and as DD is now 7 and doesn't eat plants any more, I left them there with an instruction not to touch them as they are so beautiful, but if she was smaller I would have removed them.

Thank you

Glad esme is ok now.

I'm a youth leader at my local St John Ambulance unit, would it be Ok for me to use your blog post at our next training session?, we're covering poisons next week, and our training materials don't cover the human side of what can happen. You did everything that should be done so very very well and you and your older daughter most certainly saved your little one's life .

Another one here who had no idea that Foxgloves were poisonous. DS is 10 now but having this knowledge could save the life of another child one day so thank you for that. That photo of your lovely ds with all the wires...awwww.

I was so paranoid about foxgloves when we moved into our present house I cut them all off at ground level and did with every new one I saw. That worked for about 8 years but I've seen the odd one reappear. My DSs (7 and 10) know they're poisonous.

It must have been a truly awful time for you.

Thank you for this, you write beautifully and I'm so glad your little one recovered so well. If you'd lived in a slightly different part of the country I might had been one of the team who moved her from your local hospital to icu, thank you so much for that honest insight into what my patients families are going through - your post isn't only raising awareness for parents but helping me (and my colleagues) know what parents like you want and need from us when we are looking after your little ones x

Nibled, I would be honoured.

You're all so very lovely (not foxgloves either)

Potato plants are lethal too. The small green tomato like fruit are extremely poisonous. Many bulbs are extremely poisonous.

Crocus contain colchicine that act like arsenic.

Aconite is one of the most deadly plants.

Sally, the work you do is so incredible I cannot tell you how amazing you all are. So professional and so efficient and... I don't know... Trustworthy? I trusted the team with my dd. Whilst I was helpless, I felt they were not (I cannot say how they were feeling though!)

I had absolutely no idea but we have foxgloves in the garden and dd2 is 20mo and puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. Bricks, leaves, berries

.... I've gone really cold, but I think you may have and realistically probably have saved my dd2 being seriously ill/ dead :( :( :(

I didn't know about foxgloves either. Thank god you saw them in her sick! So scary. Thank you for sharing

Goodness, OP, you and your DH both made some very smart moves there. Your dd is a very lucky little girl to have you.

Your DH 'clocking' the leaves and not glossing over , but being on the ball having noticed. Not just assuming she must have had a few mouthfuls of salad at breakfast, or just not noticing, or paying attention.

You, having the presence of mind not to just accept the explanation of 'dock leaves ' and knowing how to get the right, accurate info from your older dd without scaring her.

All equally good survival lessons as knowing that foxgloves are poisonous.

I am so pig bloody ignorant of plants too, rhubarb?! No idea... Potato plants?! No idea... Thank you from the bottom of my heart as I will NEVER forget this awareness, and I consider myself a clever person....

Thank you for sharing. I knew it was poisonous but like others thought it would give a sore tummy.

Glad that esme recovered so well.

It's not unreasonable but surely most people know that foxgloves are dangerous?

the flowers, yes I think most people know. but dormant foxgloves look a lot like other harmless plants (alkanet or comfrey for example.

best thing to do is teaching children 'no picking no licking' and to watch an leap.

How terrifying for you. I'm so glad Esme has recovered well with no lasting effects. I remember my grandmother telling me that foxgloves were poisonous as a child, but I had no knowledge of what they look like or how dangerous they were, until now.
Thank you for sharing your awful experience, I'm off to google to educate myself.

Blu, what a lovely thing to say.

I appear to have something in my eye...

It was a definite team effort. If dh hadn't noticed the leaves, then I never would have thought to ask the question. He admitted that he had no idea about foxgloves.

I don't want to panic anyone too much. Yes they are poisonous, but as with most poisonous plants, they taste vile. So even if the worst were to happen, it's highly unlikely that a child would eat enough to do themselves permanent damage.

Wow! took a lot of reading to get through that, glad your daughter is ok, i just hope that our nhs survives under the tories xxx

Really well written OP, and a very important topic. I am so glad your little girl has recovered
its a big thing to educate yourself about and I'm always surprised by how little people know about or look at their environment
I got into a chat with my son once about where medicines come from and was pointing out plants with active pharmacologic and poisonous effects
in the short walk round to school, along the pavement and in the park (so a UK urban environment) depending on season we have

foxgloves (cardiac glycosides)
privet (bad for humans, worse for horses, great for stick insects)
holly
aconite (wolfsbane)
sweet peas (lathrysm)
columbine (nausea & vomiting)
oleanders
rhododendron/azalea species
rhubarb
narcissus
delphinium
ivy
Hellebore
laburnum (laudanum source)
Horse chestnut
broom (alkaloid/cardiac antiarrythmic)
yew (taxol source)
box
and one garden even had an opportunistic little nightshade plant in it last year

In fairness I've also shown him the plants that are safe to eat e.g. sorrel, violets, nasturtiums, roses etc. and explained why you also don't lick poisoned frogs. Oddly enough most of my plant knowledge as opposed to my pharmacology was from my parents pointing out species and the poisonous one in the same way, i have no expertise in horticulture or botany

Our walks are educational

Thank you for this.

I knew about digitalis coming from them but somehow never connected that with them being so very poisonous in their natural form.

We have them in our field and I just never thought. God, seeing that picture of little Esme with all the wires and her wee penguin under her arm just really resonates given we have a nearly 2 year old DD ourselves.

I'll be digging up our complement of foxgloves until she and not-yet-arrived DC2 are old enough to be taught about them.

Thank you again.

Didactylos :o they sound like brilliant walks. As soon as dd can understand a bit more, can I send her with you?

I knew, but only in passing, I learned it when DS was very little, read it somewhere. Had no idea previously.

Your writing is beautiful, too. I don't know if you write other than this blog, but you should! You have a talent. It's been put to good use here.

Read that heart in mouth. So glad your little girl recovered. I am South of you, so glad you had Bronglais to go to. I could imagine the ambulance route to the Heath..terrifying.
I do have foxgloves in my garden, although I have told the dds not to touch them. As a child I would put the flowers on my fingers, and pick the tall stems, I assume the toxins can't be absorbed through the skin?
I have lilies of the valley as I love them, but I have avoided aconite, as it takes only a tiny amount to kill a child or pet, even though it is so beautiful.

What a relief that your little girl is OK. A nasty fright for you all.

One of my earliest memories is my mum coming out into the garden. I was happily playing "fishing". I'd filled my toy wheelbarrow with water and foxglove flowers, and was swirling them about with a stick. She panicked and kept asking if I'd eaten any (I hadn't). I was just cross she had ruined my game.

As an older child I had a fear, verging on phobia, of poisonous plants after reading a poster at a children's holiday playscheme it showed each plant with a description of how you would die. Even now I feel twitchy near laburnum trees. (They are the ones with dangly bunches of yellow flowers. The seeds are very, very poisonous. According to the poster you would die within four minutes of ingestion.)

Bronglais and its wonderful staff saved the lives of my Dad and DH and provides ongoing care to my youngest DS. I'm so sorry you had to experience this but so glad that they (and the rest of team NHS) were there for you as they have been for me and my family.