Death By Chocolate
How it could happen to YOU
I have a little tale to tell that may someday save your life.
I was chewing up a bite of Hershey's Special Dark last night, yum. I am not sure if I took a breath to say something to Steve or if it was an involuntary thing, but a small bit lodged in the wrong pipe.
I began to cough to expel it. Now, if this had been a peanut or something else solid like that, it would have popped right out. But as you know, chocolate melts in your mouth (not in your hands).
What was a small piece of chocolate disolved, nearly closing off my wind pipe. Steve asked me if I was ok, and at first I was (until it melted). Then I struggled for air because the liquid chocolate was suffocating me.
Steve says clap your hands together if you need help. Imagining a bone-crushing Heimlich maneuver that would do absolutely no good since we weren't dealing with a solid object, I abstained from signaling for help.
I got up and ran to the kitchen and began coughing so hard I felt like I was going to cough up a lung. I would struggle for a breath, and then cough and cough. I managed to finally clear my pipe enough to get more air. I reached for a water glass (couldn't decide between water or milk...) when Steve suggested hot tap water might be best to clear the rest.
I've had a few scares in my life - mostly when I was a child and just scared my parents to death with my accidents and misadventures. At that age you still believe you will live forever and are made of rubber. But this is the first time I had a moment of real fear - even worse than the few car accidents I have been in (really just crashes, never had to be hospitalized or anything).
So I ended up with a massive headache and a sore throat from coughing up the lining of my esophagus. I guess the moral of my tale is to stop with one piece and not be greedy since it's the second piece that might actually kill you. As my friend Colette always says, ALL THINGS IN MODERATION. I was reminded of a very important piece of advice. And I lived to tell the tale.
I have a little tale to tell that may someday save your life.
I was chewing up a bite of Hershey's Special Dark last night, yum. I am not sure if I took a breath to say something to Steve or if it was an involuntary thing, but a small bit lodged in the wrong pipe.
I began to cough to expel it. Now, if this had been a peanut or something else solid like that, it would have popped right out. But as you know, chocolate melts in your mouth (not in your hands).
What was a small piece of chocolate disolved, nearly closing off my wind pipe. Steve asked me if I was ok, and at first I was (until it melted). Then I struggled for air because the liquid chocolate was suffocating me.
Steve says clap your hands together if you need help. Imagining a bone-crushing Heimlich maneuver that would do absolutely no good since we weren't dealing with a solid object, I abstained from signaling for help.
I got up and ran to the kitchen and began coughing so hard I felt like I was going to cough up a lung. I would struggle for a breath, and then cough and cough. I managed to finally clear my pipe enough to get more air. I reached for a water glass (couldn't decide between water or milk...) when Steve suggested hot tap water might be best to clear the rest.
I've had a few scares in my life - mostly when I was a child and just scared my parents to death with my accidents and misadventures. At that age you still believe you will live forever and are made of rubber. But this is the first time I had a moment of real fear - even worse than the few car accidents I have been in (really just crashes, never had to be hospitalized or anything).
So I ended up with a massive headache and a sore throat from coughing up the lining of my esophagus. I guess the moral of my tale is to stop with one piece and not be greedy since it's the second piece that might actually kill you. As my friend Colette always says, ALL THINGS IN MODERATION. I was reminded of a very important piece of advice. And I lived to tell the tale.
posted by Wendy Hughes-Jelen @ 9:08 AM
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