Summer 2018The Heimlich that Almost Failed
Author: Ken Homer Issue: 2024-10-02
Summer 2018–The Heimlich that Almost Failed
by Ken Homer
My friend Michael puts on A hellava party every summer. Between 70 and 100 people Show up each year, gathering in his backyard for food and fun and music and wine and laughter. Weed is plentiful too.
Everyone brings a yummy dish and a favorite bottle to share. Michael provides the oysters. By the end of the party two trash cans are filled with shells. We eat em raw and BBQ’d. They spent the previous night sleeping in the mud of Tomales Bay.
On this particular day, I was sitting on the side porch of the second home on the property out of sight from Michael’s house. I was chatting with some friends and enjoying my second glass of wine. I had a couple of hits off a joint that was being passed around and was enjoying a nice buzz.
Just then a woman appeared... “I need the strongest guy here! There’s a man who is choking to death!” I sprung out of my chair and followed. There in the middle of the yard stood a man of tremendous girth.
Behind him stood a man attempting to execute the Heimlich Maneuver. Except that he had his hands below the big man’s navel, not on his solar plexus where you need to press. The big man was white as a sheet.
There was no time to be tactful. “Please step aside what you are doing is not going to work.” I placed my hand on his shoulder, and he stepped away.
I asked him “Can you cough?” The big guy shook his head no. “Don’t worry I’m going to help you.” He looked at me with terror in his eyes.
I stood behind the big guy, whose name I later learned was Tom. I reached around and put my left fist in front of Tom’s solar plexus and then I rotated it so that my thumb was right up under his ribs. Then I placed my right hand over my left and then I tried to squeeze as hard as I could.
But it was of no use. Tom’s enormous bulk meant my arms were fully extended. I couldn’t manage to apply sufficient pressure to dislodge whatever was stuck in his windpipe. I had to think and I had to think fast as to what to do.
A woman appeared in front of us. “I’m a nurse—he needs to drink water.” She held out a cup of water to Tom. “Go away! He’s choking! He can’t drink! That will only make things worse!” (In the back of my mind I wondered What the hell they are teaching in nursing school these days?!)
“Don’t worry Tom-I’ve got you.” His color had gone from white to blue and was headed toward purple. I told him not to worry-more as a way to reassure myself because I was sore afraid he was going to die.
I moved around in front of him. Placed the heel of my right palm directly under his ribs and squatted low. Then using my legs, I thrust upward with everything that I had. I thought for sure this would work. But after 47 squats and 47 thrusts Tom still couldn’t breathe freely and his color made me queasy. Somehow though he was conscious. “Point to where it feels stuck.” Tom indicated the area of his thymus. I placed one hand on his back and the other on his chest. Then drawing on my chi reserves, I attempted to bring my hands together inside his chest. It was more of an energetic squeeze than a physical one as l literally willed whatever was stuck in there to loosen and dislodge.
It was my last play–I was spent. My knees were shaking and I was exhausted. My legs felt like jelly I thought I was going to pass out But it worked!
Suddenly Tom gave hoarse cough And the food flew from his mouth He started to breathe again! Halle-freakin-lujah! I felt my adrenaline start to ebb.
A woman who had been watching the whole thing took me by the shoulders. She had kind and sad eyes and a really lovely smile. “Oh my god! You saved his life! You saved this party! Imagine if he had died! Everyone would be so distraught.” I burst into tears and she pulled me to her and gave me a hug.
Not two minutes later, the paramedics arrived. They gave Tom a thorough going over and decided that he was well enough to stay at the party.
I’ve discovered over the years that this is how I am. For whatever reason, I’m good in a crisis. Time telescopes for me. Everything slows down and I seem to see clearly what needs to be done. And I do it. Only once it’s over, and the danger has passed do I take in the reality of what’s occurred. In this case, it was the hindsight of knowing that I literally had this man’s life in the palm of my hand that shook me to my core.
When the crisis is over is when I am apt to fall apart. As I did when that woman Spoke and acknowledged my efforts.
Later my wife found me. She was inside the whole time and she had no idea of what transpired. She told me she’d be the designated driver. She handed me a glass of wine - enjoy, you earned it!
I saw Tom again at Michael’s party the following year. He looked right through me and he walked right past me. My face clearly did not register for him.
I didn’t take it personally. We were both in an altered reality on that hot summer day in 2018 when I managed to prevent his death by choking.
Ken Homer • March 2024
Related: