Nurturing a Lifesaving Skill: My Epic Journey in First Aid

Have you ever needed first aid training?

I am as graceful as an Olympic gymnast and as light on my feet as Mohammed Ali. So yes, two instances come to mind. The first one was a particularly memorable experience that required immediate first aid, which I would like to share with you.

It was a sunny day, and I had promised my 4-year-old son a visit to the local park, which was an island accessible by a long walk from the parking lot, across a bridge, and onto the island. The park featured a shallow stream where a group had tossed stones to form a crude bridge to a smaller island. I decided to make use of this unique feature to play with my son.

Just a few moments into our adventure, something unexpected happened. I heard a noise to my left, and in that split second, I saw a huge Canadian Goose flying straight at my face. Reflexively, I raised my arm to shield myself and managed to dodge the bird, but the impact was still significant. I fell on my son, onto the rocks, and into the water, landing on my elbow. Luckily, my son was fine. However, I was in pain and bleeding.

How do you handle a first aid situation when you are the one in need?

At the scene, several people rushed over to check on me, and one of them brought a first aid kit. They asked if I was okay, and I assured them I was, but they were skeptical due to the rapid blood flow from my fingers. Using my smartphone's selfie camera, I took a better look and noticed that the cuts were covered in leaf bits and grit.

The wound wash and antiseptic wipes in the well-stocked kit were used to clean the wound as best as possible. A non-stick pad with triple antibiotic and a thick gauze pad (which I believe was a surgical pad) were applied to cover the wound. Despite my discomfort and the need to manage the bleeding, we managed to get through the session and returned to playing.

The bandage needed changing in just ten minutes. Someone pointed out that blood was still coming from under the bandage, and I was still dripping. I managed to hold on until it was time to go home, but I didn't leave as soon as I wanted to. At home, I used the shower wand to wash the wound better, which was both painful and required a lot of soap.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson about self-first aid. Though this one ran longer than anticipated, it made me wonder why I have done so much first aid on myself rather than others. Perhaps, I will add more stories later to share my journey in first aid.

Why not explore more about first aid training and become more prepared for unexpected situations?