Australian and New Zealand Gardening: BROMELIADS FOR NOVICES & ADDICTS JULY & AUGUST 2012, 3 by perke_patch

perke_patch wrote:
hi all.
well we've had a very unusual couple of days. apart from being sick in bed today of course. but yesterday. we actually saved a neighbours life. yes litterally. as soon as it was over I promptly had to lie down out on the verandah and didn't know if I was going to be sick or pass out. ambos thought they were going to have another patient. I've never seen so much blood and apparently arterial blood is thick and chunky not fine liquid like we usually see. John our neighbour was cleaning out his fishtank and when he walked outside to tip the water out along the fence he slipped and fell, smashing the tank and cutting his wrist. Because I hadn't felt well all day we had gone upstairs at lunchtime and we were relaxing watching TV. But Johnny had decided to go down and splash some water around. If not John would have bled to death as he passed out after dialling 000. Lucky Johnny saw what happened and called out to me that he was going over to check if he was alright. he thought a broken wrist till he saw the blood. I had gone out on the verandah to watch and Johnny raced back out to yell for me to get over there quick. I had to dial 000 again and talk to them to relay what had happened. Luckily they had dispatched an ambulance as they heard Johnny when he walked in and said "Oh f..... John what have you done?" he got him to sit down and grabbed a towel to wrap around the arm but nothing we did would stop it spraying. Luckily the ambos didn't take too long and even they couldn't stop the blood. I had to ring 000 again to ask for "ICU care code 1 for uncontrolled bleed". The ICU paramedics made it from PA Hospital to Wello Pt in 15 mins. that's a feat believe me. Anyway I was ok while they were giving me jobs to do like writing down what they told me to record etc. as soon as there was nothing to do I started feeling queezy and had to sit in the hallway (only place with clean floor). That didn't work and I had to go outside. then the ICU paramedics arrived and I was busy again heating up blankets in our dryer. as fast as I heated one and took it over I took the cool one back to heat it so it was hectic.
Now I've realised it is time to update my first aid skills as in hindsight there was so many things I didn't do right and should have done differently. I guess if I was felling 100% to start with it may have been different. But if skills are current I think they would come naturally no matter how ill you feel.
Oh and after 4 hours of micro surgery last night to reattach the radial artery and 2 tendons in his wrist he came home this afternoon bearing a huge bunch of flowers for us to say thanks. can't believe he is out already.

Anyway nothing to report in the brom garden other than 1 out of 3 packets of seed arrived yesterday but no sign of other 2 and now I was too sick today to do anything with them. and I picked my first ripe pod of billbergia seed from a cross I did. only problem was the writing on the iceblock stick faded and I can't remember what pollen I put on it. Will just have to wait and see. Anyways I squeezed the seed out on sieve to dry out and I will attend to them in a couple days.

Sleep time again now. Oh and Jen is still terribly ill with that flu. Shirley thankful to say mine was just a headcold but today I have that tummy bug really bad. I guess it was coming on yesterday and that's why I didn't eat at all yesterday. couldn't after our eventful afternoon anyway. so today I just stayed in bed close to the toilet. hopefully it will be all over tomorrow or next day.

Nap time now. Bye again.
Wendy
Pic 1 is bill cv hayley's gold from Catlans
Pic 2 & 3 are both cv of moon tiger form Catlans but pic 2 is definately the better one although pic 3 has an almost black throat so not too bad.