By John Murphy
I have only had one medical procedure in my life. That was in 2009 right before I moved from the San Bernardino Sun to the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
I was having an issue with my throat getting blocked as I ate – especially with a combination of meat and rice.
This went on for years and caused me some embarrassing moments – such as one night at Pinnacle Peak’s in Colton. I love the Cowboy Steak and was happily wolfing it down. Then I got that dreaded sensation in my throat of the passageway being blocked.
I took a swig of soda and that was it; I needed to get that junk out of my throat pronto. The front door of the restaurant was closer than the men’s room, so I staggered out of the place in front of a long line and blew chunks all over the bushes. Uh, my bad Pinnacle Peak’s. I really do like your steaks.
Some friends urged me to see a doctor. The doc said I needed an endoscopy – a procedure where they take a flexible tube and drop it into your throat. The endoscope has a light and a camera that reveals the problem.
My issue was built-up scar tissue, caused by years of acid reflux. But I didn’t know that at the time.
The deal was a trip. I don’t know what they shot me up with at Kaiser Hospital, but I was flying high. I told a nurse I had a blog and I needed a notepad to write down all my brilliant, funny thoughts. I furiously scribbled notes during the procedure and was kind of excited, thinking this was going to be the greatest blog ever.
Procedure finally done and the narcotics worn off, I got into my car and flipped open my notebook to read what I had written. Sheer gibberish, every word! I shook my head in disappointment and drove away.
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