You Could Save a Life

When my father was ill a few years ago I learned a lot about our health care system (in our case the care was excellent), I became adept at advocating and questioning on behalf of my elderly father who wouldn't ask any questions, period.

I have never really thought about performing any care functions. I know we all should be able to perform basic CPR and yet I've never sought out training, and, ridiculously, given it's been so very long since I've been tested on anything I think I have exam anxiety--not something one should bow to when we're talking simple training that could save a life.

A few nights ago mom and I have finished dinner, we're in the living room having coffee, she coughs a couple of times. She seems to be trying to clear her throat, I ask if she's alright. She opens her mouth and tries to inhale but nothing is happening, there's no sound and no movement of air. I go to her asking if she can breathe, I didn't notice that she'd been eating anything (turns out she was eating an Xmas cookie, more on that newly acquired obsession later) but clearly she's choking, she can't answer, is making no sound and is starting to panic. I get her standing, I'm wary of what I do given she's heading to 84 (she prefers it stated as 83.5) so I pat her back several times assuming this isn't going to do anything, it doesn't, so I Heimlich her. Thing is I haven't been trained on this, I am simply channeling what I've heard, seen, and while I'm sure my technique is not quite right (or perhaps entirely wrong) it does the trick. Granted it was a cookie which would have dissolved but would it have dissolved before she'd lost consciousness or fell in her panicked state trying to get somewhere to do something?

It was a frightening moment for both of us. It took her a few moments to recover, to calm down and get her breathing back to normal; for me it was another nod that yes being here is right and it's time to get some training. I'm booked for a CPR training course just before Christmas, for only $144 you could save a life.