manitou Posted November 30, 2014 I'm sort of awe-struck about this still, so I'd like to share it with my 'online family'. We went to breakfast at one of the local greasy spoons in town today. During breakfast, I noticed a young teenage girl fanning her mouth with her hand, at the opposite end of the restaurant. I assumed she had eaten a hot pepper or something. But then she started pounding on the table and her head was getting lower and lower and I knew instantly that she was choking. I got up and ran across the restaurant - her family sitting at the table, by that time, were yelling "She's choking!", although nobody seemed to know what to do about it. I pulled her up out of her chair, got behind her, and gave her the Heimlich maneuver. It took about 7 or 8 'tugs' to dislodge the piece of meat, but dislodge it finally did. She was a beautiful young blonde girl, maybe 15 - and she turned to me with tears in her eyes and thanked me profusely. I will never forget the look of fear on her face as she was choking, and then the look of gratitude when the meat was dislodged. It reminded me of how dear life is - my body still has the "body memory" of what she felt like as I was holding her tightly to me and doing the maneuver. I just can't get it out of my mind today. I can imagine what medical practitioners must feel like when they save a life. I don't know - maybe that feeling becomes less awesome as it's done over and over. But for a lay person to have that experience....Wow. For some reason, it's me that feels particularly grateful for being there for her. I'm so glad the Heimlich maneuver was figured out at some point in time. When I went through the police academy in 1969, there was no Heimlich maneuver. They taught us how to perform an emergency tracheotomy with the point of a pen, a knife, or whatever else sharp was at hand. Thankfully I didn't have to do that! That may have had an entirely different outcome. Anyone had a similar experience? 15 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted November 30, 2014 Congratulations. Great work, must feel good . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted November 30, 2014 (edited) It feels just incredible. Almost like it makes me appreciate even more the 'life' part of our Life and Death cycle. Edited November 30, 2014 by manitou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrandmasterP Posted November 30, 2014 Kudos and Merit. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted November 30, 2014 For all the seeming power we wield, we are so fragile. Thank you for being aware... prepared... and capable Manitou! That is just incredibly cool. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted November 30, 2014 You done good. Enjoy that warm, fuzzy feeling; you deserve it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted November 30, 2014 I'm sort of awe-struck about this still, so I'd like to share it with my 'online family'. We went to breakfast at one of the local greasy spoons in town today. During breakfast, I noticed a young teenage girl fanning her mouth with her hand, at the opposite end of the restaurant. I assumed she had eaten a hot pepper or something. But then she started pounding on the table and her head was getting lower and lower and I knew instantly that she was choking. I got up and ran across the restaurant - her family sitting at the table, by that time, were yelling "She's choking!", although nobody seemed to know what to do about it. I pulled her up out of her chair, got behind her, and gave her the Heimlich maneuver. It took about 7 or 8 'tugs' to dislodge the piece of meat, but dislodge it finally did. She was a beautiful young blonde girl, maybe 15 - and she turned to me with tears in her eyes and thanked me profusely. I will never forget the look of fear on her face as she was choking, and then the look of gratitude when the meat was dislodged. It reminded me of how dear life is - my body still has the "body memory" of what she felt like as I was holding her tightly to me and doing the maneuver. I just can't get it out of my mind today. I can imagine what medical practitioners must feel like when they save a life. I don't know - maybe that feeling becomes less awesome as it's done over and over. But for a lay person to have that experience....Wow. For some reason, it's me that feels particularly grateful for being there for her. I'm so glad the Heimlich maneuver was figured out at some point in time. When I went through the police academy in 1969, there was no Heimlich maneuver. They taught us how to perform an emergency tracheotomy with the point of a pen, a knife, or whatever else sharp was at hand. Thankfully I didn't have to do that! That may have had an entirely different outcome. Anyone had a similar experience? Beautiful, manitou I don't think it ever becomes less awesome - maybe even more so because of the number of times that it is not successful. _|| ||_ _||||_ _|| ||_ _||||_ _|| ||_ _||||_ _|| ||_ _||||_ _|| ||_ _||||_ _|| ||_ _||||_ _/\_ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted December 1, 2014 (edited) For all the seeming power we wield, we are so fragile. That thought has been with me all day. In just an instant everything can change so drastically. I'm guessing that young beauty is looking at things a lot different after her horrible experience. The thing that really surprised me is how everyone was either in a state of shock when it was happening, or they were panicking and hollering. And yet the Heimlich maneuver is so well known. I guess sometimes the panicking brain overrides the simple solution. Edited December 1, 2014 by manitou 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zanshin Posted December 2, 2014 Thank you and great job! Dr. Heimlich was from Cincinnati and never actually performed his maneuver, but it was his concept. Spell check doesn't like his name. I learn it every couple years in CPR review and hope I have presence of mind to use it in an actual emergency. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted December 2, 2014 Thank you and great job! Dr. Heimlich was from Cincinnati and never actually performed his maneuver, but it was his concept. Spell check doesn't like his name. I learn it every couple years in CPR review and hope I have presence of mind to use it in an actual emergency. I hadn't had a review of the maneuver in years. But when the time is there, the memory is there. There was no doubt as to what to do, and when. I'm hoping I didn't break one of her ribs though - she was so young and fragile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeblast Posted December 2, 2014 sometimes to save a life ya gotta break a few ribs? good job /\ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soaring crane Posted December 2, 2014 wow, manitu, awesome work there! You get a medal for that :wub: 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
