Keep a FAK to hand and keep trained, just in case......you never know

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TinkyPete

Full Member
Sep 4, 2009
1,966
191
uk mainly in the Midlands though
On Tuesday, my 82 year old mum fell in the garden whilst weeding and badly cut her head. Luckily I was at home as I was preparing to go into work. A shout for help and I found my mum in the toilet holding a towel to her head saying she had banged her head. My 83 year old father can not stand the sight of blood and does not react well to it. I kept him out the immediate way by calling the ambulance, whilst I rushed and got one of my trauma bandages.

I check the wound it a little gravel that I could see but it was a large cut about 10 cm across the top of her forehead. I quickly put on the Israeli bandage and made sure she sat down on a chair. legged to the phone and took over the 999 call from my day to make sure they got the right details as he is very hard of hearing.

Ambulance and Paramedics arrived in a couple of minutes and took over, they were impressed with my bandaging skills and the treatment given, my father went to the hospital with her whilst I did a bit of tiding up and got some sandwiches and stuff together cause of diabetics and legged to the hospital.

Once there got great treatment but it did take some time. My had her accident at 11:20, went hospital and arrived at 12:00 I was there before 13:00 and finally left after CT scan at 22:05. My mother has 19 outer stitches and 5 sub-dermal stitches and she had concussion, but because me and my sister could take time off she was able to come home.

Moral of this: luckily I was home, I am military first aid trained and kept my skills current, I keep a good first aid kit to hand.

If I had not been there I am not certain of the outcome because I father could not have coped with the blood, and I am not sure how long he would have taken over calling 999. She had lost a fair bit of blood when I came to her, as asked by the person on the other end of the phone was it more than 1 coffee cup full, it was over 2 I told them but could have been more if I hadn't got a trauma bandage. replacement bandage on order, but I still have a couple of work ones which have gone into the kit till the other slightly smaller ones arrive. 4 inch is the one I keep in the kit rather than 6 inch which is in there temporarily.

When it comes to loved ones, be prepared and keep a good kit to hand and keep trained.
 

saxonaxe

Nomad
Sep 29, 2018
481
1,131
79
SW Wales
Well done Pete. A serious matter, head butting the ground at 82, that could have had dire consequences if you had not been there and acted quickly. Good point about the training too, I was trained when I was in uniform but it was mostly about how to deal with removing cross bow quarrels and identifying Wound Wort for use on sword cuts. I need updating..I think..
Good to read of a happy ending and I hope Mum is quickly on the mend. :thumbsup:
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Good for you Tinky: Fast moves on your part.
The older I get, the more I think about how I would call for help, being alone.

Tinky, would you say there are good FA kits in the marketplace in the UK?
Not something to make up from bits and pieces recommended by the untrained eye?
You have the experience and the training to make the call.

Buy a really good First Aid Kit.
I bought the big one that sits in an industrial automotive shop.
I believe it's cheap insurance.
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
3,460
65
Exmoor
Yeah good first aid kit and training are so important. Years ago my son then aged 12 fell over on ice broke left arm and seriously gashed head luckily only yards from home. As we were technicaly snowed in it took 4 hrs for mountain rescue land rover to get to us and further hour to get to hospital. Thank god for my basic training and large first aid kit that coped with the situation.
 
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TinkyPete

Full Member
Sep 4, 2009
1,966
191
uk mainly in the Midlands though
Thanks all for the kind words. Most of my FAK's are self made, although a good base to some of my better ones was either the Lifesystems Outdoor or mountain leader kit, or the Gregson outdoor kit which had fold out sections but bright coloured and in sections so easy to sort and use, but now I always add additional trauma bandages and cellox on outdoor kits, the reason I did not use the cellox was because I knew the ambulance would not be long, I live a couple of hundred meters form an ambulance station and it would have caused problems at the hospital.
 
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Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
3,460
65
Exmoor
I would recommend anyone with babies or children to do a first aid course tailored to dealing with small persons in addition to a standard first aid course. I did one through sure start when son small as we are a minimum 20 mins for ambulance arrival where I live. Training keeps you calm.... outwardly at least.. while you deal with the situation especially when it's your own family panic can easily take your brain away. I've seen it happen.
 
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Nov 23, 2017
15
8
59
stirling
Well done Tinkypete!
Im always asked "What is the best First Aid Kit"?
The answer is always the same...The one you have with/on you!
Theres no point leaving a full pseudo-paramedic kit in the car if
your camp is 5 miles into the woods. You may be incapable of reaching it.

Most of my (many) kits are self made. Differing according to perceived risks as well method
of carrying/transporting it so its ALWAYS readily available.
Something to consider too
 

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