Jean, Author at EasyCPR-Denver.com

Sep 05

0

Did YOU know this about newborns?

By Jean | Blog, Just for Joy, Youth Babysitter Tips | No Comments

Pictures of Newborns

There is a woman photographer, Fermont Fotografie, who takes pictures of newborns to show what they looked like snuggled up in the womb. That womb is certainly a very tiny “studio” apartment, isn’t it? Pretty close quarters… But amazingly safe and warm and always that SWEET sound of mommy’s heartbeat. Thuh THUMP Thuh THUMP You go, Mommy!

Newborns kick!

We know babies “kick” in the womb and the mother feels it… So, I’m really looking at this (I forgot to have kids). Babies in the womb don’t kick with their TOE (which all sports people do) – they kick with their HEEL? Who knew? (Well, your OB/GYN did…) Do you suppose they also punch out with their fist? Who knows?

Getting here…

I’m so glad for this little kid! This little newborn already went through the squeezing of the little cranium – OUCH! – and didn’t know why this hurting thing was happening as she/he passed down this SQUEEZED tube into the world. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze – and then: “Oh, NO – what are these terrible things burning my eyes called LIGHTS? Oh, good, I’m back with Mom, laying on her chest, listening to her heart – but I THINK I’m on the outside… not on the inside… What IS outside? ‘sup with THIS – what is this STUFF on me? That person just called it a blanket. DUDE! What is a BLANKET? It’s kind of rubbing my skin – I’m just about sure I don’t like it. I want to be naked. MOM! MOM! MOM!”

So did you know this about newborns?

Newborns Have More Bones : When babies are born, they have 300 bones. Adults have 206. Bones fuse together during growth to come up with the new number.
Newborns Have No Kneecaps : On birth, babies do not have kneecaps. Rather they have a structure of cartilage that resembles kneecaps. They usually don’t develop them fully until after six months. Most seen on babies who “army crawl” instead of doing it on all fours.
Newborns are seriously sleepy: Newborns will only really be alert for around three minutes in every hour during the day, and even less at night.

Stay tuned for more – I’m finding information about infants and toddlers, next!

EasyCPR-Denver.com

Jean Lesmeister, Instructor

Aug 31

0

Emergency vehicle approaching? MOVE OVER

By Jean | ARE you ready to help?, Blog, EasyCPR Adult class at Home, Yay - Saved a Life! | No Comments

Emergency vehicle? MOVE OVER!

When emergency vehicle, ambulances and fire engines respond to emergency calls, other vehicles are required to pull over to the right side of the road and come to a stop.

So…. DO they? Emergency personnel (firefighters, paramedics, other EMS) report that drivers often neglect to do so. (It’s a crime, heah!)

“These problems have always existed, (but) it’s gotten worse,” reports a firefighter Chief.

There are factors that most complicate the job for drivers of emergency vehicles. They are: drivers who pull over to the left instead of the right, drivers who stop in the middle of the road and drivers who refuse to stop. EMS drivers are trained to pass vehicles on the left side. So, motorists who pull over to the left disrupt the traffic flow and increase the chance of collisions. Pull over to the RIGHT and STOP.

Further complicating the matter are drivers who are distracted by activities such as talking on their cellphones, listening to headphones, eating, yes – even applying makeup on their face!

Everything Except Driving?

“Everybody seems to be doing everything in their vehicles except driving!” says one paramedic.

Also, NOT GOOD is that modern vehicle design also affects driver awareness because outside noise is muted due to the “improved” vehicle design. So they don’t HEAR the emergency vehicle – how mindless is that?

Sirens on any emergency vehicle, fire engines and ambulances are approximately 120 decibels, which is comparable to a car horn.

It is believed only about 30 percent of drivers follow the law and pull over to the right. If at least one driver does pull over, many times other drivers will follow suit. SO, YEAH to every one who does care about their community and someone’s right to emergency care and who DO PULL OVER for an emergency vehicle? You are a role model to many other drivers. Great. But let me say one more time – ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of motorists should be pulling over. Don’t be a doofuss.

As a 15-year CPR, Babysitting CPR and First Aid Instructor, who continually stresses the need to

a) recognize an emergency and

b) call 911 promptly,

it drive me NUTS that any dense motorist gets in the way of that vital response.

Spread the word, please!

POST THIS on your refrigerator, your social media, tell teen drivers, on your job board and on your brain about emergency vehicles:

-Pull over to the right side of the road when emergency vehicles are approaching.

-Do not stop in the middle of the road.

-Keep radio volume at a reasonable level.

–Do not wear headphones while driving.

-Do not talk on cellphone or text while driving.

–Frequently check rearview mirrors.

-Do not be distracted by vehicle crashes – “Rubbernecking” causes additional crashes.

Stay safe! Get trained! Best wishes!

EasyCPR-Denver.com

Jean Lesmeister, Instructor

Aug 07

0

If in DOUBT, call 911 OUT!

By Jean | ARE you ready to help?, Blog | No Comments

Call 911

I am so grateful to have a number of friends who are paramedics, EMT’s and medical personnel. In my 15 years of teaching CPR, Babysitting CPR (youth class age 11+) and First Aid, I have been able to ask them questions, get clarification about issues my students bring up, and ask about changes made in protocols by medical directors of the certifying agencies. I appreciate their advanced knowledge so much.

If in Doubt, Call Them Out

One of my paramedic friends once told me to tell my students to call 911 – “If in Doubt, Call Them Out“. I love that advice. It covers the idea that so many of us are “lay responders“. We are the public. We don’t have advanced training, though we hopefully have taken a CPR course, recently. (Go, getting trained!) We ARE the most likely to recognize an emergency – we are with loved ones, co-workers, out in the community, and may see an urgent issue arise. We are the ones who might call 911.

To me, “If in Doubt, Call Them Out” is about quick access to Dispatchers. Dispatchers are there for you. They answer your call and help you do a myriad of things – help you calm down if you’re flustered, clarify what is happening, ask vital questions, give vital direction – and STAY with you on the line.

We get so used to ordering a pizza (call, order, hang up) that we can forget that excellent median step between placing our call up to the arrival of EMS (Emergency Medical Services). We can forget that the Dispatchers stay with you, help you, advise you.

Should I call 911?

You have every right to doubt if you should call 911… You’re not a paramedic, right? We hesitate; we’re not sure… We fear “what if it’s not an emergency”? What if I’m wrong? (Even – “will I get in trouble”!) HOLD THOSE HORSES! That’s why Dispatchers are there for you! They will help you ascertain the extent of the urgency. We, Jane and Joe Public, are doing the best we can, right? We’re not medically trained. We’re not paramedics. We just try to do our best. Yep, If in Doubt, Call Them Out! Call 911.

Finally – please take CPR! In that window of time before EMS arrives, you can use your skills to save a life. Those minutes until their arrival are vital. You CAN save a life – it’s happening all the time.

Jean Lesmeister, Instructor

EasyCPR-Denver.com

Jul 19

0

THINK – Cause No Further Harm

By Jean | ARE you ready to help?, Blog, Choking help, What my student said..., Yay - Saved a Life!, Youth Babysitter Tips | No Comments

Stories about injuries and emergencies – Cause No Further Harm

One of the really rich things about teaching CPR, youth Babysitting CPR, First Aid, etc. these 15 years are the STORIES! I hear so many, many stories from students; of course, the happy ending stories are best. Students share how a family member got hurt doing this or that – but was OK. A student shares how the neighbor fell off his roof – but was OK. Some of the MOST amazing stories of all are when the youth (age 11-15) Babysitting CPR class shares their own youth injuries! They raise their hand and share. For instance – one student ate $3.50 worth of quarters when a piggy bank broke before his parents found him. Another shared he hid in the clothes dryer and his mom turned it on, returning from a phone call. Much screaming and shrieking ensued. A girl shared that she put beads into her ear canal wanting to wear “jewelry” like her mommy. And, of course, there’s the old “I put peanuts up my nose”.

Think Before You Act – Cause No Further Harm

But there are also the sad and heart breaking stories: how a neighbor family suffered the tragedy of SIDS with their infant, and how a sibling ended up for life in a wheelchair after a fall from high up.

Accidents can stem from inattention, being careless, and can happen so quickly – but a mistake that always is at the forefront of my mind is when people “charge into action” without the pause to THINK, first, when there’s an accident. My most recent example of this type of NOT thinking first is a story shared by a man about an incident at his home with his two-year old son. Apparently, the child began to choke and so the grandma administered the abdominal thrust (Heimlich maneuver) – but wasn’t trained to do so. The wife thrust her fingers into the child’s mouth to grab the instruction – also not trained – nor do you put fingers in a mouth because it usually shoves the obstruction deeper. It turns out the obstruction came out of the throat, ultimately – so glad. BUT this man shared that out on the porch was sitting the grandfather who is a retired firefighter. You get my drift? Two untrained women start responding to the emergency – when a TRAINED person was THAT CLOSE. A perfect example of NOT thinking, not staying calm to make the best choice. Ladies, don’t “help” the choking child – GO GET grandpa!