Using What I Was Taught

[gnomi]

Last June, in anticipation of the birth of Muffin and Squeaker, c1 ran a CPR and first aid class in our apartment (mabfan, stormsdotter, lcmlc, my Abba, and I all got certification from this course). I had no intention of ever needing the knowledge, but it was important to have the knowledge in case (God forbid) something happened.

Yesterday, I was in Coolidge Corner running some errands, and as I walked past Trader Joe's a guy fell off his bike onto the sidewalk and did not immediately get up. I immediately put into use what I knew: make sure I was safe, that the situation was safe, and then go over to the victim. I asked if he was OK, and he said his knee was in great pain. He was lying in the middle of the sidewalk, so while he was nominally in the way of things, he was not in immediate danger, so I left him where he was. Two other people -- both women over the age of 70 -- stopped to see if the guy needed any help, and I asked if he wanted me to call an ambulance. First he said yes, but before I could dial 911, he changed his mind, saying he'd call his girlfriend to pick him up instead (noting that it would be cheaper than having an ambulance come). After he called his girlfriend, the two women and I were trying to figure out if/how to get him out of the middle of the sidewalk. My wrists are bothering me (google "mommy wrist" for more information), but I was the most able-bodied of the three of us, but as I was trying to figure out the best way to help him without injuring myself, a semi-burly guy came out of the Game Stop (where our victim had been, as evidenced from the bag that had fallen to the ground when the guy fell) and helped the injured guy get over to the side where there was a ledge he could sit on to wait for his girlfriend.

Once the two women and I had seen the injured guy to the ledge (and had collected his bags for him), we all went our separate ways. When I came out of the Post Office, the guy was still sitting on the ledge, but I presumed his girlfriend (who had been in Brighton) was on her way, so I headed to the T that was coming in my direction.

Part of what c1 taught us was to provide assistance at the needed level to the best of our abilities, and I believe I did just that in this situation.

Comments

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I jumped about a foot when I read your first sentence. I'm glad to know this fellow was all right and that you were able to lend a hand!

[madfilkentist]

Nicely done, I'd say!

Using What I Was Taught

[lordavon.livejournal.com]

I got worried you'd been needed for CPR! My dad is a nurse and he did the rescue certification for BCLS for years. I always got certified at the same time.

I've never needed to use it but I've always been glad I learned!

[autotruezone.livejournal.com]

CPR and general first aid are important skills to have, and I commend you for having learned it, and urge others to do the same (and I wish I had had time to take a refresher when you guys had that class, since it's been years since I learned it).

That said, what did the class do for you in this instance? What you did strikes me as common sense -- what any decent person would do under such circumstances. What do you think you would have done differently if you hadn't had the class?

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit; I think you would have done the exact same thing if you hadn't taken the class.

[sorek.livejournal.com]

yay you!

I remember when I tore my left ACL running for the T. I had managed to get to the Resevoir T stop but couldn't make it much further. Some helpful people were kind enough to flag down one of the cabs that were idling in the upper section and had the cabbie meet me near the bottom of the hill. I'm not sure how I would have gotten home otherwise that night.

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

Well done!

Though this makes me grit my teeth in frustration at health care in general:

...he changed his mind, saying he'd call his girlfriend to pick him up instead (noting that it would be cheaper than having an ambulance come).

I got mildly furious when I looked over our benefits summary and saw that, if I go to the emergency room and don't get admitted, I have to pay $150. Because if someone is having chest pains, what you really want is for them to stop and try to convince themselves that they can wait until Monday and see their primary care physician.

[aelscha.livejournal.com]

Every ambulance service I've ever dealt with (which is admittedly public, not private/contracted), doesn't charge unless the patient actually rides with them. If the EMTs come out and look you over and you tell them "No I don't want to go with you", you shouldn't get billed. And they're much more experienced at making the judgement whether someone is more-or-less okay, or really needs to be talked into being taken to the hospital NOW.