The Day Was Saved – Even without the Power Puff Girls!

Once in a while you hear about a great story of someone’s life who was undoubtedly spared by the preparedness of another. Just last weekend, a local professor was out for a jog when he experienced a heart attack. A person observed his collapse and immediately ran to his aid. Apparently recognizing the signs of his distress, the good Samaritan started to perform cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until professional medical help arrived. The good-doer’s exemplary deed undoubtedly helped keep blood circulating enough to his heart muscle to delay any damage and, with the quick efforts of the medical personnel, the professor is apparently recovering remarkably well.

I teach first aid and CPR and I often tell people that knowing these basic skills are so important to know and are potentially life-saving. However, when you hear of it happening so close and with someone known to you, it really makes these words even more true. Both first aid and CPR are relatively simple skills to learn, take only a few hours and can cost next to nothing.

Some might think that the professor knowing CPR didn’t help him. In this case, that seems to be true, but CPR training is also about recognizing the signs of heart attack and stroke for yourself and others.

It is very common that warning signs of a heart attack commence hours if not weeks before the life-threatening event. Rather than the dramatic clutching of the chest-type pain we all think heart attacks hit you, it is often more like extremely uncomfortable indigestion. Occasionally the pain or fullness feeling will occur in the chest, but it could also pain or discomfort in the back, arms, jaw, neck or stomach. Fatigue is also common, as is nausea, shortness of breath and breaking out in a cold sweat, which all seem to occur more in women.

Whereas heart attacks are about the heart muscle not receiving enough oxygen, strokes are the result of an artery to the brain being clogged and brain cells dying. Signs of a stroke are tested by remembering this simple test: FAST. Face – when they smile, does one sign droop? Arms – when raised, does one side go lower than the other? Speech – is it slurred or strange? If yes, to any of these, Time to call 911 right away!

Most people deny that these symptoms could be serious and often delay seeking treatment until the effects are life-threatening, but being prepared, learning some basic skills can change that.

It was really lucky that some knew what to do for our professor when he needed it most. But, simply relying on someone else to know how to save you, just isn’t enough. When we encourage this type of basic training for all citizens, we all win. So, no matter where we are, we can help or rely on someone else to save the day. And we don’t need to be Blossom, Bubbles or Buttercup to do it.

Let the Force Be With You

Star Wars, a New Hope, was on today. What a great film. Classic good versus evil, strong female character, adventure, excitement, lovable heroes. People in my household have seen it and its 2 sequels many times. Shockingly (to me), my daughter has friends who have never seen a single episode of Star Wars. So, when someone says to them, "Let the Force be with you," how could they possibly know what that means? [OK, perhaps I should amend that to "when I say, 'May the force be with you...'", but that is likely another blog, or therapy session...]

Actually, it is a great phrase. It means listen to yourself and trust in yourself. Honestly, how great a message is that?! Of course it could be applied to any situation, but it really can and should be applied to those situations of high stress or anxiety.

Sometimes we fret over a strict following of instructions, or feel compelled to do something in a certain way because that is the way everyone is supposed to do it. However, there really are times when we should make our own judgments and do what feels right. That is NOT to say you should always just "wing it," or fly by the seat of your pants! In fact, training, training, training are the 3 most vital elements of not only surviving, but surviving well!

The point is to trust yourself and others to come together to do what needs to be done. This is particularly true in times of emergencies. Those responding to emergencies need to unite as a team with a common purpose. With all of our training, we know our roles, and where we reside in the chart, but we miss the point if we only see the chart and not its purpose. The training should certainly give one the flavor, but let you give it shape. You set aside your egos and the “that ain’t my job” attitude and do what’s right.

So, when something happens that is bad or frightening, it’s OK to be scared or confused. You just need to remember that you can do what needs to be done. Just trust in yourself and your team (family, friends, coworkers) and let -- well, you know what I’m talking about -- guide you.