I finally got certified for my First Aid and CPR training yesterday, and after finishing the Level A Course, I can comfortably say that I feel much better about knowing what to do or what to look for if someone is choking or hurt.
One of the biggest reasons that I really wanted to take this course is because I'm extremely paranoid to be around others when they are eating certain foods, especially children. I thought that with all of the reading and videos that I've watched over the years, I had a pretty good handle on knowing what to do if someone choked... I didn't even know how to give the heimlich properly and I thought that if you rolled someone onto their back while choking, they would choke further.
Now, I know that you can literally watch thousands of videos on what do in X, Y and Z situations, but have you actually gone through the simulation of performing CPR or the heimlich on someone? How about someone who has 150 pounds on you? It's completely different when you're going through the motions.
I tried to give our dummy, "Brayden" CPR for 2 minutes while trying to keep proper blood flow to his brain... I understand that it was not "real life" and my adrenaline wasn't going, however, I lasted 30 seconds. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty fit person, but it's a hell of lot harder than it looks!
The amount of compressions needed for CPR is 100-120 compressions per minute, and that is not an easy task to do for even 3-5 minutes, let alone 30 if you were out in the middle of nowhere waiting for first responders. 30 minutes is the average time when you can "call it" if someone is not responding. I also didn't know that mouth-to-mouth was no longer needed other than on an infant or child. I learned that #CPR has changed and is nothing like the movies.
Getting either myself or someone else out of their vehicle, especially if there is water, is also another lesson that I needed to know how to do properly and shown in the picture on this blog post is the new rescue tools that I bought for my husband and kids. In the past I had bought them all larger devices but I know that they were thrown someone and never to be found again so when we were shown these, I bought them for everyone. These goes right onto your keychain, and just like the travel angel in your car, these should also be a staple. They cut your seat belt, and break the window with no effort, a child can do it, so go out and buy these for everyone that you love and teach your kids how to use them.
I'm so grateful that I now know how to perform CPR to the best of my capabilities, help someone if they are choking, use an AED on both children and adults, and know what to ask if someone feels that they are having a heart attack or a reaction to a drug or allergy.
I feel that there are so many of us that are in situations each and every day that could potentially be faced with these types of challenges, and even more of us that wouldn't know what to do.
"Would you know what to do"? I think that you should...
Thank you to the amazing staff at #Sharelife and the #Redcross here in #Saskatoon for a great course on Emergency and First Aid Training, I will be back to finish all of the other courses available.
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