Day: May 15, 2018

Really irritating rash on forearms and swelling around my eyes (especially under the right one, and above my left) for the last few days. Some relief from antihistamine tabs and topical ointments, but still irritating, so. . . applied some Oragel (‘cos it was the only topical benzocaine I had _open_ and on hand–a topical pain reliever in one of my FAKs; had some Solarcaine but was an unopened pack). Relief. I’ve still not used either tube of that Oragel 2-pack for its intended purpose. . . *heh*

Another: Despite QuickClot, et al, bandages/gauzes, for some puncture wounds, after last night’s Stop the Bleed class, I still feel comfortable using a combo of WoundSeal on regular gauze, and a tampon if needed, after a tourniquet and before a pressure bandage (like the Israeli Bandage here). Sure, if the wound is bad enough, packing it with QuickClot gauze first might be just the ticket, but WoundSeal + tampon for some is a handy (and relatively inexpensive) backup, and might avert tearing up and packing a wound with a dirty t-shirt or bandana if QC there’s not enough gauze and/or sponges for multiple wounds.

OTOH, my FAKs are outgrowing some of my smaller kit bags. *shrugs* I’d rather carry a better-equipped FAK than more food (and I can always locate and clean water, given the locales I frequent). Don’t really need to be all that concerned about weight/size issues on home kit and car kits, though, so as our home and car FAKs seem to be transitioning to trauma kits, not really a big deal. Will still keep the small kits for minor things, I suppose, but a slightly larger FAK for even just day hikes is in the making, as well.

My last formal first aid instruction, before last night, was… 45 years ago for a Water Safety Instructor certification. while it certainly came in handy 25 years later when I needed to perform CPR on my Wonder Woman (a success story for CPR there!), it would have been good to have had today’s updated “hands only” CPR training, since she had aspirated some food beyond my reach (and knowledge) for extraction prior to the breathing part of CPR in my prior training. *shrugs* The ER doc caught it and lavaged her lungs, and–almost miraculously–averted pneumonia, but it might have been better w/o the breathing part. Maybe. *shrugs*

Still, udating. . . Attended a “Stop the Bleed” class taught by an ER/Trauma center nurse last evening to check and update my first aid knowledge base/practice. Attendance was by reservation of one of the 50 slots. When I signed up in March, I was the 37th person (my Wonder Woman was the 38th). Good review and update. But the thing is, of the 38 who were signed up as of March 18 (and who knows how many of the remaining 50 seats after that), only 12, counting the two of us, were there.

I assume the rest bled out before they got there.

*sigh*