Stuck on You

Okay, so I've been bragging about how good I've been doing and how much weight I'm losing (more to come in another new post later), but what I haven't talked about is the dark side of all this. It's a little problem that I'm not proud of, but I have been experiencing. It's the little issue of getting something stuck in your gullet between your esophagus and the tiny (and I do mean TINY) opening to your little pouch.

The first time it happened, my sister Anita and I had just gotten home from a shopping trip after which we stopped at a local lunch wagon that sells barbecue sandwiches. We had a beef brisket sandwich and it was the first time we had tried this vendor. I opened the box, took out the sandwich, cut off a piece. I put some sauce on it and took a big ol' bite - not even thinking about the size of the bite, the bread, or even chewing it! I swallowed and - oh my gawd - I thought I was going to die.

The thing is, when something gets stuck there, you can't really swallow anymore. If you take a drink, it backs up in your throat like a slow drainpipe. You can't breathe and it's very uncomfortable. My chest started to hurt, saliva started running (literally) out of my mouth, and I thought I could throw up - but I couldn't! You can't really do anything until some air is released (in the form of a belch) and then the food moves. So I sat in the chair with a washcloth on my face in agony until it passed finally.

So now you'd think I had learned not to do that anymore... oh but you don't know me vewy well...

Just the other day, I returned from the mall where I had the makings of a migraine (why all of a sudden that's back, I don't know). So I got home and went to the kitchen to take a pill. I put the pill in my mouth and took a giant drink of water. The pill got stuck and so I drank more and just for good measure one more huge gulp. The same thing happened only this time, I did throw up. Of course it was just water, but it hurt, dammit!

It becomes so easy after a while to slip back into old habits, but please don't do that. I have had brain farts before, but this is nothing to mess around with. I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone who could take a couple of seconds to just think about what they are doing. I learned that I need to not only be mindful of what I am eating of course, but also be mindful of HOW I am eating. I really don't want to have to have another procedure to remove a clump of bread or something from my gullet because I was stupid.

I apologize for not writing sooner, but I have since returned to work where things are not as bad as I thought they were going to be, but still enough to stress me out my first week back. Please don't give up on me! There will be more to come soon! Including photos!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday!!