#1 ·
Dear forum members,
Something happened to me recently that I honestly thought only occurred in those mindless American sitcoms—something you'd assume a rational adult could never experience. I was at my desk eating an orange. It’s incredibly frustrating when you bite into a segment and juice sprays everywhere, and since I had two segments stuck together—thanks, GMOs—I just shoved the whole mess into my mouth to finish chewing quickly because I wanted to say something to a colleague who was heading out. A large chunk got lodged in my throat. I felt this pulsing sensation... initially, I figured it was just a massive piece struggling to pass through my esophagus, but after a few seconds, I realized nothing was moving down. Then I tried to take a breath and realized I couldn't. 😱 Panic set in immediately, especially as my vision started to go dark. About 15 to 20 seconds had already passed. My colleague, who had actually stepped out because he thought I'd be fine despite seeing me choke, was standing just behind the half-closed door and rushed back toward me. In that moment, through sheer instinct, I managed to cough up that piece 😲
At first, I didn't think much of it. Then I did some research and discovered that choking on food is actually the 6th leading cause of accidental death in the US. 😲 Generally, if a blockage isn't cleared within 30 seconds, unconsciousness sets in. If there isn't someone nearby capable of performing the Heimlich maneuver on an unconscious victim (which is done in a supine position), death follows.
It hit me then: I have never been closer to death. And I've seen plenty of combat zones in the Middle East, I've been driving for over 20 years, and I've flown countless times...
I am writing this as a warning. Watch yourselves. This doesn't just happen to "other people." Chew carefully, swallow properly, and for heaven's sake, don't talk while you eat. Most importantly, learn the Heimlich maneuver (you can even perform it on yourself). It truly saves lives that would otherwise be lost to something incredibly banal. 🙏
Something happened to me recently that I honestly thought only occurred in those mindless American sitcoms—something you'd assume a rational adult could never experience. I was at my desk eating an orange. It’s incredibly frustrating when you bite into a segment and juice sprays everywhere, and since I had two segments stuck together—thanks, GMOs—I just shoved the whole mess into my mouth to finish chewing quickly because I wanted to say something to a colleague who was heading out. A large chunk got lodged in my throat. I felt this pulsing sensation... initially, I figured it was just a massive piece struggling to pass through my esophagus, but after a few seconds, I realized nothing was moving down. Then I tried to take a breath and realized I couldn't. 😱 Panic set in immediately, especially as my vision started to go dark. About 15 to 20 seconds had already passed. My colleague, who had actually stepped out because he thought I'd be fine despite seeing me choke, was standing just behind the half-closed door and rushed back toward me. In that moment, through sheer instinct, I managed to cough up that piece 😲
At first, I didn't think much of it. Then I did some research and discovered that choking on food is actually the 6th leading cause of accidental death in the US. 😲 Generally, if a blockage isn't cleared within 30 seconds, unconsciousness sets in. If there isn't someone nearby capable of performing the Heimlich maneuver on an unconscious victim (which is done in a supine position), death follows.
It hit me then: I have never been closer to death. And I've seen plenty of combat zones in the Middle East, I've been driving for over 20 years, and I've flown countless times...
I am writing this as a warning. Watch yourselves. This doesn't just happen to "other people." Chew carefully, swallow properly, and for heaven's sake, don't talk while you eat. Most importantly, learn the Heimlich maneuver (you can even perform it on yourself). It truly saves lives that would otherwise be lost to something incredibly banal. 🙏