Crazy week of planning, activities, accidents, CPR and a trip to the ER!

So this week has been really crazy,but before you freak out nothing bad happened to me!  We have been able to meet with the assistants that are going to be helping us with summercise. Luckily this kids that are helping us already know some of the kids and have really great energy that would really help us stay pumped and match the energy of these kids during summercise.  So all this planning that's been happening is really interesting. We are trying to make plans for our classes but in reality we know that with kids you really shouldn't make plans because things always change.  We were able to enjoy some activities with our assistants and play games (but for adults they are considered leadership/team work activities) well whatever they are called they are really games that everyone can play.  We did play the trust game and carried two people across our arms which now that I think back was not probably safe at the time, but they really did trust us! So I'm going to skip Wednesday for now to talk about some of the other not so fun stuff because Wednesday was an out of the ordinary extremely interesting day.  So on Thursday it was a day full of CPR training! I have been through many CPR/ first aid training before but this time it really felt a little different.  I always have known why learning CPR would be beneficial, but after the choking incident with my nephew the week before I was to fly up here to AK, I knew that knowing how to save peoples lives really does matter.  So after becoming re-certified, it was almost a non-adventurous after that.  I know that at some point during the week I learned about disciplining children during the camp, but after that in the mid-afternoon area I usually just tend to zone out.  Friday was super exciting, everything that we have been planning, researching, prepping for is finally about to happen on Monday, so it was a full day of a dry run though with the assistants. So I can finally tell you about my exciting, strange, interesting Wednesday! So I volunteered take part in a planned cruise ship accident out on the Bearing Sea! So here is basically what happened... (enter background story)... So we are on a cruise ship that has had a random explosion, some people are hurt but  most people have soot and breathing problems, but for me, I was patient #9, which meant that I was laying on deck, unresponsive, wet with hypothermia, and possible spinal injury.  So the plan was that the harbormaster was going to call the fire dept to come rescue on scene lower people down the side of the ship (which was really a dock) onto the water platform then taken by boat around the harbor to another dock which EMS would respond and transport to the hospital.  So the whole town was prepping for this "practice accident".  So I started my prepping at the EMS office for getting makeup (aka soot) around my face.  Then all the volunteers moved to the dock (ship deck) then waited until the drill was about to happen.  So when it all started the volunteers really got into characters ( I was supposed to be unresponsive but it was slightly hard not to laugh at some people), when the firefighters first arrived on scene they were able to help rescue and move the people that were able to walk, then all the rest they went one by one to assess. When they got to me they first declared me dead/dying (how sad!!!) but they knew that I still needed to try to be saved so they attached me to a back board and then I got to wait my turn to be lowered down to the platform.  Once I was taken to the other side by boat the EMS took me to the hospital. That was the first EMS ride that I ever had, and hopefully ever again.  Once I got to the hospital, the EMT's were talking to the Dr.s about my critical condition and in a real situation I would have been inserted a left chest tube and then stabilized and awaiting for transport by plane to Anchorage, AK since my condition would have been too serious to treat here in Nome.  It was such an exciting drill, that helped all the emergency responders in the town understand what to do if a situation like that was to ever happen.... and you better believe that I took pictures of the WHOLE thing! So here are some really neat pics of all the accident

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Me getting ready with make-up (aka soot) on my face

Renee, Me and Charlotte before the drill

   

Renee in character yelling for people to help me!

Right after they declared me dying/dead

Placing  me on the backboard to prep me to be lowered to the dock.

I like how if I'm dead/dying underneath it says minor. Clearly this is not minor!

And they delayed me from getting to the EMS right away...hmm

Me on the transport boat, I was just happy to finally be moving towards somewhere warm!

Getting ready to be lowered by the harness onto the dock.

I really enjoyed helping everyone in the town practice but I was told by my supervisor who is also an EMT that if that situation had happened for real, then the symptoms that I had I would have more then likely died before they would be able to preform emergency services on me.  So I'm really glad that this was just a drill and that I was saved!


"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 

Thanks for reading! I hope that I was able to provide you with some reading entertainment! 

Peace & Love 
Megan