Do you have a Home Alone Choking Plan?
 

Last week I got a piece of parsley stuck in my throat in a restaurant. With my family. Absolutely ridiculous. I know. It was the first time this has happened since my diagnosis and I was mortified. It had to be removed in the emergency room by an ENT.

I am moving in with my fiancee in a few months and he works nights, weekends and generally crazy hours as a police officer and I realized I need a choking plan in case I am home alone and this happens again. Any suggestions?

I have a lot of choking experience. Heimlichs X2 by my husband early on taught me a lot! I learned to take my time, eat small bites, follow with fluid and if solids don't work...stick to liquids such as smoothies, instant breakfast and yes, even the dreaded Ensure and Boost.

As far as "alone" plans...I unfortunately had to do a Heimlich on myself as well. Have someone teach you. I also taught myself to, at the first sign of airway blockage, to stand, bend at the waist and force out all the residual air in my lungs in one mighty "cough blast" (which wasn't mighty at all, but did the trick.)

It sounds to me like the parsley wasn't actually blocking your airway and causing true choking, but rather was stuck and causing a choking sensation. Am I right? I've been through that, too (darned lettuce and spaghetti!) but I found that relaxing and sometimes even sleeping a night would allow my body to work that out by itself.

Believe it or not, I never had aspiration pneumonia. Even I consider that something of a miracle!

Good luck! The most important thing is not to panic.

I have had a few sessions with a swallowing specialist and have been taught how to do a side swallow, and tried over and over, but couldn't get the damn thing to pass. When the ENT scoped me he said it was resting on the granuloma (a growth caused by vocal strain) on my vocal fold which was preventing them from closing fully causing the lack of voice, and choking sensation- a partial aspiration. I also know how to do the Heimlich, but I'm not so sure if food was ever lodged in my throat and I was alone that I would have the power necessary to dislodge it anymore.

I haven't drank Ensure or Boost, but it has been recommended that I use Thick-it because I choke on think liquids, and I think it might be time I listen.

I agree with everything that was said, just want to add to be sure to have the right sized chair handy in case you have to perform the heimlich on yourself.