Marilyn Beeson is lucky to be alive after nearly choking to death in front of her students in 2014.
"When it happened in the school setting, it was completely traumatic because I thought I’m going to die in the school cafeteria in front of my 9 and 10 year olds,” said Beeson, a music teacher.
Beeson, who had experienced choking episodes for years, said she never saw a doctor before her latest incident.
"It’s one of those things I kept putting off and putting off until it happened again in a more severe circumstance,” Beeson said.
After her latest choking episode, doctors determined one of Beeson’s arteries was pushing against her esophagus which caused difficulty swallowing.
"It’s one of the common anomalies. It’s something that happens to one to two percent of all people. But very few are symptomatic,” said Dr. Rajesh Malik.
Eventually, doctors and surgeons figured out a way to reroute the artery away from her esophagus.
Beeson underwent two surgeries and a lengthy recovery before she returned to her classroom.
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