Emergency care

Friday 16th October
What a week! Medical emergencies in Bulembu are fortunately occasional, this week, we had a road traffic accident, an asthma attack and a diesel ingestion one evening after the other!! So I spend a bit of time on the bumpy dirt track road to Piggs peak in the ambulance, inserting IV’s and trying to maintain and save lives. The RTA was two young guys who had rolled the vehicle, one of them had bumped his head and was pretty disorientated – he had other injuries but fortunately after a load of xrays he had no broken bones, just many lacerations and bumps and bruises. The asthma attack was pretty intense, as I was the only qualified nurse around, fortunately a health assistant had just stepped into the clinic so she helped me out. After giving numerous drugs IV and IM we managed to stabilize him and take him into the hospital to get checked out. The Diesel guy really didn’t mean to swallow it while he was siphoning it out of the drums but fortunately he was well sick and I gave him an antihistamine IV to help stabilize before he took off to Piggs peak Hospital. So the last few days have been a little quieter, hubby celebrated his 50th birthday on Thursday and we’ll be having a big Braai on Saturday with many people so should be fun. I am so tired and am working like never before - must be so good for me.........A storm is brewing and the sky is filling with lightening so I will get this sent off before the power goes out again !!