Using What You Have Learned

So I am walking out of work today and I forgot to clock out and I had to go back inside.  As soon as I got in the front door the caregiver on duty runs up to me and says "Help she is choking!"  Now I had just walked past this very table and all was well.  Less than one minute later a resident is facing the possibility of death.  I immediately performed a few heel of the hand puches to her back, it was no help.  Time for the heimlich maneuver.   I got behind her where she was seated in the chair and performed several upward thrusts thumb folded in just below the sternum with the hand rolling quick upward motion required to dislodge food stuck in the airway.  It took several of these to get the job done but it worked!  I had just moved this lady in last Friday and she had lived with us prior to that date so she knows me well.  It felt great to be able to help someone.  I rubbed her back and gave her a great big hug and asked her not to scare me like that again.  She was very grateful and thanked me profusely.  It was a good way to end the workday.

This story goes to show you how quickly events can occur that can change your life or someone else's.  I totally never expected to save someone from choking today but I knew how to do it because I have been trained.  You never know when you will need to be able to use life saving skills for someone else so if you don't know how to perform CPR, First aid and such I would encourage you to attend a local class sometime.  I have had to use these skills twice in my life now and it will probably happen again because of where I work. 

Remember to think of others as you go through your day.  Give a smile a hug or encouragement it won't cost you anything and it might just make you feel better.  I would also like to remind all of you here to please do whatever you can to help Katie Scott out in her time of need.  The reason I also want you to help with Pink Essence is because if it weren't for this site we couldn't know about things like this and it isn't free to operate any website.  So you may get your internet free and free access but someone is paying for that for you somewhere.  Give something back to the community that is giving to you by being there as a support network.  If we build each other up instead of blasting each other apart with hateful words and petty arguments we can accomplish great things.  karen