I’ve got a story to share.
I’m in college, and have a roommate. One night, he gets into an argument with his girlfriend, gets really drunk and decides to take his frustrations out on the plate glass window.
If he had just put his fist through it, it would have been bad enough. But does this chopping motion and slices his forearm down to the bone.
I can still picture him turning around, screaming, while blood spurts all over the walls. I jumped up and grabbed his arm to staunch the flow and I remember it felt like grabbing hamburger - he had cut all the ligaments.
He’s drunk, bigger than me and I’m holding on as we both stagger out into the hall. Finally he drops to the floor and we get a tourniquet on him. He stayed conscious all the way to surgery. the EMTs said if he hadn’t been drunk he would likely died from shock.
It’s a good thing to know, as is CPR. I think everyone who is able should learn these potentially life-saving measures. It just takes the desire to learn them and some practice, and you can save a life.
I received training on these measures, and it is not a big deal to learn them. If you were in a Scout program — or, certainly, the military — chances are you’ve had this instruction. I was in both, and also took a semester-long college course in First Aid. Check with your local Red Cross, as they may offer a class in these very critical — yet not difficult — life-saving measures. The first rule of thumb for you, the person faced with applying these measures in a real situation, is DO NOT PANIC. Go to your training, and get the job done.
Thanks for posting this.