Red Cross Blogs

I’m starting to think I’m jinxed

By Brad Smith
May 25, 2010 at 10:00 am

Do you ever get the unnerving feeling that you’re jinxed? I’m starting to feel that way, as even when I’m off duty, my first aid skills are regularly called into action.

Take the weekend before last for example. I was playing cricket. Our opposition were in the field. One of their team fell while diving for a ball and hurt himself. I was next in to bat. While I should have been mentally preparing myself for the challenges ahead, I couldn’t help going in to first aid mode and trying to help my fellow player.

On closer inspection, my casualty certainly appeared to have done some damage. He’d fallen on his outstretched arm, and was supporting it at his elbow in a bent position – a classic tell-tale sign of a fractured collar bone. Comparing one to the other, his affected shoulder was badly swollen and it was starting to show signs of bruising. He was also suffering pain when moving the affected arm. So, to be on the safe side, I applied a sling and sent him off to hospital for an X-Ray and possible further treatment.

I’d never previously thought of cricket as such an injury-inducing game – but after this, and establishing that Rice has its uses in cricket – I’m not so sure. I must be jinxed!

In all seriousness, clearly you never know where you might need your skills. First aid isn’t just required at organised public events.

Either way, I’m still much happier knowing that I have the skills and confidence to help when necessary. If you want to be in a similar position – knowing how to help that is, not necessarily being jinxed – learn first aid with us.

Image © Hans Kellner

---

Comments (2) »

---

Tags: collar bone, cricket, First aid, fractures, X-Ray

The Red Cross values comments both complimentary and critical. However, we will not tolerate the following: aggressive or personal criticism of the blogger, breach of copyright, obscene, defamatory, profane, sexually oriented, racially offensive or likewise objectionable comments.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under First aid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

---