The Funny Side of MS #934: Learning how to eat without choking
The Funny Side of MS #934: Learning how to eat without choking
Alternative headings would be ‘Learning how to swallow‘ or ‘Learning how to eat without choking every time‘. I know, right??! This just sounds too bizarre to even be a ‘thing’ but, I swear, it’s real. The first time it happened I just thought the food had gone down the wrong hole and that I was having a coughing fit to clear the airways. But then it happened again, and again, and again…seriously! Who doesn’t love a good choking/coughing fit whilst eating in a packed, swanky restaurant, especially when one of the patrons approaches your husband to find out if he’s familiar with the Hindlick (that’s what the kids heard anyway?) (aka Heimlich) maneuver ?
Swallowing difficulties/choking is not an altogether unusual problem associated with Multiple Sclerosis and, for me, it’s just another symptom that will have me displaying socially questionable behavior when out in public. These incidents are not particularly funny at the time either. In fact, they can be quite distressing because it’s difficult to breathe when you’re choking. So, what’s so funny about that, you may ask? Hmmm, I may have to dig deep to answer that one…give me a minute…oh yes, if I couldn’t see the funny side of these incidents I may never leave the house…like EVER!
I fear I may be giving you the wrong impression about my Multiple Sclerosis…it doesn’t ALWAYS sneak up behind me and kick me in the pants (just most of the time!)…sometimes it does do the decent thing and give me a little bit of a warning. There may be tell-tale signs that swallowing might become an issue in the foreseeable future; I can’t get my words out right or I’ll suddenly have a lot of saliva in my mouth and I can’t remember how to swallow…?…(and you thought all those blonde jokes about breathing were funny…?) If I do get a heads-up then soup would be my preemptive-go-to-dish and I will always decline the bread that ordinarily comes with it. The recovery time after choking on something like soup seems to be much less than the recovery time after choking on solids. FACT!
I do sometimes live in fear of going out in public because I never know how or even when my sidekick, MS, is going to join me. This fear has caused much anxiety over the years and has even kept me in-doors for prolonged periods of time. But is that really a way to live? Is it the best thing to shut oneself off from the world for fear of what others may think of one of your episodes? Today I am brave and I’m able to answer ‘NO!’ (my answer may not be as convincing on other days when I’m feeling slightly more self-conscious or slightly more vulnerable). The key is not to let the fear take control. It’s ok to embrace the fear for a short period of time but then, kick it to the kerb, where it belongs, and live your life. All of these MS-related incidents may seem like dark clouds but the silver-lining is that you are growing a repertoire of GREAT dinner table stories to entertain your guests with…just don’t choke whilst telling them??
