Hello again! Hope you all had a fantastic September!
I am afraid, dear reader, that I have the hiccups. Again. For the last six months or so I get them almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, I get stuck inhaling whatever food/drink/gum that was in my mouth. Yum, right?
But while it has this obvious irritant, it does have at least one upside.
Laughter.
It doesn't matter who it is, it seems that nothing lightens a atmosphere better than a badly timed hiccup that is a cross between a donkey and a strangled cat. Last night during Family Home evening, we started our reading ten minutes late because even mom and dad were gripping their sides. Meanwhile I tried to smother myself.
But what are hiccups, I began to wonder. And where did they come from? These questions nagged at me until I could stand it no longer. I had to know.
THE HICCUPS: A study in synopsis
A hiccup is a contraction of the diaphragm that repeats several times per minute. In humans, the abrupt rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating a "hic" sound.
- The medical term, singultus, is thought to have originated from the Latin, singult, which translates roughly as "the act of catching one's breath while sobbing.
- A bout of hiccups, in general, resolves itself without intervention
- Some doctors recommend that you put your fingers in your ears to stop hiccups.
- Sticking out your tongue and yanking on it may stop hiccups.
- If you eat fast, you are probably not chewing food thoroughly, which seems to cause hiccups.
- American man Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 68 years, from 1922 to 1990, and was entered in the Guinness World Records as the man with the longest attack of hiccups.
I found all of this fascinating, though I guess a lot of people(possibly you) do not. But hey, people surprise me every day. :)
Later!
Your writer,
Cody <3 <3
"A cross between a donkey and a strangled cat"? That sounds critical of yourself. I don't know why you are; I mean your great and wonderful and awesome, and you are Cody.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should say, "Something strange that just comes out of my mouth. My body makes quite a statement about itself."
I just don't think you have to be so critical of yourself. You may falter sometimes, and those mistakes may be obvious, but you do so, so, so many great, wonderful things that may be unnoticeable, but are there for others. You are caring and kind, and you are there for your friends. Why is this bad?
Cody has the uncanny ability to make a sound like a donkey...we actually have household competitions to see if anyone can match her talent. The funniest is Victoria, who makes a sound like a dying donkey.
ReplyDeleteWhen Cody hiccups, it often sounds like a braying donkey that suddenly has its air supply cut off.
Really, her hiccups sound quiet extreme. It is funny to hear, but it is also very hard for her mom to see her having these episodes without being able to comfort her.
We are dearly hoping she grows out of them, because they are truly irritating to her and sound very painful!!!!