A Hard Pill to Swallow
I have just recently been enlightened about something that I feel inclined to share. And by doing so, it will accomplish one of two things: 1) it will either show how ignorant I really was prior to the enlightened moment, or 2) it will give you an insight to a very Clever Thing.
I was mostly very healthy as a child, and up till about the age of 15, I didn’t even know what a headache was like. I never really took pills for much of anything, and, in fact, I developed quite an aversion to taking the things. The few times I had occasion to swallow a pill, I always felt like I was on the verge of choking and would often have to have bread or a cracker nearby to ensure the descent of said pill. Unfortunately, I have now succumbed to a new Age—that of vitamins, Aleve, and allergy pills becoming a necessity.
So the other day, I was complaining to Nancy about how hard it is on me to take some of my “horse pill” vitamins. I have to gag and splutter and carry on and would just rather skip the whole thing than to have to risk the Fatal Choke.
Nancy is well-versed in how to take pills apparently, as home health is her expertise. “Just tuck your chin,” she said.
“What?!”
“Tuck your chin,” she repeated. “Look down when you swallow. When you throw your head back, you are actually cutting off your esophagus.”
I didn’t let my skepticism show too much, but when I went to take my vitamins the next day, I tried it. Lo and behold! It works! The biggest vitamin went down with no problem whatsoever. I was amazed, to say the least, and have been using the technique ever since.
The next time I saw Mom take her pills (in much the same way I had been doing, i.e., throwing back the head and looking up at the ceiling), I asked her why in the world she hadn’t taught me the proper way to take a pill. “I didn’t know there was another way,” she said. So I enlightened her. She didn’t think it was any easier, but it has totally changed my pill-taking life.
Next, I told Sharon, and she was equally flabbergasted. We must have had the same mother.
So I’m beginning to wonder…how do you take your pills?
I was mostly very healthy as a child, and up till about the age of 15, I didn’t even know what a headache was like. I never really took pills for much of anything, and, in fact, I developed quite an aversion to taking the things. The few times I had occasion to swallow a pill, I always felt like I was on the verge of choking and would often have to have bread or a cracker nearby to ensure the descent of said pill. Unfortunately, I have now succumbed to a new Age—that of vitamins, Aleve, and allergy pills becoming a necessity.
So the other day, I was complaining to Nancy about how hard it is on me to take some of my “horse pill” vitamins. I have to gag and splutter and carry on and would just rather skip the whole thing than to have to risk the Fatal Choke.
Nancy is well-versed in how to take pills apparently, as home health is her expertise. “Just tuck your chin,” she said.
“What?!”
“Tuck your chin,” she repeated. “Look down when you swallow. When you throw your head back, you are actually cutting off your esophagus.”
I didn’t let my skepticism show too much, but when I went to take my vitamins the next day, I tried it. Lo and behold! It works! The biggest vitamin went down with no problem whatsoever. I was amazed, to say the least, and have been using the technique ever since.
The next time I saw Mom take her pills (in much the same way I had been doing, i.e., throwing back the head and looking up at the ceiling), I asked her why in the world she hadn’t taught me the proper way to take a pill. “I didn’t know there was another way,” she said. So I enlightened her. She didn’t think it was any easier, but it has totally changed my pill-taking life.
Next, I told Sharon, and she was equally flabbergasted. We must have had the same mother.
So I’m beginning to wonder…how do you take your pills?
posted by Kris at 6/19/2007 10:03:00 PM
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