SafetyFirst!

I have had many experiences as a nurse but emergency situations have been mild in compare to many. I have never worked ER and have done more of a managerial type nursing with minor care. There was one time that I prayed that everything I had learned through out my career would come back to me instantly. My skills would kick in and I would be able to carry out what I had learned.

The day was beautiful, a crisp Saturday spring morning. I could feel the warmth of the sun shining down...It was a perfect day to be out in the garden. For some reason I could not find my garden gloves and decided to use the latex gloves I had on hand from work. Being a nurse, I always kept some gloves tucked here and there. There was no rhythm or reason to use them now, just that they would keep my hands somewhat clean.I look back now and think how sometimes things are brought to mind, as it was preparing me for something unknown.

I began weeding and I found the light weight gloves actually worked well. They were not nearly as bulky as normal garden gloves. My mind was drifting, thinking about summer fast approaching, when I heard some loud noises.,that of motorcycles. Loud grown men's laughter filled the air. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet so this was out of the ordinary.

I stood up and peered over the fence towards my front yard to see two four wheelers carrying two grown men on each one. They were going at tremendous speed through our neighborhood. We live on a corner, and each time they took that corner, my stomach would turn. I prayed they would stop before someone got hurt...They were not wearing helmets and just by their behavior, I suspected they had been drinking.

I had decided by the third go round, should they try once more, I would call the sheriff. I settled back down to weed, when they come again. All of a sudden, I heard a loud crash...I looked over the fence to see four grown men sprawled out in my yard. The motorcycles were still running but laying on their sides. I ran with all my might to the front.

I made my way to each one frantically making sure they were alive. I checked for pulses, as I was yelling for help. One neighbor saw the accident and called 911. He later told me they turned the corner, the bike in the back hit the other, causing the other one to hit the curb. All four men flew in the air hitting the ground like rag dolls. The other neighbor assisted me in assessing them. All were breathing but one. All were unconscious. The man not breathing was bleeding from his mouth and ears. He was lying on his side toward the street. I gently turned him over. I was able to detect a pulse, so I took one of my latex gloves and popped a hole in it and placed the glove over his bloody mouth as a barrier and began rescue breaths. After a few minutes I heard him take a deep breath and he began to breathe on his own. I cannot tell you how I felt at that moment. It seemed as if I was breathing for this man forever.

About that time the EMS had arrived and police surrounded my house. The star flight helicopters were called and landed in front of my house. All four men were transported to the hospital. Only one had become conscious.

My husband arrived from work about that time and saw the police in front of the house. He saw me standing out there, and was pretty scared until he was told what had happened. I could not stop shaking for hours afterwards.

A couple weeks went by and I had found out which house these men had been living at. I decided to stop by and ask how they were doing. One of the men answered the door and he looked as if he had been in a car accident or beaten up. He had a neck brace on, a swollen face and two black eyes. His arm was in a sling. His wife was standing beside him and she said he actually was the better looking one out of the bunch. He explained the guy, who I gave CPR to, was still in the hospital with a cracked skull but was going to recover. He thanked me quickly and went inside.

I found out later they all were fined big bucks for driving intoxicated in a neighborhood. I am sure they were not happy campers. I never did see any of them again but to this day, I can look out on my lawn and see those guys laying there. I never dreamed when I woke up that morning the day would take on such a horrific event. I cannot stress the importance of wearing helmets while riding any type of motorcycle. I have seen first hand the injury. I cringe every time I drive around the neighborhood to see young children riding these things without any helmets. One never knows what could happen. Safety must come first..