I called 911 for the first time tonight
My husband was fixing his salad while we talked about the day and what will happen tomorrow. Somehow he inhaled a piece of bacon. While he could pull in air, his throat was spasming and he couldn't seem to breath normally. He was making horrible gasping noises and finally had to sit and looked as though he might fall to the floor. A Heimlich maneuver was not the answer since his throat was not blocked.
So I called 911. By the time they answered and I talked to the woman for a minute, his breathing had gotten better and he did not want an ambulance to come. I told the operator that he was OK and we disconnected. Then the emergency system called back. My husband spoke to them and they recommended that an EMS team come out to check him, so he agreed.
The team arrived about a half hour later, checked his BP, blood sugar, pulse oxygen, and listened to his lungs. Everything was fine - in fact his blood sugar was a fantastic 76! We talked for a few minutes (it must have been a slow night but I also think it is part of their evaluation) and then they went on their way.
While the EMS visit was really unnecessary, at our ages (he just turned 69) it's good to know that if something goes wrong they are on call. By the way, I asked about insurance or payment - if they don't transport a patient, there is no charge.
I'd called the Sheriff's Department non-emergency number in the past, I never had a situation that needed 911 - before. At least this time it turned out fine, though my husband's throat is still a little scratched feeling.
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Especially since as far out as we are, it takes a good amount of time for any service to get here. If his breathing had been completely blocked, an ambulance could not have arrived in time.
My reaction is also overlayed with guilt. Several years ago my husband complained of a stomach ache the night before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving morning it got much worse. I asked if he wanted me to take him to the emergency room and he just growled at me to leave him alone. Days later when I finally took him to the doctor because he was no better, it turned out that his appendix had burst and he had an abdomen full of inflection. After three days in the hospital and ten days with drains coming out of him, he was finally well.
At least now I know I am shit as a human nurse - I took better care of my horses than I did of my husband. 
It's a good thing that he basically has an iron constitution or I'd be a widow by now.
I live in a gated, over-55 community, so the fire department is in here a lot.
More than once I've run to a neighbor's house when the fire department has shown up. Once they are done making sure the person is okay, they never fail to ask if they can help do something around the house. I've seen them take out the trash, hook up telephones that aren't working, you name it. They want to make sure the elderly folks in here are safe.
I live in a fire prone area. We treat the fire department like they walk on water. They are our heroes 24/7, 365 days a year. We love them!
They are invited to our Fourth of July festivities every year. In fact, they lead the parade in a fire truck. We do a big breakfast for them once a year. People are always taking goodies over to the fire houses.
(Of course this was all during normal times!)
have him checked. We almost lost my granddaughter when she was two, weeks after she inhaled a peanut. It was infected in her lung.
