What amazing things have you guys done?

These are a few of my favorite amazing things, but I find so much here to be amazing...

Well, I've saved two people's lives, with the simple heimlich maneuver.

1. My wife was choking, and I used it on her, it worked. Takes more strength than you'd think! I used the edge of the counter to assist me.
2. Co-worker at a business lunch starts having the "choking" look, saved her too (I downplayed it as nothing, but I did impress the new boss we were meeting for the first time!) I did get a thank you card for it. No one else in that meeting but me knew what to do, and this person would have died of asphyxia...

I suggest that everyone learn this valuable maneuver, including the one in which you do it to yourself with the aid of a chair or countertop. If I didn't know how to perform it, I would have no wife right now. She was upstairs choking, couldn't say a word or get air, and I heard a weird noise upstairs and rushed to her aid.

All should also know how to perform CPR, stop bleeding, make a splint, tourniquet, etc. These things are the currency of heroism in this world.

I've also assisted soemone who passed out (fainted) as a result of blood draining from the head, <like when you've been sitting dormant in a chair and you get up too fast...feels like blacking out> Looks like some sort of seizure...Everyone was freakin out at this party where a girl was doing the twitching, and all she needed was for her head to be below the heart. Then the girl kinda woke up in like 10 seconds w/ a headache but was okay. I'd seen the blood-draining-away-from-the-brain thing before, and this is a simple fix.

Keith
En Ferro Veritas
 
Keith = thanks for sharing. I think we all could benefit from a few "refresher courses" in first aid. Come to think of it, I get a refresher course in dealing with cuts about once a week...;)
 
Me too! At least I keep the bandages handy, and I tell myselve over and over "you will bleed. no way around it"

Keith
En Ferro Veritas
 
When I was visiting my father a few weeks back, he was showing me his woodcarving tools, etc. He had some neat bandages that were really thin, but would protect your fingers from a "slip" with a tool. So, he puts one on his index finger. 2 minutes later, he gouges his middle finger (unprotected). We both had a good chuckle. ;)
 
I totally agree with you Keith. I'm a paramedic and IMHO learning no more than litterally five 'tricks of the trade' (Heimlich manoeuver, CPR, reactions to unconsciousness and shock, bleeding stopping) may save many lives. Most people are eager to help, but just don't know how to do it:(
 
So many times here I see the letters IMHO. What do they stand for?

As for paramedical stuff, I sure could use to learn it too. I was a paramedic in my military service so I was quite into this stuff. But now I don't have it in my hands any longer, and not so much in my head either! Talk about dropping from skillful to unskillful in no-time! Such skills need to be used.

Well, I suppose some of this stuff would come back to my mind if needed.
 
Originally posted by pendentive
Kis = excellent! Just don't tell my wife...she hates hearing about near-death motorcycle incidents.

It's never happened to me, though...yet...:eek:

I was on a Honda Hurricane 1000cc motorcycle.

I was following a pickup truck on an expressway. Six lanes of traffic moving at 65 miles per hour in one direction. I was in the middle lane when a blanket, or sheet blew out of the back of the truck and wrapped around me!

I went from enjoying a beautiful sun lit day to a horrible, frightening, flapping, scared $hitless blackness at 65 MPH, oh yeah, forgot to mention, in a long sweeping curve, surrounded by other vehicles!

Some very loud praying and calling on the Allmighty (mixed at first with incoherent profanity) when the cloth was suddenly ripped away, maybe I cought the edge of it with my back tire --- maybe there was Divine Intervention. I like to think it was the latter.

There is an extreme apprciation of the beauty of life following a a near death experience. The sky never looked so blue, the grass so green, my friends so good.

For a long time afterwards I enjoyed life with new, intense senses, constantly reminded that I was close to death and might have otherwise missed all the beauty of this world.

And Dan, always remember that there are old motorcycle riders and there are bold motorcycle riders but there ain't no old, bold motorcycle riders!

Be careful, riding a motorcycle can easily turn into a near death experience!
 
Originally posted by Ferrous Wheel
Well, I've saved two people's lives, with the simple heimlich maneuver.
Keith
En Ferro Veritas

Saving people's lives is a wonderful thing. I was on the other side of the equation.

I know that many forum members are military and ex-military, and have had to kill other people but the taking of a human life can be an unforgettable exprience.

In the 1960's I was a pot-smoking hippie, but always hated the hard drugs after seeing so many people with ruined lives. I had some ties with the DEA in helping smoke out the hard drug dealers.

One night a friend was working undercover in a sting operation inside a drug dealer's house. The good guys were outside, waiting. I was also outside but close in the shadows. My companion was a Browning Hi-Power 9mm.

The bust went down, doors broken in and very loud yelling from both sides. I tried to shrink into a tree trunk, wishing I was home studying for college, wishing I was anywhere else. Sometimes "up close and personal" is not so good.

I saw a darkened window open slowly and a shape emerged carrying a shotgun. It was not one of our guys. Fortunately he was facing away from me, less than ten feet from him. He slowly raised the shotgun and pointed it at one of the outside officers who could not see him. I knew the officer well. A good friend.

I knew that he was going to fire. Everything began to move in slow motion. I knew that if I yelled a warning that a he would likley turn and shoot me. My arm came up of it's own accord with the Browning pointed at his head. I remember that somewhere above the ear should stop motor control and he might not be able to fire though reflex.

I am shaking now, just thinking about this, over 35 years later. I yelled something and he began to turn toward me, shotgun still to his shoulder. I saw my bullet impact just above his ear. His head seemed to explode and he dropped.

I sat down on the ground and cried. There was no glory. The officers came running. I had dropped the Browning and held both my hands high. I was afraid that they might shoot me, not knowing in the gloom who I was.

I remember thinking, "He has ordered his last pizza." And then I threw up.

There is a smell associated with death. A smell of gunpowder, of excrement, of blood, and a cloying, sickly sweet smell that can not be defined --- a smell that you will NEVER forget.

I saved a life by taking a life. I sincerely hope that none of you are ever put in my position of having to do so.
 
Thanks for sharing Bill, I wouldn't know what it's like but it must be hard !!

You did what you had to !!
 
Something extraordinary I accomplished...Huuummmm let's think for a second:

- I have made every possible mistake in life including choosing a career that exposed me at great lenght to the evil man creates.
- I have seen enough horror to last me 3 lifetimes and as a result often felt like I was 200 years old
- I left this first life more jaded and anesthesiazed than an ice cube, unable to feel love, pain or compassion, unable to dream peacefully, empty

but then:

- I came to trust in man again, hoped again, dreamed again.
- I became friendly and open when I was previously silent and defensive
- I found this forum with a lot of friends and sometimes foes

But my main accomplishment in life :

I survived a political discussion in this very forum And managed to retain my sanity while making a lot more new friends

Isn't life beautiful????
 
Hi Pierre

Interesting post - I am always amazed at the level of trust on this forum. What was it you did that affected you so ??

Brendan
 
I never saw that political discussion until now. I searched on your name and found the thread.

You have enough insight to do a lot of writing. Your points of view confirm a lot what it looks like if one tries to see beyond the media image of it all.
 
I located my two half-brothers who were adopted before I was born, two days after I was told about them (when I was 21.) We are all very close now, pretty much the best possible ending to a complicated story. (One of them had been searching for my/our mom for years.)
 
Well after Studing Tae Kwon Do for 5 years I was able to test and pass for my Black Belt. I'm out of training now but a few years ago I was one of the top rated fighters in my weight and rank in the state. I had a 3 man team (point sparring) and we were so good we were thinking of trying to get on the Olympic level but that fell apart with the team. I need to star training again!

Also one time me and my buddies were rock climbing and I was the highest up and I grabed onto a hold on a large rock stuck in the cliffside and it started to pull out of the cliff. The boulder was about the size of me (6ft) and as it started to fall I had just enough time to yell to my buds below and grab another hold! It just missed my friend Sam and slammed to ground! Were about 50-60 feet off the ground and after that happened we just got down and left! We never went back to that place to this day as it scared us so much!!!

Also When I was about 12 years old I was camping with my dad and a friend. My friend and I were out with a .22 rifle and were target shoothig. I was off to the right of my friend when he was shooting and my dad was over a hill behind us looking for a badger hole. I wasn't looking at my firend at the moment and for some reason he turned around with the gun loaded and cocked and he must have pulled the trigger as the gun went off and hit my dads pick up truck, rickoshade(spelling?) and hit me in the back on my left shoulder blade! It didn't really hurt and the bullet stopped at the bone. My friend was so sorry and at the time my did still wasn't around. I was more afraid of what my dad was going to do with us than being hit! I told my friend to see if he could get the bullet out luckly it was just below the skin and thinnest part of the musscle and was able to get it! We then stuck on a few bandaids and a new shirt and didn't tell my dad what happened as I knew he wold be extreamly upset with me! My dad trusted me with the Gun and knew I wouldn't do anything stupid but I should have watched my inexperanced friend a little better!

When we got home that night I told my mom and she took care of it and I never went to the doctor! To this day my dad still dosen't know!!:D I'm still afraid to tell him about it!:D
Thank God it was only a .22 and off a rickoshay(spelling?) or it might have ended a little different!!
 
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