A weekend with the wrong kind of eventfulness

[jethrien]

I actually spent most of this weekend in the office. It kind of sucked, but hopefully that will help this week not be as hellish as it would otherwise be.

I went to the library on Saturday. While I was browsing for books, a librarian's chair tipped over backwards and she hit her head really hard. I honestly didn't want to get involved, since her colleagues were all there fussing over her, but they were about to try to move her head to put a pillow under it, so I stepped in. I remembered enough of my first aid training to keep anyone from moving her, and keep her talking. I tried to check if her eyes were dialated, but her eyes were such a dark brown I couldn't really tell. Basically, I spent fifteen minutes on the floor holding her hand and trying to keep her from panicking too much until the paramedics got there. When I got home, I was still almost shaking from the adrenaline. Bleh. On one hand, at least I know I'm the kind of person who's willing to help a stranger in an emergency. On the other, I'm a little worried I've forgotten enough first aid that I wouldn't be terribly helpful in a more complicated situation.

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

That's why my brother wanted to get paramedic training (can't remember if he did). My dad actually saved a guy's life once because he had the right training (in his case, med school). I've always avoided the training...call me cowardly, but I don't want someone's life to be up to me. I don't trust myself that much. That's why I didn't do lifeguard training. If someone was drowning at my summer camp, my job would have been to distract the other campers. But if it's something important to you, it might be worth it to take a course just so you know that if a situation like this comes up again, you'll do the right thing.

(Of course, I've heard the details of CPR training are forgetten in less than three months...)

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've taken the first aid and CPR training courses, multiple times. I was certified from early high school through the beginning of college. But that's exactly the problem - you forget. And I'm not sure I want to put the effort in getting recertified over and over and over again. (I believe it's once a year for CPR, once every three years for first aid.) It's expensive, and it's either a multi-day course or a full, solid day. It's a lot to commit.

[nanonicole.livejournal.com]

I've been toying with the idea of CPR training as well because I feel like it's a good skill to know. I'm just having trouble finding the time...

[shnayder.livejournal.com]

A CPR class is only 3 hours or so (I just got my CPR recert this weekend). A first aid class is longer.

If you don't care about the silly piece of paper, you can learn much of the material just by reading through it a few times:

http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/

(PS. Take a first aid class sometime--they're fun. At least, wilderness first classes are fun :-)

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Of course, the third year in a row, those three hours are interminable...