In the blink of an eye

Life is very precious, we all know this and we should all remember this. Yesterday, I had one of the biggest scares of my life. It was dinner time and we were eating at the dinner table (as usual). I made a nice meal (as usual..lol), and we (meaning my kids, my husband and I) were enjoying it. I made lots of things, one thing being breaded veal cutlets. I cut the pieces up small for my older kids (as usual) and we began eating. In an instant my heart stopped.

My daughter began making a noise that did not sound to good or common. She was choking. I immediately grabbed her and began doing what I learned to do in CPR class. I gave her hymlic (did not work), I did the old hook in the throat (did not work), and then I did the hard tap from the bottom of the back moving towards the top of the back, and voila..the piece of veal that was stuck in her throat, popped out. It all happened in 1 minute; 60 long seconds. My husband was coaching me, “Diana you know how to do it, come on!” I had Joseph just staring at me, and my daughter just choking while having this desperate look of HELP.

You learn CPR, hoping you will never have to use it, and when you do have to use it (especially on your own child) it is the most nerve racking experience. After it was all said and done and she began breathing again, I needed a minute. Ok, I need 10 minutes. I sat there with tears, trembling over the moment that just took place in my kitchen. Just like that, I was in survival mode. In a blink of an eye, I almost lost my daughter.

That night, I couldn’t help get the thought and the vision of what happened at dinner time out of my head. I was cringing at the thought of what may have happened if what I did, did not work. I had to stop thinking about it because it was horrifying. At that moment when I was trying to get that piece of meat out, all I was thinking about was “How am I going to get this thing out of her throat??” That was my mission, and I had to do it. You go into a feeling that you cannot explain; it needs to get done and you don’t care what you have to do to get it out.

We say it all the time; life can change in a matter of minutes. We do our best as parents to protect our children from harm, from diseases and from things that can happen outside the home. We never want to think about these incidents that can happen right in front of our eyes. We plan and we prepare for all the things we are ready for, until it actually happens.
Life is full of experiences, and I am lucky that I will be able to tell my daughter in years to come, that she almost choked on a piece of veal when she was just 5 years old. I thanked God that night when I went to sleep for 2 things. First, that he didn’t take my baby from me, and second that I was able to save her from choking. After it was all over, my 8 year old son said this to me, “Mommy, you should be a nurse or an ambulance driver.” I tried not to giggle because of his naivety, and I proceeded to ask him why, and he said, “Because you saved Maria-Alicia’s life.” All I can answer to my little innocent son was this, “No, Joseph, I did not only save her life, I saved mine too; all in the blink of an eye.”
That’s my peace today!

Pasta al Forno
1 pack of Rigitoni
1/2 pound minced meat
1 jar cooked sauce
1/4 cup chopped white onion
2 cups shredded mozzarella

In a skillet heat oil, add onion and meat. Saute until meat is cooked. Add cooked meat in a bowl, add sauce and mix. Cook pasta 3 minutes less than as directed on package, once cooked drain in strainer combine pasta with sauce. In a baking dish pour pasta and sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees (until cheese melts)

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