My Mask Tried to Kill Me

Everyone is tired of hearing about masks, one way or another. This is not about being pro- or anti-mask. It's about one mask in particular that tried to kill me yesterday.

The mask pictured above is my overall favorite. It's easy to get on and off, it doesn't feel like it suffocates me by merely wearing it, and it fits pretty well.

I was at an indoor shooting range yesterday in close proximity to people and was wearing this mask. I had noticed earlier that there was some stringy lint on the inside of it but didn't pay it much mind when I put it on.

Gunshots were being fired so I was paying attention to those around me, ensuring safety. I inhaled before speaking, something you do all the time but don't ever think about it. As I brought in that breath I felt a light little something fly into my mouth and go down my throat.

Immediately I went into a horrible coughing fit. Speaking was difficult, breathing was difficult. Trying to stay upright was even difficult. I felt as if a moth had been sucked into my trachea but I knew there was no moth in my mask.

I went out for a drink of water and finally got some relief, only to start coughing and gagging again. A minute later I was almost back to normal. I still felt like something was stuck to my throat but it wasn't causing me to cough so I went back about my business.

This morning it was still bugging me. I got a suggestion from a listener to eat a spoonful of peanut butter to suck it down. I didn't have a spoon nor peanut butter in the studio, but there were a couple of Reese's peanut butter Halloween treats in the front desk candy bowl. I ate those and drank some more water and felt fantastic!

Why did this happen? I think lint just collected in the pleats of my mask. The pleats make it comfy, but also give stuff a place to go. When I put it on it was a time bomb.

If you have a pleated mask, consider yourself warned. Clean it out or it will try to kill you.