It's a foregone conclusion

I used to wonder how I will die, or even what the best way to die would be. I've since stopped wondering how I will die. It will be one of two ways - aspiration pneumonia or choking.
I think Katherine has developed PTSD from the number of times that I've choked while eating... not choking as in doing the Heimlich, but choking/coughing requiring water or choking/coughing followed by a piece of food flying out of my mouth and my comment of "oops.. that went down the wrong tube." Every time I cough while eating, she has this look of trepidation as if to ask "Do I need to intervene? Quick... what's the universal sign for choking?" This has kind of become a running joke, except for the fact that Katherine heard about a newlywed couple in which the wife died suddenly from choking on a marshmallow. So, not so funny. That story was awful and sad.
So, last week when Kath was at her conference in New Hampshire and I was home alone, and I swallowed a chip that was apparently the exact diameter of my esophagus and I could feel the peristaltic contractions over and over and over but that chip was not moving, I did panic a bit. But, the good news was that it had gone down the correct tube, so I could breathe, and I just drank a gallon of water and softened that chip up and down the tube it went... after about 15 minutes.
But, I also had an important realization. Not only will I die by choking, but it will be a chip that kills me!

I need more ammo against these chips, because giving them up cold turkey just isn't working, and my chip baby is still hanging on. Maybe this knowledge will convince me to stop eating so many chips.

Hmmm... except for that old adage...
keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Chips... we're about to get even better acquainted! (I'll tell Katherine I'm eating for my health.)