When I heard about this from her I told a co-worker who said, "So, she likes her boss?!?"

That's going to be a great/awkward evaluation this year. Do you want me to pull this card out of my back pocket???

Out of curiosity, is your wife currently certified in First Aid/CPR?

Nope. Was certified. Here's something odd - the guy's life she saved is the certification officer on their floor. I told her this might be a good opportunity to stress that. Ya think?

So glad she had the knowledge to do so. I couldn't reach her in time.

once with a counselor who worked at the school where I worked.....he survived and eventually went to surgery to have a triple-bi-pass; The second time was a man in a restaurant who had a heart attack.....his heart started beating again by the time the medics go there.....I have no idea what happened to him after the ambulance took him away. You cannot imagine the thrill and elation when a heart starts beating again. I thought my own heart would pop right out of my chest.

And she's a nurse. Strong gag reflex and talks when she eats she told me.

came through for her boss. Hope he thanked her profusely (after he got done puking).

People were asking her later about it and she said basically it's from training. Repetition.

Oddly her boss is the certification officer on the floor and she isn't actually currently certified. *Ahem* might want to bring this up at a meeting.

They finally convinced him to see a doctor. It's actually not required but it is a good idea.

More than 30 years ago. It was fairly soon after I had stopped being a schoolteacher, where they had trained us.

The former friend is still alive (Former because he has gone rabid right-wing; rabid to the point that he thinks Scalia was too liberal).

There's a few videos on how to do the maneuver on YT. Here's one on how to do it to yourself.

in that it looks a lot easier - but I have to wonder if there has been any research on that? It would be nice to see how it has worked irl.

at her lunchroom at work. She bruised her co-workers ribs a bit, but saved her life. They made her Employee of the Month the next month!

I have used it once....now do not laugh at me...but it was on my German Shepherd who found a bone in the yard.

I remained calm when I did it but I freaked out when I was done. Poor dog.

Some years ago, my Dobie was is severe stress because something was stuck in his throat. I'd actually swung one leg over his body so that I was straddling him when he coughed up the problem. He was about to get Heimliched!!

I have also done mouth to nose on a dog while my boss did chest compression. We saved the dog. I have never learned how to do CPR or Heimlich maneuver on animals but I did for people and just adjusted.

I'm glad i had read about the procedure. I put her stomach down head first on my knees as I sat and angled her in a head down orientation while i tapped her back with my hand until she coughed up rhe item that she was choking on. The ambulance (our locL reacue squad) showed about about 10 minutes later.

That's impressive.

desired result and where pressure would be applied for an adult. Basically, I reverse engineered a method for a toddler under 2.

It worked, though.

by her feet and banged on her back until the penny dislodged.

the method I had to use was only somewhat similar to the one you would use on an adult.

Some cool customers you all.

And that was much more difficult. I wondered if it was the practice "Annie," but a real baby would have to be tougher - and scarier - than the practice.

Was eating a steak when a piece got stuck. Got up, bent over the chair, and that did it.

A tip of my cap, Orioles, to your wife. Well done!!

She was three and had ingested a piece of hard candy.
I wasn't 'certified' but had just learned about the Heimlich on TV.
1974?

on a french fry. it flew across the room and our dog ran over and ate it.

I was in high school so living at home. We had just returned from Hawaii the day before.

I rolled out of bed late that morning and came downstairs to find my mom choking on a piece of pineapple - we had brought home a box of pineapples.

I did the heimlich and got the food mostly dislodged then called the fire department. By the time EMS showed up she was ok. They made a report and left.

On my dad. His dementia had started to progress more rapidly at the time and he had failed to completely chew whatever it was we were eating. He was unable to breathe. I asked him if he was choking and needed help and he nodded. I got up from the table and told him what I was going to do. He lifted his arms and I applied the maneuver.., nothing. He had asthma and therefore didn't breathe very deeply so I didn't have that much air to work with. He had been a pretty accomplished athlete in his youth but was now frail and I was afraid of hurting him. I tried two more times before the obstruction cleared. He couldn't speak but whispered, "Thank you" and I nonchalantly said something like, "You're welcome, I like having you around". The gravity of the situation caught up with me later and shook me up pretty good. But I was very pleased to have been able to give something back to someone who had given so much to me. He's been gone now for seven years having succumbed to dementia, and I sure miss him.

I'm glad your missus was able to help her boss. She'd probably say it really isn't that difficult to administer. A clear head is the most important ingredient for success and she is to be congratulated.

I was a nurse in a nursing home many years back, and choking was pretty common in the cafeteria.
I've had it done to me twice. I happen to choke easily, sometimes on plain air.

and call an ambulance. There can be serious swelling in the area where the food was stuck, and the person could need support overnight to keep breathing. The person needs to be checked out for that.

Usually they'll just be sent home and told to come back if they start to get short of breath. Only a few are kept.

Let me start by saying I am an RN.
The people next to us had a houseful of kids who they used to leave with the oldest in charge - including a infant. I don't remember how old she was exactly - maybe 6-8 months.
One Sunday while I am working in the garden the oldest comes flying out of the house screaming, help me! help me! carrying that baby girl, blue and floppy. I yelled for my husband to call 911 and went flying. I swept her mouth which was ice cold and flipped her over to pat her back. The next time I turned her red liquid was dripping out of her mouth. I swept it again and more fluid came out. It didn't look like blood unless it was mixed with a lot of saliva or serous fluid. One more pat and she started squalling. Music to my ears! Almost as sweet as the sound of the approaching EMTs.
While I was working hubby was questioning the oldest child, who in turn was questioning the younger ones. It turned out one of the smallest gave her a piece of cherry Popsicle. The EMTs suctioned her out and gave her a little O2 , by that time the parents were back at home and they went to the hospital to have her checked out. They were all back home and she was doing fine a few hours later.

A piece of chicken got lodged in his throat at a local restaurant. His boss performed the Heimlich a few times and nothing happened. They finally contacted my sister and they was rushed him to the hospital -- The doctors had to use some type of device to dislodge the chicken in his esophagus- my sister said my nephew turned gray and blue during the whole ordeal. Scary stuff.

he was choking on a hot dog and it worked right away.

scared the hell out of me.

Good for her, great job.

but not small enough apparently!

For remembering under pressure and keeping her cool! I've learned it in CPR and First Aid courses, but I've never had to do it - yet. Your wife probably saved his life today. She certainly deserves a raise!!!

In German, "heimlich" means "secretly."

Alone, rushing to get ready for work, eating some bite-sized shredded wheat, one of which (haste makes...death?) lodged in my windpipe. Amazing how rapidly the adrenaline kicks in. Rammed my solar plexus against the curved back of a couch, which did the trick.

Scary, though.

My son was choking on a chicken nugget. He ran over to me, turned around, I gave him the Heimlch, he spit out the nugget and we all went back to eating as if nothing happened.

It was kind of weird, as if it was routine.

They really should teach it as a matter of course rather than just have posters on the walls. Kudos to both you and your son!

I asked the same questions and got on my knees behind her chair and did the Heimlich Maneuver and at the second try the bread stuck in her throat came out.

All the people sitting at the tables around started talking excitedly to each other about what I was doing as soon as they realized what I was doing and all cheered when they saw the bread come out. My bosses were besides themselves and when I got back into the kitchen news had spread that I'd saved someone's life. It was quite something.

I was somewhat in shock after I did it. I had known that someone had to help her and just reacted, but when my first try didn't work I got scared. She was quite old and I could feel how fragile she was with my fists in her solar plexus and I thought I might break her bones. Thank goodness the chest and rib bones have some give to them. I tried harder and it worked. The first thing I did was ask her in her ear if she was OK. I was still on my knees. She nodded her head. It's quite possible that no one noticed that I had to try twice.

I was the big hero that day. Even the boss who was normally grouchy thought I was great.