Hiccups Trifecta

How often do people get the hiccups? Maybe, once every couple of months, right? I don't really keep count, but that seems about average for me. Well, on Saturday during Nick's 24-hour Atlantic City bachelor party extravganza, I contracted a mean, persistent case of the hiccups 3 times in an 8-hour period. And each time I got them, they wouldn't go away for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Do you have any idea what a prolonged series of hiccups can do to your body?

Aside from being really annoying, I actually started to get sore, especially in my neck and shoulders. I tried holding my breath, relaxing the muscles in my diaphragm, etc., and nothing worked.

Thye first round hit after we checked into the Borgata and made our way down to the sports book area to watch the Kentucky Derby. This one lasted about a half hour.

The second round came on when a few of us were tossing around Nick's XFL football on the roof the parking garage after the race. The scene felt like out of a Michael Bay movie- 4 guys throwing around a football on a roof deck overlooking Atlantic City in a hazy red sunset. The formidable Borgata building behind us, and a giant windfarm looming in the distance...oh, and me with a raging case of the hiccups. Ever try catching a 30-yard pass in mid-hiccup? I don't recommend it.

Round three came on when 4 of us were crammed in the back of a cab on our way from one strip club to another (actually, they were only bikini bars- I know). Aside from everyone in the cab finding my hiccups enormously aggravating, they were starting to hurt. Each hiccups came and I'd have to wince and brace myself. For the hiccups!

I woke up Sunday morning, and I felt like I'd been in a boxing match the night before. All these muscles in my neck, shoulder, and upper back that I didn't even know existed were calling out in pain. Four days later, and I'm still popping Advil and stretching constantly to ease the tension.

Oh, what a world we live in people, where something innocuous as the hiccups can get the best of you if they last long enough!