'Dog bling' inhaled with puffer suspected source of persistent cough
There's nothing odd about having a cough in the middle of winter. But St. John's writer and business owner Geoff Meeker's cough lasted from November until two weeks into January when he made an unusual discovery.
"It was really bad, constant all day coughing, taking my puffer four times a day," Meeker told the St. John's Morning Show. "It also seemed to be getting worse when it should be getting better."
Meeker, who has asthma, said it is normal for his coughs to persist. His doctor sent him for an X-ray on Jan. 11 after ruling out a chest infection.
But Meeker still hasn't seen those. He made made his own discovery during a coughing fit three days later.
"While I was coughing, something appeared in my mouth. A piece of plastic — four little tiny beads," Meeker said.
Perplexed as to how the bits and beads got into his chest, Meeker took to Facebook looking for answers. He said his dog groomer responded with a picture of a decorative Christmas dog collar ribbon.
"An artificial poinsettia with four little beads in the middle," Meeker described it. "I realized I had it in my pocket twice."
Meeker believes he inhaled the plastic when he inhaled from his puffer.
"In one quick blast because I take a good pull when I inhale and that would be, I think, how it gone down there," Meeker said. "There's no other way for that to get into my lungs."
Puffer protection
Meeker said his cough disappeared the day after he coughed up the "dog bling."
He said the incident serves as a good lesson for those who use puffers.
"Two people commented on that post about similar experiences with earwigs," Meeker said, "so I feel good about a small set of dog bling."
Meeker said he now taps his puffer on the counter and blows through it before he uses it.
