A close encounter involving a party, a piece of steak, and Dr. Heimlich’s maneuver.

Then I was on my side, looking at dirt, and glory, glory, glory, I was breathing. Raspy uncertain breaths, but I was breathing! I never realized how lovely dirt could look. And I could hear a voice saying “She looks much less blue” and “She’s pinking up.” More phrases that made sense at the time, but I can’t remember now. I wanted to reassure them, I said “Breathing is good” and I’m fine, I’m fine, and Hi, wow that was scary. One voice said “She’ll feel better if you wipe that dirt off” I said I didn’t mind the dirt at all, it was beautiful dirt, as long as I was breathing. I can’t say that is what actually was heard, but I think I got a few relieved laughs. A man told me he was giving me a face mask with oxygen, coaxing me into accepting it. Completely unnecessary, I jammed it onto my face and sucked in, my chest easing, delicious oxygen. I found my cousin Fran holding my right arm, and she looked so beautiful and caring. I reached out to my left and felt D’s shoe, and we found each other’s hands, and I drank in his worried face. I’m fine, I’m fine, breathing is wonderful, this was scary. Said a bright Hi to the woman in the uniform who came and took my vital signs and asked me questions.

—One Word Is Enough

I’m deeply moved. The whole story is worth a read (click the link above).

On a lighter note, this brought to mind the hilarious Eddie Izzard sketch on Heimlich’s development of the maneuver: “I don’t know, I have swallowed a football and I can’t get it out. Can you perform my maneuver on me, the me maneuver?”

I am all over the emotional map these days.