Got braces off like 20 years ago, and I’ve worn a retainer occasionally ever since. It’s a Hawley-style lower retainer, the kind with the acrylic and wire. I still wear it maybe once a month because I notice mild shifting when I don't

This past Sunday morning, I had it in and took a big gulp of water with a handful of vitamins and supplements. Somehow it slipped out and went straight down my throat. I started choking and genuinely thought I was going to die for a minute, then things calmed down and I realized what had happened. My girlfriend took me to the ER, and they did an x-ray and found the retainer lodged in my esophagus. They put me under and tried to pull it back up, but couldn’t safely, so they pushed it into my stomach and had to perform open abdominal surgery cutting into my stomach to remove. Was only supposed to be in the OR for about an hour but I ended up in there for like six.

Afterward they told me the GI team might have accidentally punctured my esophagus while trying to pull the retainer out or that the retainer might have done it going down. They weren’t sure, so they started me on antibiotics and kept me in the hospital for observation. I had to wait until the next day to get a CT scan after drinking contrast to rule out a perforation. Once they confirmed everything was intact and I could eat solid food again without an issue, they discharged me on day three.

Wouldn't have thought it was possible to swallow one of these things. I’ve never heard of it happening. I looked around online, checked ChatGPT, etc. As far as I can tell, there’s one recorded case from 1987, and that one was considered life-threatening. I’ve barely ever been in a hospital before this. Whole thing feels surreal and kind of embarrassing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5751612&forum_id=2/#49110525)

https://ibb.co/nMk107Dp

https://ibb.co/zV0fdjy7

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5751612&forum_id=2/#49110940)

There's probably some sort of subreddit that would get a kick out of that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5751612&forum_id=2/#49111025)

Are you sure you didn't just feel calm about dying?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5751612&forum_id=2/#49111027)