6/16/07

A word to the wise, from Rav...( I think that's an oxymoron)

In light of all that has been going on around here I just wanted to put some information out there. Some of you may know that I am a Law Enforcement Officer. As such, I am sometimes placed in high stress situations. Nothing I have ever dealt with prepared me for seeing my son choking. Through my current job, and jobs I held in the past, I have been trained in CPR and First-Aid for almost 10 years. Standing there, witnessing what was happening, I remember thinking, "What do I do?". All of a sudden, even though I couldn't put two coherent thoughts together, I reacted. Fortunatley, this situation had a good outcome. All of the training had prepared me, and I acted almost unconciously. The point of this is that if you do not know CPR, please learn it. Below is a link to the American Red Cross Website. There is a blue box on the right side of the screen, click on the find a local chapter to search by zip code. It doesn't have to be Red Cross, but please, particularly if you are often by yourself with your children, or the children of others, find the time to attend a CPR course. It could be the difference between life and death.

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/

6 ripples in the pond:

Anonymous said...

I'm a nurse who has taken CPR yearly for the past 21 years and I still manage to panic when my children are involved. Katie is a great one for choking, especially when she was younger and more than once I've had to use what I've learned. Scares the shit out of me every time.

And you're right, every parent should know how to perform CPR and the heimlich maneuver.

Lucky Connor.

Unknown said...

I would add to repeat the course on a somewhat regular basis. I was CPR certified (finally) just over a year ago. I barely remember anything and feel like I really should do another course.

Tabba said...

Good point, Mary-LUE. I had to have the certification for MANY years as a requirement for being a preschool teacher.
And you would think all of those years of having the training I would retain something.
Nope. Not a thing. Not to mention that CPR has changed in regards to how to perform it.

So, in short, your're right. Staying current is so important.

flutter said...

Absolutely. Lucky kid that your instincts took over and I am so so glad everyone is ok

J. A. Blackburn said...

oh wow... I'm glad it all worked out ok. My CPR training has lapsed and I really need to redo it... but I keep putting it off. You've just motivated me to get it scheduled, and SOON!

Pippajo said...

Very good point. Though I agree there is not much that can prepare you to deal with the panic when your child is actually in need of CPR. The one time in my life I had to use it, everything went completely out of my head and I had to be talked through it all. But, because I had been certified in the past, once I started, it all came back to me.

Reminds me, I should take a refresher course...