A Breath Returned: The Day Instinct, Chaos, and Comedy Collided

Some days at work feel ordinary… and then there are the days that slam into your heart and stay there. Today was one of those days, equal parts terrifying, humbling, and surprisingly hilarious.

Everything was normal until it wasn’t.
One moment someone was swallowing meds like any other day, and the next moment there was no breath at all. That look — the one that says “I can’t breathe”, is something you never forget.

There wasn’t time for technique, positioning, or second-guessing. Instinct took over before I even realized what I was doing. I hit the emergency button and got behind her in the bed, performing abdominal thrusts with all my focus on one thing: helping her breathe again.

And then came the grand entrance.

A whole group of doctors started walking in, right while I’m the most awkwardly positioned human on Earth, basically kneeling in the bed behind her like some kind of action-movie stunt double who didn’t get rehearsal time.

A therapist had tried to help already, nothing was moving yet, and there I was, locked in, hoping to God for even the tiniest breath.

Then finally, FINALLY, she pulled in air. A small gasp, then another, then her voice. The relief in that room hit like a tidal wave.

And just when I thought the crisis was over…
I remembered something important:

I was still in the bed.

Let me tell you: trying to get OUT of a hospital bed in front of a group of doctors after saving someone’s life should qualify as its own Olympic event. My foot got caught in the side rail. Twisted. For a second, I thought I was going to become the next patient. One of the doctors gave me this half-smile — the kind that says:

“I’m impressed, but also… what exactly am I witnessing right now?”

Honestly? I couldn’t blame him.

It was dramatic.
It was chaotic.
It was awkward.
It was very, very human.

And it reminded me of something big:

We don’t get to choose the moments that change us —
but we DO get to choose how we show up in them.

Today showed me that showing up matters.
Instinct matters.
Compassion matters.
Even when you’re tangled in a side rail, trying not to fall out of a bed.

And that’s exactly what I carry into my coaching too.

People don’t always choke physically — sometimes they choke emotionally. On fear. On grief. On stress. On burnout. On life coming at them too fast. And sometimes they just need someone willing to jump into the mess with them and help them breathe again.

Today I helped someone reclaim a breath.
Every day, I help people reclaim their emotional one.

Caring with Karen — Where Compassion Meets Confidence.