November 17, 2007

Some Excitement (Update x2)

So a group of us Shirley residents were celebrating the birthday of one of our own (Natasha). The party progressed to a game of Murder in the Dark in our lounge. For those who have played Mafia, it's sort of like a live action version of that, with the lights off (there is a murder who kills, and a detective who tries to figure out who the murderer is).
Not five minutes into round one, things come to an abrupt halt as Can (Turkish, pronounced "John") had been injured leaping from a sofa to a pool table (unsuccessfully). His chin and mouth were bleeding. I ran to get some medical tape, and the others got him to a bathroom. And then there was general confusion. As the most qualified person willing to do it, I inspected the wound.  It wasn't bleeding very badly, but I was surprised at how wide and deep it was. At the very least, it was going to need stitches. So I, for the first time ever, decreed an EMS summons (you practice it with jest - but actually doing it is so spooky). 
After cleaning and patching up his chin (luckily Lee had grabbed a med kit lickity-split), I realized he really shouldn't be up and got him lying down flat. Then CMU police showed up, followed shortly by EMS. Who subsequently went overboard (even beyond playing-it-safe). I can understand the backboard and neck brace (it was a head/neck injury after all), but the oxygen? Even the older EMS guy who showed up later thought it was too much. More cops, EMS, hullabaloo, and time later, they got him off to the hospital. I have to say that this was the best use of my first aid training ever (though it still wasn't that bad), and it freaked me out. Holes in bodies, blood; they just make me queasy. Part of me got him bandaged up just so that I didn't start feeling faint.
UPDATE 1: And now I just got a call from Natasha, who tells me that Can might have a concussion (he had told EMS of some slight head and neck pain), and that they are waiting on chin x-rays to come back.

Update 2: Can is fine - just some stitches.

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