TIFU by allowing a tiny pill to anchor itself in my throat for hours

Today, I screwed up by swallowing a tiny pill without water, and it ended up lodged in my throat for hours.

I’ve taken pills without water before, especially during my chemo and radiation treatments two years ago. Sometimes I had to take up to 11 pills in one morning, and if I drank water consistently, I never had a problem swallowing a couple in a row before sipping water. (And yes, I drank a ton of water throughout the day)

This time, however, was different. I felt the pill get stuck in the back of my throat, and despite drinking an entire glass of water, it wouldn’t budge. Desperate, I tried ChatGPT’s suggestion of eating soft food, but the pill remained stubbornly anchored in my throat for what felt like an eternity. It was a small pill, so I wasn’t worried about breathing, but the discomfort was intense. Imagine the feeling of almost choking on something and needing to cough, but for hours on end.

To make matters worse, I had a 1-on-1 meeting with my boss during this ordeal. I didn’t mention a thing, just hoped he wouldn’t notice my watery eyes from the constant discomfort. Eventually, after hours of this torture, the pill finally dislodged, but I learned my lesson: always drink water with pills no matter what.

tl;dr: Swallowed a pill without water, got stuck in my throat for hours, endured discomfort during a meeting with my boss, and eventually dislodged it after hours of trying. Always drink water while swallowing a pill of any size.