Beware the BBQ

Normally, I do not choose potato chips as a snack food. They just don't appeal to me. However, a few days ago, we had a bag of barbeque potato chips opened already, so I grabbed a handful and stood in the kitchen eating them, while making my grocery list. I've always enjoyed hot, spicy foods.

Immediately after swallowing said chips, I felt an odd sensation on the inside of my right cheek. It felt as though I had a large canker sore suddenly appear. It felt really weird. I went to look at it in a mirror and I can't tell you how shocked I was.......there was a huge blood blister in my mouth! I've had blood blisters on my fingers from pinching them in tight spots, but never one in my mouth......

A couple hundred thoughts zoomed through my head......was it a bad reaction to the cortisone I'm using on my hand? Am I having a pulmonary embolism? Do I have cancer? Let me just add that this was no tiny blood blister. It was almost the size of a dime! Should I try to pop it? I was afraid that I'd bite it because of the location. I decided to call my dentist. The receptionist relayed the info to my dentist and he said for me to come right in. No suprise there.

You should have seen his expression when he saw the monster. He couldn't believe it! He'd never seen one quite that big. He said it was caused by spices in the chips and that they had irritated the lining of my mouth. He said it wasn't that uncommon with spicy Mexican food. Never BBQ potato chips! He said it might dissipate on its own, or pop in a day, in which case, if it didn't stop bleeding, I should come back and he'd put a stitch in it. He also told me to throw away the bag of chips immediately. My son was mad because he thought they were really tasty!

As suddenly as the thing appeared, it disappeared that night. One minute, I felt it, the next minute, I didn't. Where did the blood go? Now there's just a flat, white spot where it had been.

I am a medical marvel.