Yesterday, April 15th, 2013, two explosions rocked the Boston Marathon as runners and their supporters gathered in the afternoon near the finish line. As the race was winding down, the sense of celebration was palpable in the air, only to be replaced by shock and panic as a scene including dozens of injured and three dead emerged through the smoke.
Showing posts with label emergencies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergencies. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Almost an Emergency---A Cautionary Tale
I take a relatively large amount of pills twice a day----mostly supplements with a few allopathic medications---and have always prided myself in how I can toss a handful into my mouth and swallow them with a few sips of water. That said, several minutes ago I did my usual morning routine and tossed back my substantial morning meds as I stood in the dining room. My wife and a friend who spent the night were standing nearby and watched as I immediately realized that I had aspirated one of the capsules. Trying not to panic and still able to talk, I said "I think I aspirated one of those." Our visiting friend said, "No, I don't think so." I sat down to assess further.
Taking a few deep breaths, I could distinctly hear a whistle with each inspiration, signaling to me without a doubt that there was a pill lodged in my trachea. A few strong coughs produced discomfort but no results. I continued to try not to panic as Mary and our friend watched with concern. I knew that Mary was ready to act if necessary.
In those few short moments, some of my thoughts were along these lines: "Oh man, if we have to go to the hospital, we won't be able to meet David for breakfast at 10:30!", and "It's so beautiful out---I don't want to go to the ER!", and "I really don't want respiratory lavage."
Apparently, the thought of lung lavage galvanized me to keep coughing, and several strong coughs later I produced a large capsule of magnesium from the depths of my trachea. Our visiting friend was staring right at me from three feet away, her mouth agape in a perfect "O". "Holy shit!" she exclaimed at least once, if not twice. Holy shit is right.
I coughed again and the whistle was gone. Luckily, Mary absolved me of having to take that extra capsule of magnesium. Thankfully enough, now I can go to breakfast, enjoy some coffee and eggs, go about my day, and resolve to take my meds like normal people do---one or two at a time. As for aspiration, I don't recommend it for anyone. Breathing is so much better, and I resolve to continue to do so uninterrupted for years to come.
Taking a few deep breaths, I could distinctly hear a whistle with each inspiration, signaling to me without a doubt that there was a pill lodged in my trachea. A few strong coughs produced discomfort but no results. I continued to try not to panic as Mary and our friend watched with concern. I knew that Mary was ready to act if necessary.
In those few short moments, some of my thoughts were along these lines: "Oh man, if we have to go to the hospital, we won't be able to meet David for breakfast at 10:30!", and "It's so beautiful out---I don't want to go to the ER!", and "I really don't want respiratory lavage."
Apparently, the thought of lung lavage galvanized me to keep coughing, and several strong coughs later I produced a large capsule of magnesium from the depths of my trachea. Our visiting friend was staring right at me from three feet away, her mouth agape in a perfect "O". "Holy shit!" she exclaimed at least once, if not twice. Holy shit is right.
I coughed again and the whistle was gone. Luckily, Mary absolved me of having to take that extra capsule of magnesium. Thankfully enough, now I can go to breakfast, enjoy some coffee and eggs, go about my day, and resolve to take my meds like normal people do---one or two at a time. As for aspiration, I don't recommend it for anyone. Breathing is so much better, and I resolve to continue to do so uninterrupted for years to come.
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