Eat Mindfully...and pay attention!
 

The Dangers of Mindless Eating

Everyday at around 4 pm I have a piece of fruit and 2 low fat cheese sticks. Relatively healthy stuff! The fruit du jour was a juicy ripe peach. I was eating at my desk, reading an old trust document and clicking through computer screens while nibbling and trying not to dribble peach juice on myself or on the documents. Down to the last bite…. I popped it into my mouth and swallowed. Good grief! That was quite a lump! I couldn’t swallow it or spit it out and saw a tiny bit of peach in my hand—Yikes! I’d bitten off and swallowed the pit and was holding the piece of peach that I intended to eat. I also couldn’t breath, just a slight wheeze.:eek:

At first I just tried to cough it up. Nope, wasn’t budging. Then I tried the finger in the mouth. :p No go, but I did manage to attract the attention of the woman in the office next to mine at that point. I made the universal “I’m choking” signal, but her response was to go running down the hallway yelling for her boss. By this time I was trying to do the Heimlich on myself by flinging myself against the back of my chair, but my chair is on rollers. :dizzy: In retrospect, that must have looked pretty funny. Next, I ran over to the file cabinets and kept taking runs at them. Meanwhile, there were people running all over the building yelling that someone was choking, does anyone know how to do the Heimlich maneuver??? And at least two people called 911. On my last fling (yeah, like I’d do that again for fun) the peach pit flew out of my mouth and hit the wall. By the time anyone who knew or had the presence of mind to do anything showed up, I would have been out cold. The paramedics arrive in 10 minutes, long enough for major brain damage.

So please eat mindfully. Pay attention while you eat. I’m going to multi-task a bit less and try to notice when I’m putting something stupid in my mouth! That healthy stuff can kill you, too.

Several people pointed out that if I was like everyone else and had a Snickers bar at 4pm, I would have been perfectly safe :rofl:

Be careful out there-

Mel

LOL, peaches can kill! Who knew?

I've bitten a finger (hard) when not paying attention, or tried to eat my pen instead of my food.

I literally did LOL when you got to the chair on rollers.

OMG Mel, How frightening! I'm glad you're okay, well, maybe bruised from flinging yourself on the file cabinet repeatedly. :dizzy: Who knew healthy food could be so dangerous!

I'm so glad you were able to dislodge the pit. I wouldn't be surprised if a Heimlich class gets scheduled soon and a lot of people sign up for it.

!!!!! Mel !!!!!

Be careful! So glad you're OK!

oh wow how scary for you. I bet the office makes learning the Hemlich maneuver mandatory now., if not they should!

Oh Mel, how positively frightening. You are one together lady (unlike your co-workers) to be able to dislodge the pit on your own. I'm so very glad you kept your wits about you. Thank G-d you are okay. :hug:

And about that Snickers bar. Imagine if you had one of those every single day. I'm definitely, DEFINITELY seeing some danger involved there. ;)

Wow! How scary for you! But smart thinking to throw yourself against the file cabinets (although I have the funniest image of you thrashing about your office :lol:). Nothing like trying to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself!

It is just shocking to me that no one in your office knew how to perform it. It's not really rocket science. Heck, you could probably google how to do it on the internet in 30 seconds. In fact, you can--I just tried. Took about five seconds to find the instructions (complete with pictures) and 30 seconds to read them. Maybe you should hand out copies to everyone. ;)

Don't switch to the Snickers. If you aren't paying attention you could swallow the wrapper and then you'd be choking and off plan! :)

Seriously, glad you are ok. Good thinking on the file cabinets. Be careful.

Anne

Eek! I'm so glad you're okay, Mel!

Oh, MY! I'm alternating between horror and relief that you are OK, and hysterical laughter at your ability to post so humorously and eloquently about such a horrific experience.

I am incredibly impressed with your calm under extreme duress. Well done, and lesson learned. One bad habit for me IS multitasking while eating at my desk.

SOOOOO very glad you are OK.

Close shave!
 

Good thing you keep a cool :cool: head in an emergency!

Tera

Hmmm. choking risk or heart attack risk? *getting out my handy-dandy balance*

I definitely see your point!

Tera

OMG, Mel! I don't even know what to say! It's funnily horrific the way you tell it! I'm so glad you're okay!!!

Mel, I'm so glad you're all right! That must have been very frightening. Thank you for the heads up on eating mindfully!

Thank goodness you are ok Mel. That is truly frightening. I would think most people know how to do the Heimlich, but maybe they don't actually.

Heim who?
 

Everyone I've asked (I once almost choked to death while two friends sat inches away drinking beer and chatting) knows what the Heimlich is but no one knows exactly how to do it.

Barbara, you are a wonderful resource! It wouldn't occur to me to print off or email copies of the internet instructions to everyone at the office. Excellent idea!

Of course I eat my lunch in the car with one dog watching from the back seat. I now always, always chew everything extremely well and don't rush myself, as I don't think poor Scout would be able to save me - the Heimlich does require hands yes? ;)

I'm eating grapes today- as long as I chew I should be safe!

Anne- I probably would swallow the wrapper! and I'd certainly not stop at one snickers...that's where the real danger lies!

Off to see what today holds :dizzy:

Mel

Mel, how scary! I'm so glad you're okay. (And that you're now able to tell such a humorous story.)

I remember learning the Heimlich manuveur in school as a child. And then I remember learning about diffusion of responsibility and of course "passing the buck". Sadly, when you're in trouble you're better off actually having less people around. One of them is more likely to actually do something.

Sorry, that was a tangent. But, it makes me upset that no one stood up to try and help you. I'm sure someone knew the Heimlich manuveur.

:yes::yes::yes: Oh for sure!! Could be QUITE more dangerous then some pit. ;)

Ummm.... Just hoping that they're the seedless ones :D. Just kidding.

Hope your day is uneventful. :hug:

Thank God you OK! Yes, the way you tell it is very funny, but the situtation is anything but!! I'm amazed that no one know life saving techniques. The office manager should get someone in to teach it right away. The next person might not be as quick thinking as you.

And you all do know that you take an aspirin if you think you're having a heart attack, right?

OMG Mel, the visuals I got were scary and hillarious all at the same time... Sure glad you're ok though. DH almost choked once too when he was alone and his thought was "what a lonely way to die" poor guy. I also can't believe that no one knew the Heimlich... After this incident your company should have someone come in and train everyone...

!!! :eek: I'm glad you're okay, Mel! I have to be the one to ask a practical question though, in case I am ever choking. Did you fling your back at the filing cabinet, or your stomach? Was the cabinet at stomach height?

I've seen instructions on how to do the Heimlich a million times, but I've never tried it so I don't know if I would do it right or not.

Mel,

I just told your story to my boss and requested training for the office. I think it's a good idea.

Keep coming back to this. It bothers me quite a bit. This is something everyone should know. I am amazed that so many people don't know how.

There is a way to perform the procedure on yourself if you're alone. You make a fist and put it on your stomach, about belly button, and lean over a chair and thrust upward. Too simplified. You need someone to show you how to make sure you get it right. It could save your life.

And, what ever you do, don't get embarassed and go into the bathroom so "no one will see". My BIL almost choked to death that way. When we found him he was turning blue. If I hadn't been there he would probably have died, or at least gotten brain damage from lack of oxygen.

You've made such an effort to make sure you're healthy. Take the time to learn how to save your own, or someone elses life.

Hi Mel,

I'm so glad you are still with us! BIG HUGS and WAY TO GO for keeping your head in a bad situation! TEN MINUTES for EMTs?!? That is NOT GOOD.

Years ago when I worked in HR, a coworker's spouse had a heart attack. The person recovered, but we took the opportunity to provide CPR training to anyone who wanted it. A lot of companies will do this. Now it's time for a refresher course!

A CPR course only takes a little while, and EVERYONE should take a class at least once!

Mel, I'll be eating mindfully today! ;)

Mel~I'm glad you were able to dislodge the pit yourself. Perhaps this is a good time for your company to offer some first aid classes! And like everyone said, the Snickers is not a good alternative!

My DH did this to me once. We were at a new restaurant and he ordered pot roast (which is usually quite tender) and he put a very large chunk of meat in his mouth. Obviously it was much too large and not too tender and he started to choke with me at his side in a booth and the kids across the table. As he was choking the waiter came up to see how our meal was. Just at that point, he was able to dislodge it himself and it landed back into his plate (how embarrassing!). The waiter, wide eyed, just turned and left. I, the whole time, was wondering how on earth I could get him out of the booth to do the Heimlich. Very scary!

Oh my. I read a magazine article long ago about a bride who died at her reception for this exact reason. I think she was on life support a short time and then her groom had to take her off. Too horrible for words.

Mel!!!! :hug:

I'm SO glad you're okay, dear heart! Only you are capable of lifting a small car overhead with one hand but manage to be downed by a peach pit! :lol3: Your story was hysterical and I was totally :lol: especially with the chair on rollers! I'm appalled that no one knew how to do the Heimlich! I don't remember my training on how to do it with babies, but doing it to adults is easy-peasy. Doing it to yourself (as you've proved) is not...poor Mel!

I remember learning the international sign for choking when I was in elementary school and wondering if other people would know what it meant if I ever had to use it.

In other funny, need-to-be-mindful stories about eating, a friend of mine was once eating peanuts by popping a couple in his mouth from the handful he was holding. He is a fellow house rabbit "owner" and, as he walked past the living room, he saw a couple of rabbit poops on the floor (sometimes they mark an area with them...eschewing the litter box). He picked them up with his other hand. On his way to throw them out, he tossed some more peanuts in his mouth...and realized that they weren't peanuts. :barf: Yeah, I'm sure that was a fun moment! Anyways, at least it didn't lead to the need for a heimlich! ;)

I totally concur with the person who said you should pass out a copy of "How to do a Heimlich" to everyone in your office. Oh, and maybe put up the big, horrific poster with the illustrations that was always in the lunchroom at my work.

Mel, I'm so glad you're ok!!!

This story makes me so glad that my office provides First Aid (including Heimlich) and CPR training. In theory, if I need help everyone in the building should be able to provide it, or I can try to help anyone else!

I need to remember to chew carefully myself sometimes.

Geez Mel, now I feel like a real schnook because I was laughing so hard at picturing you fighting for your life but all I could visualize was a Dilbert Cartoon Strip. I multitask ALL the time and I think I’m going to print off a copy of the instructions, laminate them and keep them handy at my desk. If I ever have an issue I’m just going to hand the instructions to the first person I see. That m-i-g-h-t expedite getting some assistance.

Actually I choked on some venison when I was a child. My Dad grabbed me and was able to reach it with his fingers but I have a bit of a phobia about choking. It happens so darned quickly, I’m so glad you are alright and you and your sense of humor are both intact.

Please take care,

MELLLL?!? ~sigh~ Slow down. You know, they make fiber tablets that don't taste that bad, you don't have to include fruit pits. Not to mention it is a pretty ambition request for your colon too. :rofl: Okay. I'll admit it. I laughed pretty hard the second time I read your post. The chair with the wheels was the best. But geez, what a scary thing to experience. :chin: I can't believe that no one knew how to do the Heimlich, I just wonder if it's more that no one wanted to make the mistake of doing it incorrectly. Hmmm, interesting concept for a social psychologist to expound upon. I recall something about this during one of my classes back in the day... Thanks for posting this. It serves many lessons, mindful eating, and reminding us all to be THE ONE who takes the initiative when no one else will especially when a life is at stake.

Thank goodness you are okay. :hug:

Hmm.... Lydia raises a good question, and I happen to BE a social psychologist... hmmm....

That's a very interesting point- when the woman's boss showed up at the scene, I'd already dislodged it. He's not a big guy, but does work out. He said he would have been worried about hurting me or breaking a rib. :rofl:

I've taken CPR about - oh, 10 or eleven times. Invariably, in every class, people are worried about cracking ribs. Helloooo!!!! If someone needs CPR or the Heimlich, they are dead or in a situation where they may die! Don't worry about ribs. And chances are, if you are doing either of these, you WILL crack cartilage, bruise the victim at best, and crack ribs. But you are also saving a life. Ribs heal.

Jessica- I made a ball out of my fists, placed them under my sternum, and came down on my fists (and chest) on the chair and file cabinets as I think denver described. I have a bruise,

Grapes were a success!

Thanks for your concern, everyone. Now go take a CPR class that includes AED training and find out where your office AED is. Lobby for one if you don't have one. It's much more effective at saving people.

Mel

Wow, I'm so glad you are OK!!!! What a great lesson about mindful eating but what a horrible way to learn it!

How scary! I am glad you're ok.