“A hot dog nearly killed Joan Jacobson. When she stopped for a lunch break while shopping, a chunk of hot dog lodged in her throat and she began choking. An off-duty police officer came to her rescue and was able to clear her throat — but she thought that would be the last bite she ever took.
Previously, Jacobson had suffered three strokes that caused temporary paralysis and impaired her ability to swallow, but she thought she had sufficiently recovered. After her near-death experience with the hot dog in 2014, doctors cut her off from eating and put her on a feeding tube. She had recovered from most of the effects of the strokes but consuming anything by mouth remained an insurmountable danger for her condition.
Since then, a Northwestern University researcher developed a novel way to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders has helped teach Jacobson how to swallow again. After three years without taking a bite, the 79-year- old Jacobson is once again cautiously enjoying some of the joys of eating.”
Continue reading the article by Robert McCoppin at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-high-tech-solutions-to-prevent-choking-disorders-20190226-story.html