A big scare...and lessons learned

Barbaraek
Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

So the main lesson learned is that you need to transition to real food by mouth S-L-O-W-L-Y. For the past month I've been helping my husband try to eat some foods by mouth again. Mostly I've been doing pureed soups, yogurt, applesauce etc. Well today he took the nurse practitioners that work in his clinic out to lunch for "nurse practitioner"day (He was doing this as their employer..not their patient, just to clarify things...) So WHAT does he order? Chicken chili !!!  He even texts me a picture of himself with this chunky chicken soup in front of him with a spoon upraised.

Fast forward a few bites later...choking, Heimlich maneuver, and paramedics! 

Took him several hours to tell me what happened after sending me the original text. Sheesh! 

Three lessons learned...(1) Don't eat alone and (2) Work your way slowly up to chunkier foods (3) Don't take two ladies out to lunch without your wife!

Barbara

Comments

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #2
    WoW

    Well at least there were NP with him and they got to practis the Heimlich, or did the paramedic have to do it. Must saw that is one buisness lunch he won't forget very soon.

    Bill

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #3
    H&N eating 101

    Barbara,

     

    4.  small bites

    5.  chew, chew, chew

    6.  water

    7.  repeat

     

    Matt

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #4
    Wow

    Thanks for the story and glad hearing hubby is fine. A very good reminder to those to move slowly back to more solid foods.

    My mouth hurt so much with various sores that I started eatingh even slower than I used to before. I remember taking a good half an hour getting a bowl of cereal down. Go slow and chew chew chew.

  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #5
    CivilMatt said:

    H&N eating 101

    Barbara,

     

    4.  small bites

    5.  chew, chew, chew

    6.  water

    7.  repeat

     

    Matt

    Another note to add to Matt's

    Another note to add to Matt's list:

    8. never talk with food in your mouth

    It's not just rude: it's what has made me aspirate every single time it has happened while eating!

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    Oh yeah....

    real life and death choking becomes very much a reality after treatment.  It was chicken that almost got me, too....the first time.  I was alone, and it was caught in a dead spot at the top of my esphagus blocking my breathing, and I knew if I breathed at all it'd get sucked into my trachea.  I was in a panic trying to swallow, but it wouldn't go down.  FINALLY I thought about water, and managed to get it to go down...and came to the same conclusion. NEVER eat alone! 

    Last summer a clam almost got me.  I tried the water trick, but it wasn't working fast enough.  Finally got it down but not without creating a lot of drama for those eating with me. 

    Matt has the drill down.  Small bites....chew chew chew.....water water water......

    p

  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #7
    The hazzards of food

    I normally do the finger down the throat trick to pull out anything that is caught.  I've had to do this on many occassions sometimes at home, sometimes when out at restaurants.  Sometimes I'm alone and sometimes I'm with others.  You can always tell when something is stuck with me as I quickly get up and head to the washroom.

    There was one time that I couldn't make it to the washroom while at a company BBQ, so I went behind some bushes and removed the offending food.  Not something you want to do in front of others, but you do what you need to do to stay alive.

  • Sonja.K
    Sonja.K Member Posts: 80 Member
    #8
    #3

    #3 made me laugh.  I have found applesauce works really well to get everything down and almost like a vacuum cleaner in my mouth.  It is gross, but sometimes food "gets lost" and reappears hours later.  I finish almost all my meals with applesauce.  The "no talking" helps too.  A hint given to me was look down when swallowing, that seems to help.   

  • the_wife
    the_wife Member Posts: 184
    #9
    OMG! How scary!! So glad he's

    OMG! How scary!! So glad he's okay and was able to get help. Great advice - thanks for sharing.

    Sounds like good material for a book..."Adventures in Recovery," or how about "Oh, the Places You Don't Want to Go". Yikes!

    My hubby had his swallowing studies done yesterday and the SP showed us the video. I could clearly see how the food gets trapped in that area - whatever you call it - and go down the wrong tube. I can't think of a worse feeling!

    I'll pass on the advice to hubby, including #3, lol! BTW, he got a A++ on his studies. The SP was really impressed. 

    Nice to get good news for a change.

     

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 617 Member
    #10
    Scary

    All I can say is that your husband is going to be an even more awesome doctor when he returns to work.  He has experienced just about everything cancer can throw at a person and his empathy will be genuine. You've gotten great advice from everyone else, so I'll just add that experience will help you both learn what food and situations to avoid. (Other than taking your wife along when you go out to eat!)

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #11
    SASH said:

    The hazzards of food

    I normally do the finger down the throat trick to pull out anything that is caught.  I've had to do this on many occassions sometimes at home, sometimes when out at restaurants.  Sometimes I'm alone and sometimes I'm with others.  You can always tell when something is stuck with me as I quickly get up and head to the washroom.

    There was one time that I couldn't make it to the washroom while at a company BBQ, so I went behind some bushes and removed the offending food.  Not something you want to do in front of others, but you do what you need to do to stay alive.

    When the clam got stuck in my

    throat, I was heading for the bathroom.....My girlfriend told me afterwards that most people who die from choking on food are found in the bathroom....it was instinctual to run there to "not offend".....now that I know that, I'll be offending those around me if I'm choking to death.

    p

  • kdot2003
    kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
    #12
    That IS so scary.  I already

    That IS so scary.  I already have a hard time because of a paralyzed vocal cord.  Now I have to be extra careful.  Usually the offender is chicken.  Once a poptart.  But usually its me trying to talk and drink at the same time.  Scary.

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