scary situation - resolution might help you

luvmylocs · 06-28-2012, 04:10 PM

I had a BIG scare today. I was feeling chills earlier and even had my heater on today in my office so I decided to take these supplements I have called "wellness formula". they are huge horse pills but always seems to make me feel better. Well I didn't have much water left but I wanted to take them to feel better. I popped all three in my mouth and took a swig of water. BAD IDEA! I gagged, one must have gone down, one easily came back up and one was stuck. I mean stuck. I closed my door to my office and started coughing and yakking hoping it would come up but it wouldn't. I know it must have sounded bad. after about 40 mins of trying to get it up or push it down I called my parents and told them I needed to come over (they are about 7 miles from my job) so they could hit my back cause it just seemed stuck. of course my mother was scary. I was nervous driving home but made it. I was getting panicky and didn't want to obstruct my airway and pass out or worse. I had my dad call the pharmacist. she suggested eating something to sort of push it down, at first it hurt. she said if that didn't work I might need to go to the e.r. where they could use forceps to get it out. the banana wasn't pushing it down, it was lodged in there. my mother left the bathroom to get me some water (also suggested by the pharmacist to push it down) and God's wisdom told me to jump up and down which I did fast and furious and the pill finally went on down no problem, gravity I guess. thank God. it was terribly scary and I looked a hot mess. we learn cpr and the Heimlich for my fitness certification but I have never heard anyone say jump up and down if something is gets stuck.

anyway, just sharing with you ladies in case you or your children ever have a situation where something goes down the wrong way and gets stuck.

btw, no more chills

claudine19 · 06-28-2012, 04:23 PM

Yikes!

Glad you're okay.

Hope I remember this if needed.

claudine19 · 06-28-2012, 04:23 PM

Yikes!

Glad you're okay.

Hope I remember this if needed.

Rimi · 06-28-2012, 04:38 PM

Yes, thank the Lord you're okay!

I've had to take big fat pills before and have gotten them stuck as well. Thankfully they went down relatively quickly!

Wiregirl · 06-28-2012, 04:39 PM

Yikes....so glad you are ok!

wild~hair · 06-28-2012, 04:40 PM

Scary! Glad you're okay. That jumping up and down thing is a good idea.

The only thing I've had stuck in my throat like that was a shard of bay leaf. Luckily it didn't last long. SO had a fish bone stuck once for an hour or so. Both times eating big bites of banana did the job. Those weren't really choking hazards, though, just really uncomfortable.

I'm super paranoid about choking for some reason, to the point where it distracts me at times when I'm just eating regular food. I'm especially careful when I'm alone and eating or taking a pill.

Glad you're safe, lml!

Spider · 06-28-2012, 04:43 PM

Poor thing! Such a scary feeling especially when you're alone

The is a technique to lean over the top of a chair or even use your fist to push up into your diaphragm to help dislodge whatever it it that's stuck. In a panicky moment that's easier said than done. !

luvmylocs · 06-28-2012, 04:58 PM

thanks everybody!!

yes i was trying everything. a girl that sits outside my office knocked on the door. she said i sounded bad. i was just so damned embarrassed but i wanted to tell my friends with kids and y'all because you just never know and i never had someone say jump up and down but it worked!!

RedCatWaves · 06-28-2012, 05:25 PM

Oh my...

I think you should have sought medical care instead, long before you called your parents. Why close your door? Choking is not an embarrassment. It would really suck to die from embarrassment.

roseannadana · 06-28-2012, 05:28 PM

So glad you are okay! Very scary indeed!!

Kilajo · 06-28-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

Oh my...

I think you should have sought medical care instead, long before you called your parents. Why close your door? Choking is not an embarrassment. It would really suck to die from embarrassment.

I totally agree. Please seek medical attention if this happens again!

Sent from my PC36100 using CurlTalk App

The New Black · 06-28-2012, 05:53 PM

Wow girl! That IS scary. Glad youre ok now. But 3 horse pills at once?! You must like to live dangerously!

curlypearl · 06-28-2012, 06:19 PM

Oh luv!!! I've never been able to swallow completely normally since my brain tumor operation which affected a nerve. I can't eat anything completely dry like dry bread and I often have trouble swallowing pills.

I'm SO sorry you had that experience - I can totally relate- it scares me to death. I never had trouble swallowing before - now I have to be very careful. I'm just shaking thinking of what you went through.

I can't even swallow small size calcium tablets - I have to be extremely careful. There are gadgets in every drugstore for splitting pills - they work great. I had to grind everything for a long time - then I was able to use the splitter. I'm rambling here -can't think what to say only thanks for posting and I'm so so glad that you are OK. {{{Luvmylocs}}}

luvmylocs · 06-28-2012, 09:40 PM

i simply wasn't thinking. i didn't think that would happen but i think that's what most people think before choking. even though it was stupid or embarrassing i wanted to share with y'all in case you, a loved one or friend is ever is a situation where this occurs. i certainly would have gone to the doctor but i wanted to at least see if i could get it to come up or go down first. since i could still breathe, talk and wasn't in excruciating pain i figured it was worth a try. the pharmacist even had a suggestion of things to try before going to the er. i am happy it was resolved without a $250 or more e.r. visit bill. my throat is sore and i'm going to rest tonight but i might be in even more pain if forceps had been used to dislodge it. i'm grateful to be okay.

again, hope none of you are ever in the situation but if you are what helped me might help you.

Springcurl · 06-28-2012, 11:07 PM

Glad you're okay though!

I remember reading somewhere that sometimes the reason people die at parties when they're choking is because they're too embarrassed and go in another room.

spiderlashes5000 · 06-29-2012, 09:39 AM

I started choking once and actually peed on myself. So glad you are safe...and dry!

Wait...you were choking for 40 mins and were able to use the phone and drive?

Ugh, I feel so uncomfortable just reading about this. I keep clearing my throat! LOL Thnx for the PSA.

luvmylocs · 06-29-2012, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

I started choking once and actually peed on myself. So glad you are safe...and dry!

Wait...you were choking for 40 mins and were able to use the phone and drive?

Ugh, I feel so uncomfortable just reading about this. I keep clearing my throat! LOL Thnx for the PSA.

thanks for making me laugh

yes i was dry.

it's the weirdest thing. my throat wasn't very lubricated, then i tried to swallow with very little water 3 tablets (pic attached to show the relative size compared to my pinky fingernail).

what happened is one when down, one came up pretty easy so there was one left and my best guess is that it was just lodged there (thankfully in a not dangerous location). it wasn't obstructing my air supply or my ability to swallow. water alone wasn't forceful enough to push it down. i tried to get it to come back up by holding my head down, etc but i think it was lodged in near or around one of the folds in your throat, perhaps the folds are there to protect. i'm not really sure. based on what i was feeling the pill was definitely uncomfortable (my throat is still sore) but i think it's because it was hard and wedged in my throat and i was forcefully trying to get it to come up but i wasn't going to kill me immediately. i wouldn't have felt comfortable laying down and of course any food i consumed probably would have helped push it down but the last thing i wanted to do was eat until the pharmacist suggested a banana or something to help it move down. i made the decision to drive to my parents because i was calm, coherent and they were close and if something did happen with the pill i wanted to be with my parents not around coworkers.

believe me, i've learned my lesson!! i never had issues with pills but i'll never swallow 3 at a time ever again and i'm going to buy a pill splitter just in case. i'm taking a break from all vitamins until my throat isn't so tender.

RedCatWaves · 06-29-2012, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

I started choking once and actually peed on myself. So glad you are safe...and dry!

I'm a mom of 4...I pee myself every time I catch a cold.

TMI?

Springcurl · 06-29-2012, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCatWaves

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

I started choking once and actually peed on myself. So glad you are safe...and dry!

I'm a mom of 4...I pee myself every time I catch a cold.

TMI?

If that is, so's this: I pee on myself if someone hits me too hard in derby and I fall down.

scrills · 06-29-2012, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild~hair

Scary! Glad you're okay. That jumping up and down thing is a good idea.

The only thing I've had stuck in my throat like that was a shard of bay leaf. Luckily it didn't last long. SO had a fish bone stuck once for an hour or so. Both times eating big bites of banana did the job. Those weren't really choking hazards, though, just really uncomfortable.

I'm super paranoid about choking for some reason, to the point where it distracts me at times when I'm just eating regular food. I'm especially careful when I'm alone and eating or taking a pill.

Glad you're safe, lml!

This happened to me when i was little. My brother told me to eat some hair and the hair would form a ladder for the bone to climb back up. I think I actually believed him for a minute. Stupid kid

I'm happy you are OK. Ask for help nect time :-)