It's a trivial story, but I thought it might help someone somewhere, so I decided to record it.

Dinner Time

Around 7 PM, while eating dinner, I accidentally swallowed a bone from a mackerel, and it felt like it got stuck just above my Adam's apple. I tried the often-suggested method of swallowing rice whole, but it didn't work at all (I tried until I was quite full).

At this point, I searched "how to remove a stuck fish bone," and the information I found included:

• Do not swallow rice whole.
• Do not try to remove it with tweezers yourself.
• Try swallowing saliva or water to wash it down.
• Go to the hospital immediately if it's a sea bream bone; for other fish, go the next morning if it's still stuck.
• If it's been more than two days, the bone might have moved behind the throat mucosa, making it hard to find even at the hospital.

I had already swallowed a lot of rice...

But I thought this method must be effective since people in the past survived using it, and I had successfully removed bones this way several times before.

Interestingly, it didn't hurt when I was just sitting still, and there were times I thought it might have come out. However, when brushing my teeth and moving my tongue, I could feel it pressing and knew it was still there.

The Next Morning

The foreign body sensation persisted into the next day, so I reluctantly went to the hospital, choosing an ear, nose, and throat specialist.

I chose a general hospital thinking they would have the proper equipment, as I had heard that they use a camera through the nose for examination.

At the reception, I filled out a questionnaire and was asked, "Do you know what fish the bone was from?" which made me think, "Oh, they're experienced with this," and I felt a bit relieved.

In the examination room, the doctor first checked my mouth. Unable to see the bone, they decided to use a camera through my nose.

I had never experienced a gastroscopy, so I was quite nervous.

The tube was probably about 3mm in diameter. They sprayed an anesthetic in my nose and began inserting the tube.

I kept sticking my tongue out, as I had heard touching the base of the tongue can make you gag, and I was told to breathe through my nose.

Following these two instructions, I didn't choke, and the throat photography was done quickly (about 30 seconds).

Looking at the photo, the doctor said, "It's stuck behind your tonsils."

The word "behind" made me a bit anxious, but I had no choice but to trust (blindly trust) the doctor.

"...I'm going to switch to a slightly thicker camera," the doctor suddenly said.

Surprised but still blindly trusting, I let them proceed.

Then a nurse came in, which made me wonder, "Is this where I struggle and get restrained?" But it turned out she was there to help adjust the camera angle precisely when removing the bone.

They reapplied the anesthetic and inserted the thicker camera (probably about 8mm).

Thanks to my tongue-sticking-out and nose-breathing techniques, it wasn't much more uncomfortable despite the increased size.

The doctor and nurse expertly maneuvered the camera tip and quickly removed the bone, probably within 30 seconds to a minute. It was about 1.5 cm long.

I expressed my gratitude to the doctor profusely and left.

Summary

Worrying excessively beforehand usually means the reality won't exceed your imagination, so it's important to worry in advance. However, one thing is certain: days without a fish bone stuck in your throat are the best.