It was a day like any other, until it wasn’t.
A simple afternoon snack of leftover steak turned into a brush with death that changed how I see life forever.
Here’s the full story.
Table of Contents
How It Started
I was having some leftover ribeye as an afternoon snack. Nothing fancy, just me being hungry and wanting something to eat. I cut off a piece and popped it in my mouth, but I guess I was in too much of a hurry to chew it properly.
That’s when I felt it get stuck in the back of my throat. Not just a little stuck—completely stuck. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t swallow, couldn’t do anything. Panic hit me like a truck.
My Neighbor
Lucky for me, my next-door neighbor was walking down the hallway right at that moment. I managed to get his attention, gesturing wildly and trying to say “choking” with what little air I had left.
“Should I give you the Heimlich?” he asked.
“Yes,” I managed to get out.
So he gets behind me and tries to do the Heimlich maneuver. Now, I know he meant well—God bless him—but it was clear he didn’t really know what he was doing. Instead of the sharp upward thrusts to my diaphragm that would actually help, he just kind of… well, let’s just say it looked more like he was dry humping me than saving my life.
Facing Death
That’s when it hit me: I’m going to die. Right here in this hallway, with this well-meaning stranger behind me, because I was too impatient to chew my food properly. What a way to go.
But then something strange happened. This feeling came over me—not a voice or a vision, just this deep knowing that it wasn’t my time. It wasn’t time for me to die in that moment. I can’t explain it better than that. It was just this certainty that I needed to fight harder.
How I Survived
So I bent over and stuck my fingers down my throat. I pressed and pushed, trying to get that piece of steak out myself. After what felt like forever but was probably just a few tries, I finally managed to cough it up. The whole chunk of ribeye came out and landed right in my hand.
Conclusion
That experience scared the hell out of me, but it also gave me something I didn’t expect—a new way of looking at life. It reminded me how fast everything can change. One minute you’re having a snack, the next minute you’re fighting for your life.
It also made me realize how unprepared most of us are for emergencies. My neighbor wanted to help, but he didn’t really know how. And honestly, I didn’t know how to save myself either until I had to figure it out in the moment.
Now I make sure to chew my food properly, and I’ve learned how to do the Heimlich maneuver on myself. Because sometimes when life throws you a curveball, you’re the only one who can save yourself.
Every day since then feels a little more precious, a little more worth paying attention to.
I shared this story on a podcast. Click here to watch it on Instagram.