An AF member does what no one else did

[abaris]

Yeah, administering first-aid on-scene takes sang froid as well as skill and knowledge.

You know what they told us at every given opportunity? Doing nothing is worse than doing something. I don't know about American rules and legislation, but when you apply for a drivers license, you have to attend a first aid course beforehand. Without that and the certificate that comes with it, you aren't accepted into any driving school.

[Jackalope]

Yeah, administering first-aid on-scene takes sang froid as well as skill and knowledge.

That it does. KG is trained in first aid / CPR though her certification has lapsed.

She held it together until she got home. It's a traumatic experience.

[*Deidre*]

That's really great of you, Kitty! I hope things turn out ok.

[thesummerqueen]

Yeah, administering first-aid on-scene takes sang froid as well as skill and knowledge.

You know what they told us at every given opportunity? Doing nothing is worse than doing something. I don't know about American rules and legislation, but when you apply for a drivers license, you have to attend a first aid course beforehand. Without that and the certificate that comes with it, you aren't accepted into any driving school.

They certainly didn't do any of that when I got a license.

Also, at work, they told us not to touch another person if possible because of "blood borne pathogens" - basically try to make the injured person hold the cloth/whatever to the wound in order to not catch anything from them.

I'm ashamed of my country sometimes.

[abaris]

She held it together until she got home.   It's a traumatic experience.

I guess it's for anyone. When I was a professional, we used to shut it out. Probably in the same way as soldiers, police officers or fire fighters. I never counted the bodies I found. But what stuck was the indignity of death. You can't help pissing and shitting yourself when your body shuts down. Also the banality of death stuck. Such as seeing their books in a neat row or their video collection, never to be picked up again.

But apart of that, few things made me think. Make no mistake, there was a lot of beer involved in the evenings. For everyone of us. We were made to witness the ass end of society, the part of life everyone shuts out of their perception. Nobody wants to think about falling seriously ill or dying. When we flashed our lights, people tend to look the other way.

And we didn't want to think about it either. Nobody wants to go down the path of mortality. That's where the beer and other stuff comes in. But what ultimately made me quit the job was my parents getting on in age. I couldn't cope with the possibility of it being me having to pick them up.

[Jackalope]

I can't even imagine.

[abaris]

You know, there are only two instances I remember pretty clearly. An elderly lady dying of a pulmonary haemorrhage. You could actually follow the tracks of her demise. Starting at the kitchen sink and ending at the toilet. To this day I can't imagine the level of desperation she must have gone through in her last moments.

The second one the polar opposite. A peaceful death, obviously. A Norwegian visiting his relatives and staying at one of their houses. Dead for a few days, going by the smell and his appearance. It was august, so it was very hot at the time. He sat in his bed, glasses on, a book in his lap. What struck me was that he was naked. I'm not prudish in any way, but seeing his dick, while he gave the appearance of still being alive, is an image I never will forget. For some reason I also remember his name. The only name I remember from the days when working as a medic.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've only administered first-aid and CPR a few times, but I've worked enough accidents that if I never see someone inside-out again, I'll be happier for it.

[abaris]

I've only administered first-aid and CPR a few times, but I've worked enough accidents that if I never see someone inside-out again, I'll be happier for it.

I've been thoroughly numbed down in the few years I actually worked iin that field. When I see an accident I stop. I don't feel any better or worse for doing it. It's a reflex. The first thing I do, which wasn't available in the early 90ies when still being on top of my game, is to call the services. There's only so much I can do and am comfortable in doing. But I take some comfort in knowing that the professionals will arrive in a few minutes.

Mine is a small country and we don't have that many unpopulated areas without emergency services. So ten minutes tops will get an ambulance where you need it.

[account_inactive]

I've been trained in first aid as well, thankfully never had to use it though.