Maleeha: Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Dionne and I wanted to take a minute and thank you for listening, subscribing, and sending us positive vibes. We appreciate the love. This project has been such a labor of love, and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing for us to finally be able to share it with everyone.

Dionne: Given that we’re entering the holiday season, it is a time for friends and family to gather and eat, laugh and talk.

Maleeha: Sounds like fun. But you know what happens to some people when they eat, laugh and talk all together?

Dionne: Yes, girl. Unfortunately, they can choke and aspirate. Yikes.

Maleeha: Oh, my God. We sound like such Debbie Downer doctors. But I wouldn’t be lying if I said we definitely see a spike of cases in the emergency department of people getting food stuck in their esophagus and needing help getting it out.

Dionne: Absolutely. I wouldn’t say Debbie Downers. We’re just keeping it real, Maleeha. I mean, we have the dreaded food bolus! It happens every Thanksgiving. So we have tips to keep you out of the hospital this holiday season.

Maleeha: Absolutely.

Dionne: Please listen and follow.

Maleeha: Okay, tip one, take a moment. Cut up all the turkey and yummy veggies into bitesized pieces.

Dionne: And for those of us who have low vibrational plates, like me, we’re going to have the ham, the macaroni and cheese, the mashed potatoes. We’re going to have a lot more than just veggies, but you get the point.

Maleeha: The veggie sides are my favorite, but, yes, you’re right. Whatever you’re eating, unless it’s pureed, cut it up. Particularly meat, which is the biggest culprit of the dreaded food bolus.

Dionne: Yes, it is. Did you know that this is actually called the “Steakhouse Syndrome” for that reason?

Maleeha: Yes, exactly. Chew that meat, guys. Chew it. Chew it up and chew it up. Exactly.

Dionne: Well, that brings us to tip two, actually, put the fork down between bites to give yourself some time to chew and swallow completely, because, again, chewing is so important to break the meat and food into small pieces.

Maleeha: Oh, my God. You sound like my mom. I want you to say that in an Auntie voice, like, put your fork down.

Dionne: A lot of people need their mamas to watch them because it’s ridiculous in Thanksgiving.

Maleeha: Tip number three if you feel like you’re having trouble swallowing, don’t keep eating. You can’t push it. You can’t push through this. You can push through a lot of things. Not this. Actually, put the fork down. Take a breather. Hopefully you’re breathing. Take a breather and try a few sips at a time of a carbonated beverage, like Coca Cola.

Dionne: It’s like Drano for your esophagus, guys. That’s pretty much what it is. So try it. It works. It is.

Maleeha: Try it. Little bits at a time.

Dionne: Tip number four if you’re really having a problem and can’t swallow your own saliva or feel pain in your neck or chest, get to the emergency room stat. There they may observe you and give you medications to see if you pass the food. But often the food needs to be removed or pushed down endoscopically.

Maleeha: Which means you get to meet us hello. The anesthesiologist and the gastroenterologist. And together, as a team, we will try to painstakingly. Painstakingly, gently fish out the food, no pun intended, from your esophagus, because there’s no fish in Thanksgiving. Well, but it’s not always a quick task, and it’s not always easy at all.

Dionne: It is not, emphasis on the painstakingly. It does take a long time sometimes. So please pay attention to those symptoms and get to the hospital.

Maleeha: And finally, tip number five, keep a close eye on the little ones and the grandparents. They are at a higher risk of choking and having a more difficult time swallowing.

Dionne: Good point. Very good point. When we’re in large gatherings, it’s easy to lose track of our loved ones. The kids are running around the house, you’re having conversations because it’s a reunion and it’s easy to lose track. So please pay attention to your kids and to Grandma and Grandpa, because, like she said, they’re the ones in the hospital the most.

Maleeha: Exactly. And sometimes we leave those little apps out and the nuts and things lying around and we’re not noticing. Always when somebody is grabbing it and running it with it.

Dionne: Exactly.

Maleeha: Yeah. See, Dionne, that’s why I always stick to sweet potatoes. I love potatoes. Any form. Whipped casserole with those toasted, marshmallows, fries, bacon and pie. I could go on and on. Candied yam. That’s the whole debate, candy.

Dionne: Yeah, it is. I’m glad you said that, because we got called out.

Maleeha:  and I know your favorite meal is just the carnivore meat.

Dionne: I’m a meat eater. I’m a carnivore, period. And the mac and cheese is huge for me. Love it. But anyways, we hope you enjoyed this Thanksgiving, and we hope these tips help keep you out of the hospital this season. We wish you a safe and healthy holiday. Check out theivydrip.co, and all podcast streaming platforms. For more episodes, be sure to subscribe and share. We appreciate your support. Bye, guys.

Maleeha: Bye