Becoming a First Aider

The thought of becoming a First Aider didn't cross my mind until a string of accidents struck us last year. My hubby was already a First Aider as it was one of his job requirements and his company often sent him to those refresher courses. But when he turned the victim, I was so lost.

One beautiful morning, I was doing facial and my hubby decided to instal some IKEA cabinets in an empty room. I went downstairs to see how he was doing and saw there was a ladder and a pair of scissors on the floor. As he told me he was going to keep his tools, I suddenly heard a thud. He had tripped over the ladder and somehow, the pair of scissors sliced his foot. At that point of time, we couldn't tell how badly he was injured but blood was spurting out of the gap. We could see some white tissues but not sure if those are fats or bones.

He didn't feel a thing though, and part of it he was in shock lying on the floor. I had to act quickly and used whatever limited First Aid knowledge I learnt in Home Econs, raised the leg and suddenly remembered not long before, I received a First Aid kit as a gift from my insurance company. Thank God! I opened it and couldn't differentiate the various bandages. So I just applied everything I could find to stop the blood. Later I was told by the medics I used an eye patch. Anyway, my bandage looked like a wreck itself and it was quickly turning red with blood. I had to get help.

My next door neighbour is a nurse and my back neighbours are paramedics with an ambulance in their garage and sometimes work from home. I was still in my pyjamas and removed my facial mask as I ran knocking on their doors. No one answered. I think that was the only time both families weren't at home and I needed their expertise! Bad luck! I raced back to my house, remembered the emergency number on the sticker the council sent us, and dialed. I was panting when I spoke to operator, and to make things more complicated, I just moved into a new neighbourhood and she didn't have the street names. She kept asking me, "Is that an emergency or do you just need an ambulance?" I was very confused by her question, so I said I don't know but I need an ambulance because I couldn't move him myself. The phone conversation was very confusing for me and I later learnt in my First Aid course there is a set of information the caller should give so they can make the right decision. I was confusing the operator.

She told me the ambulance will arrive in a few minutes, then a few minutes later the medics on the ambulance called me to say they will arrive in a few minutes. So it took 20 minutes for an emergency. About the time I could drive him to the hospital. Interestingly, there is a report on the news that the average responding time is 20 minutes in QLD if you're lucky. So we were damn lucky. When our angel paramedics arrived, they told me to meet them at "The Hospital". I remembered once our friend pointed out to us excitedly that he could see the hospital from our balcony, so I asked if that was it.

To cut the story short, my hubby had an emergency operation which didn't happen until 2 days later because they were all packed in a non-peak period and he had some permanent nerve damage. He booked me on a First Aid course after that. I dreaded reading the 120 page manual, but the practical course itself was more interesting than I thought.

Looking back with my new First Aid knowledge, I could have done a bit more. To stop his blood from spurting all over our new carpet, I could have used a cling wrap. It's easier to wrap as his foot was split. I could have talked to the operator more efficiently and she would have acted more decisively.

We asked some professional cleaners about getting rid of the blood that soaked through our light colored carpet and they all said it can't be done! I had to experiment a few solutions, thankfully, I found a solution that works wonders.

Back to the First Aid course, it was very useful especially when we're stuck Downunder. The instructor had 20 odd years experience as a paramedics and he told us to use the tools that are available around us to save people. I wouldn't imagine myself saving anyone but who knows another accident may strike?

I remember a few years back, I was holidaying with my hubby and mom, and as we were walking near a road junction, we saw this pair of young girls on a motorbike and suddenly there was a a shrieking sound of metal against metal. I thought it rained a bit until I saw there was splatter of blood on myself. A sedan had crashed onto the bike, ran over them. It was not a crowded junction so we had to jump in. I couldn't do much so I directed the traffic to prevent them from running over the girls. One girl was unconscious and we didn't know whether to touch her. Finally the driver decided to lift her and send her to the hospital. It was a risky decision as she would have suffered spinal injury. I don't know what happened to the girl. If I had First Aid then, I would have done the right thing.

I have to work on my knowledge of Australian animals. In the First Aid course, we were trained to treat different stings and bites. We were shown a few pictures of the aftermath of animal attacks, but no way, I am going to tell the difference in real life.

I really had no extra time to do the First Aid course, but had to go through the mill to fit in time because I know how important it is. There is no excuse because accidents also happen without excuse. I just wish I had done it earlier!