Today, I had a violent coughing fit while at the store, which caused a lady to think I was choking, grab me from behind and start doing the Heimlich maneuver incorrectly. She broke two of my ribs. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, I coughed so hard that I fractured two ribs. FML
Today, I had such a violent coughing fit that my stomach emptied itself all over the floor while at my sales job. FML
Today, I cracked a rib coughing. FML
Today, I was sitting in the break room at work eating lunch when I started to choke. My face turned red and tears began welling up in my eyes. Two of my coworkers were there. They began to argue over who would have to give me the Heimlich maneuver rather than helping. FML
Today, I mistook a coworker’s laughter for choking and performed the Heimlich maneuver on them in the break room. They weren’t choking, but now they’re afraid to laugh near me. FML
Today, a child was choking in the store I work at. He was alone in the aisle, so I started the Heimlich without his parents' permission. After dislodging what was caught, his mother turned the corner and went screaming to my manager for touching her kid. I got a write up. FML
Today, I tripped and fell, damaging my sternum and making it incredibly painful to breathe in or out too much. About ten minutes later, I got the hiccups. FML
Today, I was helping an old lady at my job. While I was in mid-sentence, she coughed wet phlegm directly into my mouth. It tasted vile and caused me to have a panic attack while working. FML
Today, I fractured two ribs from coughing. My doctor told me to stop coughing, or I would fracture them more. I have bronchitis. FML
Today, while dining at a restaurant I heard a women choking. I immediately ran to her, wrapped my arms around her and started giving her abdominal thrusts. She freed herself and slapped me. Turns out she wasn't choking, she was just laughing. FML
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Top comments
ripgeorgecarl1n 7
True, but the Hemmlich is done to get the person choking to cough. OP was already coughing so that lady should have never started the Hemmlich maneuver.
RobboXD 5
I know right! the bitch totally deserves it I mean come on who does she think she is going around trying to save peoples lives. -.-'... OP although this is unfortunate and I do feel sorry for you I hope you don't press charges, she was honestly just trying to help.
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Comments (326)
usabball 0
Your supposed to break a rib when doing the heimlich maneuver, so that means they were doing it rite.
riverby 0
Sueing is a little much, but this woman is seriously misinformed. Anyone who took a simple health class in high school should know that if the victim can cough, they are passing enough air to make a Heimlich unnecessary. She didn't necessarily do it incorrectly (though I wouldn't doubt it given how little she knows about it) as breaking a few ribs is common. If you do not know the proper, safe first aid, don't attempt to physically treat the "victim". Ask if they're okay and call 911 if you're afraid they aren't. Improper first aid can be worse than none at all.
SAM5000 0
its funny because if you are choking its impossible to cough
do_your_job 0
Um, if you're doing the Heimlich correct, you will break ribs. Dumbass.
Raddaya 3
You're the dumbass. It's possible to break ribs, you won't necessarily break ribs. Like Hendrixguy said, by your definition I could punch you in the chest, break your ribs and do a successful Heimlich.
nature_girl_08 14
just wanted to say that i get really pissed off when people immediately jump to saying "OMG SUE THEM." however, in this situation, some type of legal action is definitely called for. while i wouldn't necessarily sue the woman, as she had good intentions, i would at least speak to her about helping with the medical bills, since she was not in fact certified and did not ask for consent, which resulted in bodily harm. people, don't ever perform a medical procedure on anyone without proper training. you could severely injure someone, and possibly even kill them. do CPR wrong on a small child and you could crush their chest. or, like here, do the heimlich wrong and you could do some major damage.
PlasteredClown 0
Actually, if you do the hiemlich maneuver correctly, you're supposed to break ribs.
dubbadee123 5
you can sue her you need to ask the person if they want you to preform the heimleich maneuver before she can go to jail
LakenReilly 0
Sue her!
fightingkittens 39
I'm just going to post an interesting fact: it's not called the Heimlich anymore. Due to an incident years ago where a man performed the Heimlich on a choking person and cracked a rib (cue lawsuit), Heimlich requested that his name be removed from the procedure. It's now called the Obstructed Airway maneuver, but they don't tell you that unless you get certified.
madz5758 10
Sue her. The first thing they teach you in CPR is to ask if the person is choking and then for permission to help them.