Almost died today...again.

Yes, I almost choked to death a mere 2 hours ago. I was cooking some Yellow Curry Chicken over rice. I finished the dish, sat down to eat it, and in my haste and desire to taste my wonderful cooking, I dove right into the dish. I ate fast and not chewing much when suddenly no more food was going down my throat.

It was stuck. I got myself some water and rapidly drank it down hoping to loosen the food. Well, that didn't go anywhere but the back of my throat.

I could not breath!

All I could do was try to inhale slowly, but only water and rice were going down. Well, alone in my apt, my landlady and her daughter working, I thought to myself, "I am going to die unless I do something."

My mind ran through scenarios of this red faced man banging on strangers doors at 8pm at night all gurgling and clutching his throat. Who would try to save that, or even help, for that matter? People finding me on the floor all dead for two weeks all bloated and spewing black ether all over the kitchen floor. "Killed by his passion for Thai food and his inability to chew his food properly eating like a bird."

I did something. I ran over to the sink and slammed my stomach/chest into the counter and blaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Like some kind of twisted gambling machine, I spewed forth rice/water/phlegm/chicken into the sink.

Hacking, I drew in a HUGE and DEEP breath. Oh, the feeling was so relieving!

But the problem was not over. I could feel like there was something still stuck in my throat. I could not swallow or drink any water, anything I drank would come right back up mixed with phlegm all thick and nasty. It was the most aweful pain. Great, I thought, now I would have to go to the hospital. Occasionally I would puke up some more rice/chicken, but the pain and plug, was still there. I called my father, he didn't answer, so I called my friend Rob, who is a doctor. He told me that it might just be in my mind, and that if it was something stuck, I should go to the hospital. I told him about drinking coke, which I had read on the internets, he said go for it.

So, as I was preparing to head out I decided to stand over the toilet and see if anything happens.

Well, sure enough, I puked again, and this time a wad of rice/chicken and nastiness went flying out of me. I heaved one more time, but I was ok. I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror, woo doggies. My face was a red I had never seen before, and matched only by my eyes. I looked like a crackhead left out in the sun for too long. Truly a frightening sight.

Anyway, all was ok. I didn't die. I live to see another day. Yes, I finished my meal. I chewed it nice and slow. It tasted great. Like....life.