FAST EATING

I got my weekend started early.  I had yesterday off and we had plans for a fun day.  We have a family reunion today and we were planning on spending tonight in South Bend but decided to jumpstart the weekend yesterday with a road trip and made reservations for a place in Wabash last night.  On our way there we were going to stop at a couple of wineries and maybe a stop at the racino.  Gary had things mapped out.  Again, I felt I was rushed out of the house.  I slept in ... every time I get the chance I grab it.  I am just not a morning person.  Never have been ... don't think I ever will be.  Anyway, I got things packed and we were out the door.  I got a lecture about not eating breakfast.  I wasn't hungry, there wasn't anything quick to grab like a banana and yes, truthfully, I was saving my calories since I thought I may have trouble this weekend on the road.

Not too far from the house, Gary looked at his notes and saw that the first winery didn't open until 11:00 and the GPS was saying we'd be there at 10:30.  We decided to blow that one off and just go to the racino in Anderson.  We played for a while and then thought we'd use the coupon Gary had for food credit and have lunch before heading to the next winery.  The buffet line was out the door so we opted for Naked Tchopsix.  We ended up with a free lunch.  SWEET.  I really wasn't very hungry so I just got a plate of fried rice.  Gary got the Orange Chicken plate.  We were talking and he said if I wanted some of his chicken feel free.  I popped a big chunk into my mouth.  Next was terror.  I felt it stuck in my throat.  I could breathe, I could talk, I could cough but I couldn't swallow without this horrible sensation.  I drank some water and swallowed and the water came back up.  Gary called over an employee and they were talking about the Heimlich.  I didn't know what was wrong because it's not that I wasn't breathing.  An employee got a large glass of water and I tried to get it down and finally the chicken evidently dislodged.  The panic went away but I was still scared.  I tried to eat but only could get a few bites down and still every time I swallowed I felt a sensation of things coming back up, sort of like heart burn.  Gary said I probably aggravated my esophagus.  We went on to the wineries and I felt no blockage.  It may sound like some sort of excuse but I thought maybe something soft and solid would push whatever I thought was stuck further down into my stomach so I suggested some ice cream.  I was able to get it down okay but still felt the same way.  Later we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, another pretty soft meal.  I didn't eat much but things were pretty much the same.  I didn't know whether to go to a emergency room or not.

I was in bed by 9:00 and this morning although not quite 100% things are getting better.  I can swallow without the heartburn sensation.  I'm wondering if some of it isn't pyschological.  I know I'm eating very slowly and really chewing things.  I have always been a fast eater and really tired of the comments like " boy you wolved that down" or "boy you must have been hungry".  I think I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, one that never needs repeating.  I need to slow down and maybe I'll eat less.  I know I'm doing that now.