If you have never gone through “fish bone stuck in throat” situation, I suggest you pray it doesn’t happen to you. And for those who have ever gone through the above situation, I am very sure you know the kind of pain it is and how much you suffered. Oh yes, having fish bone stuck in one’s throat is a real life tale. I went through it and decided to share with you what exactly happened.
As usual, I returned home after work and was served my favorite dish by my wife. Oh yes, I am a kind who loves fish (I used to but not anymore), and as a habit, at least this used to be part of our meal at least 3 times in a week. On the fateful day, I begun as usual not knowing that the fish I love would turn to be one of the things I hate.
Within the first minute, I experienced a sharp pain in my throat and knew that something had gone wrong and as anticipated, it is the fish bone. I coughed as this is a well known remedy but it didn’t help. I swallowed a big piece of rice but still this didn’t help. I drunk more than enough water but still in vain. My wife suggested I put my finger inside the throat to push it out but this turned to be worse as the more I touched it, the deeper it went into my throat.
At this moment, I was in real pain and couldn’t stand it any longer. Oh yes, fish bone can turn into something you can’t imagine finally it gets stuck in ones throat. Like you may know that different people have different customs, my wife advised me to carry the source pan which cooked the fish on my head well as she didn’t know the exact procedures. This I did but still in vain.
Without any further delay, I knew things would turn worse if I don’ take action and off, I asked for the car keys and requested my daughter to have the garage opened. I was of a view that at least, the clinics which are located within the next half a mile would save me well as I was wrong.
Off I drove myself to the nearest clinic after a friend whom I called recommended that place. After arriving, it took about two minutes for the person who seemed to have been in deep sleep came and asked me what the problem was. After narrating to him, he simply walked away, something I came to learn later that he had gone to call the doctor who was asleep already as it was 22 hours already (10:45PM).
The doctor came and just passed to the room where the guy was resting from. I had him ask where the patient was and he was told that the guy he had passed by (me) in the corridor. They called me and as soon as I entered the told, they told me to sit straight. I did and the doctor used his mobile flash (touch on phone) to light up in my widened mouth. He told me how he could see anything and advised me to try Mengo Hospital, or Rubaga hospital or any other big hospital.
Since I was alone, he recommended I get someone to accompany me as it was a 7 kilometer drive yet I was in pain. I started my Hilux pickup and turned it to home direction. I called my wife and told her to prepare since she was to accompany me to Mengo hospital. Within a few minutes, I was already home and off we started our drive to Mengo hospital which is also known as Namirembe hospital (just a few miles from Kampala city center).
I went through the registration process (of course paying what appeared as consultation fees on the receipt) and was directed by the Askari (watchman or guard guy) to a table where two young ladies sat. They examined by blood pressure, my weight and entered me in their book. One of them took me to a room I was supposedly to find a doctor but the doctor wasn’t there. I was told to sit and wait and the young lady went to call her. She came back and told me that within a few minutes, the doctor will be here.
Oh I waited and there he came. To tell you, I was in real pain and could hardly swallow my own saliva. I narrated to the doctor what happened and he too did just like the first one had done. Using his phone touch, he told me to open my mouth wide and he told me there was no bone apart from the scratched. This I rejected since I could feel it when swallowing. If he had told me that it was far he could simply see it, I would have accepted.
I insisted that I felt it and he instead told me to go to the pharmacy and buy the medication he had prescribed. He also told me that I had to go see the Throat specialist who are located in Mulago referral hospital. He added that they had no scam to check my throat. Off I went and I didn’t even bother to go to the hospital pharmacy to buy the medication he had prescribed.
I went in the parking yard, waked up my wife and told her what the doctor had said. We agreed that I will go to Mulago hospital the next day since it was already 1:00am. I accepted what God had brought to me that night and drove back home but in pain. On our way, we stopped at the road side market and I bough Chapati with Yellow banana’s. I tried to push them hard with a view that may be, the fish bone would slow down.
Very earning in the morning, I called my friend who is a doctor as well, told him my situation and asked him to escort me to Mulago hostpital where I was advised to take a neck scan. This I did and the story continues…… Check back on what happened next..
