Medical Breakthrough

Nich had horrible hiccups today. He gets the same kind painful, achy hiccups I get so I always feel really bad when he has them. Mom suggested giving him a peppermint and telling him not to eat it (otherwise he'll chew and swallow it). So I did both. He sucked on it a while and then started making this awful noise, his face turning a deeper shade of red with every gasp. I started beating on his back while trying to get him to stand up so I could do a proper Heimlich. It was some combination of the thwacking and leaning forward that caused the mint to dislodge, which pleased both of us. Also, the hiccups were gone.

And it is with pride that I suggest my breakthrough theory in hiccup cures: choking.