Currently listening to: How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths
I am the son and heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
It was my boss’s last day, so the three of us decided to take her out to celebrate. We chose a nearby steakhouse, and as we sipped our drinks at the bar, my boss excused herself to use the restroom.
While she was away, I noticed a man attempting to give the Heimlich maneuver to an unconscious patron. I immediately grabbed my coworker and intervened, telling the man to stop the Heimlich since the person was unconscious and to lay him on the ground instead. Later, I learned that the man administering the Heimlich was a retired firefighter.
I pointed to one bystander and told them to call 911. Then, I directed another to grab the AED. My coworker and I jumped in to start CPR. I began with chest compressions while she delivered rescue breaths using my disposable CPR mask. After two rounds, we switched positions to prevent fatigue.
When my boss came back from the restroom, we yelled for her to assist us. Without hesitation, she rushed over and immediately took over compressions from me.
Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t have an AED on-site. We continued CPR for nearly seven minutes until paramedics and police arrived. When the paramedics hooked the patient up to the cardiac monitor, I caught a glimpse of the screen—and my heart sank. The rhythm showed asystole (flatline), which wasn’t a good sign. The paramedics loaded him onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, with the police following behind.
As the chaos subsided, the restaurant patrons went back to eating as if nothing had happened. The general manager came over to us at the bar and offered a round of drinks to thank us for our assistance.
This was definitely not the evening any of us imagined…none of us could eat because we knew what the outcome was going to be. Instead, we ordered another cocktail and drank it in silence.
gets on my soapbox
Steakhouse syndrome is real. It happens when food isn’t chewed properly and gets stuck in the esophagus. So, please—chew your food thoroughly, and if you start choking, use the universal choking sign to signal for help.
Whatever you do, don’t go into the bathroom. Many choking victims make this mistake because they don’t want to cause a scene and underestimate the severity of the situation. Unfortunately, this delays critical help, and by the time someone finds them, it’s often too late.
If you talk to any firefighter, EMT, or healthcare professional, they’ll tell you that when they’re dining at a steakhouse, they eat with extra caution (I eat very slowly) —always scanning the room to ensure everyone’s okay.
steps off my soapbox
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