Another One Bites the...

This may be my year for really dealing with the mortality issue. A long-time friend and colleague died while I was on the way to his house this morning. Just yesterday he was telling me how he was over the cancer and on his way to new horizons...

His wife described the event as "he just stopped breathing".

I was there when the ambulance drove away. I asked M how it looked. She said "they don't tell you anything, I just have to go to the hospital and find out".

When she got there she found out he was DOA.

I once stopped breathing. Funny thing breath, it's one of the things you can't go long without.

I had a bad case of bronchitis, had been coughing for days. One night after bedtime, I got up for the bathroom, and started coughing on my way. Suddenly, after a long coughing exhale, I found I couldn't breath (inhale) again. This is very similar to drowning, but without the water.

My first impulse was to run outside (as if there were more air out there).
Then I realized my body would be laying out in front of the house. The neighbors would stare, it would be a big show, etc. I decided to stay put.

Then I thought of a story I read where a man needed an emergency trake. In the story this was performed by sticking a Bic pen in his neck. I briefly considered this.

Then rejected it.

I was about to pass out, so I decided to lay on the floor, so I wouldn't bump my head when I went out. My forehead was touching the carpet, I was on my knees. I relaxed, waiting to go black. . .

When suddenly air filled my lungs! I was breathing again!

We went to the hospital to check on it. A total waste of time. They kept asking me if I swallowed something, I kept saying no, I cough alot though. They took x-rays, sent me around to different people on duty. No help, no answers.

About a year later I was telling this story to a friend who worked in Respiratory Therapy.
He said "oh, sounds like spastic bronchs". This is when you irritate your bronchs till they just irritate you back (by not responding).

The whole experience made me want to wear a tag that says: Do not bring to emergency room unless

A: bleeding to death (must be sewn up)

B: Broken bone(s) are sticking through my skin

RIP Donnie