Inspired by one of Louie Swartzburg’s recent interviews with Chef Rick Bayless and his Mexican mushroom dish, Karen had bought several kinds of mushrooms to made a lovely dinner. The smells of garlic, tomatoes fresh from the garden, and onions filled the house. She placed the mixture on a corn tortilla and sprinkled it with cheese. I had the movie ready to go as she set the plates down. “Thank you, looks delicious.” I started the movie and dove into the delicious fare. Little did we know, it was not to be the relaxing dinner and a movie we had hoped for.
What seemed like seconds later, “Are you choking?” I asked as she appeared standing in front of me. Her hands were not clutching her throat in the universal sign. but her distress was evident. She nodded and I leaped up from my seat with a million thoughts running through my head. Am I strong enough? Do I remember how? It’s been a long time since a refresher CPR course. My memory is not so good. Am I going to do it correctly? Was I going to injure her instead? Was she going to die before my eyes?
I had to do my best. I immediately stood behind her with my chest against her back, wrapped my arms around her, and began Abdominal Thrusts. It did not happen like in the movies. The object did not quickly dislodge and fly out. First, nothing happened. Trying not to panic, breathing in deep breaths, I began doing another round of Abdominal Thrusts. Luckily, it became dislodged enough for her to start coughing. The object finally managed to fly out. “You forgot the hard pats on the back,” Karen reminded me. I looked at her blankly.
I was upset with myself for missing what we thought to be the first step, the pats on the back. I knew it was time for research and refreshers. Not just for two-legged adults, but for pregnant women, infants, cats plus both large dogs and small dogs. It was a good idea to let others know it could happen to them, too. Safety, first.
I discovered some unexpected information. First, I learned the universal choking signal pictured above. Good information to have if you are the one choking. I, also, discovered the term Heimlich Maneuver is outdated. Plus, the American Heart Association no longer teaches the pats. Some claim they are useless and have never been proven as helpful.
For more information on the Abdominal Thrusts technique, I have provided a few links: