[Penny]

Nothing like watching an old lady almost choke to death to put a dampner on your lunch.

My friend and I were just sitting in the Autobahn cafe eating our lunch, I was yakking away when this lady was yelling for help, and you know what when I finally realised what was going on I just sat there like a stunned mullet.

This other lady was giving the hyneck (how ever it is spelt!) manouvoure, and I was deciding what to do whether to call an abulance or to help her, when someone else jumped up and helped out, man I felt so useless but not everyone can help out.

You never know how you would react until a situation comes to hand, I always thought I would jump up immediatley, I know if it was my friend opposite me I owuld have, but I sat down and waited to see what other people were doing. Naughty Naughty Penny.

My Mum is a good girl, I know she has saved someones life before by giving them mouth to mouth resusitation.

If it taught me one thing, it is to go back and get my first aid certificate up to date (I should have it for brownies anyway) so I can have more confidence if somethign happens.

So what would you do?

[Darkling]

That would be the Heimlich maneuver.

Hyneck is what you do to a choking giraffe.

[Teelo]

At the begining of November, I had a seizure when I was in one of the Otago University labs.

There were other people in the room, but as expected, none of them did anything (not that they could have though) except calling the lab supervisor and an ambulance. thats all that was needed for my situation. An ambo...

The St John paramedics got me out of the seizure (did a diabetes test and failed it) then took me to the Dunedin Hospital, where I was waiting for about an hour before seeing a doctor, then was waiting about 5 more hours for blood tests to come back again.

Now I have a neurologists appointment in February.

And I am on dilantin.

[nih]

One of my mates (very stupidly) didn't take his Dilantin for three days at a lan and got virtually no sleep. He was kicking our asses in Q3 Rocket Arena when he keeled over sideweays off his chair and had a seizure. We called him an ambulance and then proceeded to regain the lead before the game ended. Phew, nearly missed out.

Nah, I lie. We stayed near him the whole time making sure he knew we were with him and talking to him, and it took like 15 minutes for the fucking ambulance to arrive. He was ok although he stayed in bed for the next three days making up for it.

Anyway, I was in the Atrium on Elliot getting my lunch one day and an old guy sitting near me had a heart attack. He pretty much just fell out of his chair. I picked him up and started trying to work out if he was breathing or not, and yelled at some people to cal lan ambulance. About thirty people stood there and stared at me and did nothing. After asking for the third time one of the staff there went to find a phone.

Long story short, he died while I was holding him. Nobody knew what to do. Shortly after that some lady who claimed to be a nurse joined the scene and offered to take over. I finished getting my lunch and left.

[kall]

Bloody hell.

I misread that and thought it was your mate who had died in your arms. Suckiest LAN ever!

Hmm...I somewhat saved my brother's life back when we were kids. He slipped over the edge of our culvert/waterfall and I managed to get Dad (who was chainsawing down below at the edge of the pool)'s attention somehow...probably by screaming 'Jess is falling!!!'. Dad managed to somehow throw the chainsaw aside and catch him as he hit the water.

Specifically on-topic: Whilst studying Psych at uni, it was revealed that only two things cause an onlooker to be more likely to assist in an emergency: Being related to the person, and if the person resembles them. All other factors are irrelevant.

[nih]

So altruism isn't very picky eh? I guess it's a good watermark to sort the good from the bad if what you say defines a consistent response.

Damn, there goes my bad boy image. I should have kept my mouth shut.

[kall]

'more' likely.

Some people will be inclined to help regardless, but those who normalyl would not help a person would be more likely to if it was their relative.

[nih]

Anecdotal evidence suggests we'd be certainly give a relative's plight our full attention, but not necessarily our help.

[Penny]

Thats quite intetresting Kall,

I dunno there were so many people round I felt pretty useless, and like I should be doing something rather than carry on eating my lunch.

[Sparklechick]

I guess I sort of saved someone's life, when I scaled a bathroom stall to open the door when she'd passed out drunk and was still vomitting. It wasn't a pleasant experience and by the time I'd done my duty the ambos had arrived so we let them take over. I did make sure she was turned on her side though so she didn't choke on her own vomit.

One of my Dad's best friends died on New Years Eve a few years back when he fell asleep in the back of his ute on his back. The next day his wife went out to get him and he was dead ... not nice.

So um yeah ... I did what I had to do ... I was pretty trashed at the time though so didn't even think about NOT helping. Might be different if I was sober.