I just got back a little while ago from the shopping center. Mr. Rilch was getting some sandwich ingredients at Ralphs, and I was hungry as a bear, so I walked over to Carl’s Jr.
They forgot the pickles on my burger, and gave it a thin coating of ketchup. “Just put some pickles on,” I panted; my blood sugar was very low at this point. “You don’t have to make a new one.” When I got the burger, replete with pickles, I added the contents of three ketchup packets and left the store.
Once outside the door, I took my first bite. Oh, was it good. Ketchup started to ooze out of the left side, so I turned the sandwich and took my next bite fromt that area. But this knocked the sandwich off balance, so I had to push a little more into my mouth to save the peninsula that otherwise might have fallen.
Oops, that was a little too much. Can’t swallow. I’m blocked. And it’s not my esophagus. Wheeze. There’s a trash can. Trash can. That’s right: BAM!
They told us about that in 10th grade First Aid: you can give yourself the Heimlich by running into something. Like the corner of a square trash can.
And FTR, I caught the partially-chewed meat and bread, and swallowed it again before the idea could become revolting. I was that hungry.
BTW, Mr. Rilch does not know about this. He caught up to me in his truck as I was wiping my mouth. “What took you so long?”
Oh, DDG, I’m not the first person to post an “I almost died” thread! Like the guy (forget his name) who got sucked into a whirlpool while swimming a few days ago. Anyway, I wasn’t that far gone.
Java: I should call my old school and leave a message for the First Aid teacher, telling her that at least one person took away something from her class. Unfortunately, I don’t remember her name.
Then the hamsters could choke on it than hack it up again.
I know what it’s like to choke, I’ve done it several times on candy. I think it happened 3 or so times between 4 and 5 years old, all three times I tripped while running to my parents, and hacked up the candy. Hasn’t happened to me since, and I’m glad.
I also learned the same thing in health class, but I think it was in seventh grade.
I am not sure what the official position in the US is, but here in Australia, the use of the Heimlich manoeuvre is discouraged. It’s simply too dangerous for ordinary people to use.
There have been cases where overzealous rescuers have impacted on major organs by hitting the sternum too hard. For that reason, an alternative cure for choking (assuming relaxing and coughing doesn’t work) is recommended:
(1) Keeping the victim standing up, lay their head and upper body down over the back of a chair (or similar object). Administer three or four sharp jolting blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
(2) If this doesn’t work, lie the victim down on the ground in the recovery (coma) position. Kneel next to them and give another three or four blows to the back.
If your casualty’s windpipe is completely blocked (they can’t speak or breath at all), don’t bother with (1) – skip to (2).
(3) As a last resort try lateral chests thrusts. This involves kneeling behind the prone victim and, from the top, PUSHING down on their ribs. Try this four times. This drastic measure may break a few ribs, so it’s only to be used if there is no other way.
About 12 years ago, I had a mild athsma attack. My inhaler was to hand, so I grabbed it, opened my throat, and sucked in hard. Unfortunately, earlier on in my pocket, a piece of aluminum foil the size of a penny, had become lodged in the mouthpiece of the inhaler, and when I sucked on it, the foil shot straight down my trachea - it felt like it had gone right to the bottom, where it branches into the bronchioles.
There was negative pressure in my lungs, and I couldn’t breathe out to dislodge the thing. Unable to speak, I waved frantically at my brother and his friend who were in the same room, and they waved back. I fell onto the floor, wondering what the hell I was going to do, and when I noticed my fingernails going blue, I realised that I would have to rescue myself. My brother and his friend were still giggling at my antics.
I got onto my knees, got both hands and pushed them up really hard under my diaphragm, then whacked my body forwards onto the floor, landing on my elbows. The foil flew out of my mouth and smacked into the wall, and hung there, quivering, stuck to the wallpaper by a large amount of gelationous mucus. :eek:
My brother and his friend told me that I was a gross bastard.
I did that a few years ago- I was choking on a candy (A Spree). It went down the wrong way and was lodged beyond help. I pulled over, got out of my truck, started getting dizzy because I couldn’t breathe, and gave a hard ram against my truck bumper. Sure as shit it came up and out. It was absolutely terrifying. I doubt I would have thought to try it, except the pharmacy I worked at was showing a Heimleich manuver video in an endless loop for the past week, and part of it was about self-use.
I clearly remember thinking “Holy fuck, I’m going to die. Choking on a Spree. How ridiculous.”
Narrad, for pete’s sake. I only had about thirty seconds of good brain, before I started to lose oxygen. I couldn’t wait for someone who knew this method to happen along.
**
That’s why I did what I did do.
I mean, thanks for the suggestion, but I’m going with what CRorex says.
Geez, notice that I didn’t refer to your case? Let’s try again, shall we?
I wasn’t referring to your episode of choking.
This wasn’t related to your amusing anecdote about saving yourself. This was to provide a bit of first aid advice; to say IN GENERAL and in my country, the Heimlich manoeuvre is not recommended. To be extra certain, I even marked my post as a hijack!
So please don’t dismiss helpful GENERAL advice with a “whatever”, mmm-kay?
Oh, and CRorex, my first aid knowledge was refreshed by a intensive course last weekend. Of course – and as I said – the ‘official’ position may well be different in your country.
Okay, I hear that. Didn’t know you didn’t mean me.
Also, let me clarify my use of ‘whatever’. The connotation was not, “Oh, hush, Narrad: I don’t care what they do in your country!” Rather, it was a shorthand version of “What is this, an aerobics routine? What’s the coma position? Lateral thrusts? Ooh, Narrad, how you talk!”
[sub]I say that, of course, secure in the knowledge that as an Aussie, you don’t take lighthearted jibes personally.
Dunno what Spree is in your neck of the woods, but over here it’s a brand of laundry powder. Here I am thinking… “these people are choking on laundry powder… the breathing factor is the least of their problems - what are they doing eating laundry powder???”
Actually, your “whatever” was positioned just after the part of my post which states that would-be rescuers have SERIOUSLY HURT people while trying to help them. That kinda peeved me. I think it would peeve a lot of people.
I’m sorry if you didn’t understand the First Aid method I tried to explain. If you care to scroll up and read what I said, you may see that I explained what lateral thrusts are. Also, I thought the coma position was well-understood. Guess not.
But… eh. Whatever. I’m over it.
Your story was very amusing, Rilchiam. I’m glad to hear you saved yourself.
