Sometimes the Lord Moves Through First Responders & A Life Flight Helicopter
I really have always enjoyed doing yardwork, but somehow it seems that I like it even more in my retirement years more than ever before. It's crazy I know. This week, I started on Monday and (as usual) had to kinda chip away at it as my body would allow; since it never really allows me (as it once did) to just knock out all of the mowing and weeding in about three or four hours--as I always had before disability. Praise the Lord that I can still get along as good as I do.
I finished everything by about 5:00 PM Tuesday afternoon (over two days) and that's when I went into the house to sit for a spell and to enjoy a tall glass of lemon water on ice--before I planned to go back out to enjoy the last couple of hours of daylight as the sun was low in the sky and while the scent of freshly cut grass lingered in the late afternoon air. I have always called this time the "after glow" of yard-work or the time when I most enjoy sitting on the front deck and/or just walking around--taking in the peace and quiet and reveling a bit in how good everything looks when it's all done. Now, let's move along to the marrow of this post.
Just as I was finishing up my last sip of lemon water and was about to head back out to enjoy the afterglow; I heard a car horn beep from someone who'd driven up in the driveway while I was still inside. I didn't know at the moment who it was, nor did I know that I would not get to enjoy the afterglow of my labor that day. Instead, I opened the front door to see it was my youngest brother who'd driven up. But, once I got my shoes on and got out the door, I quickly saw there was a very strange expression on his face. That's when he saw me and hollered, "WAYNE, I'VE SHOT MYSELF IN THE LEG AND NEED HELP QUICK, BEFORE I BLEED OUT"!!!
My brother's panic laden words shot through me like a lightning bolt and instantly catapulted me from a state of relative rest, relaxation and tranquility into Instantaneous Fight or Flight Mode--by way of a Megawatt Adrenaline Rush of such sudden intensity, I don't have words to describe. Surely, I must have pivoted much like a running back taking a hand-off--darting back into the house--hollering to my wife to bring wet cloths--grabbing the cordless phone and dialing 911--while turning again to run back outside--nearly knocking the screen door off of it's hinges as I ran through it--and down the steps of the deck and to his car I went. Honestly, I didn't know I could still move so quickly.
As the 911 operator answered, I saw my brother writhing in pain in the driver's seat through his opened car door while frantically trying to stop the blood that was flowing freely from his mid calf behind his left leg where told me a hollow point 22 magnum pistol round had entered. Blood was everywhere and I could see that a sizable puddle had pooled in the floorboard under his left leg--although the drive to my house from his was less than a minute--but I couldn't see any exit wound. The 911 operator confirmed important address information back to me and confirmed that first responders had been dispatched, so I hung up, stuck the phone in my pocket and got busy--as it seemed like every bit of first aid training I had ever learned in my life was rushing through my brain all at once--as if for selective recall.
We went to work immediately (together) and because it appeared to me his leg was broken--I felt it not practicable to apply direct pressure; we fashioned and positioned a pressure tourniquet-type bandage directly over the wound and (thankfully) were able to get the heavy bleeding slowed considerably after a few minutes of firm pressure. My wife was bringing hot and cold wet cloths and lots of wet paper towels, as fast as she could bring them.
After about five minutes of working, while waiting for first responders--tightening and loosening the pressure bandage; cleaning up much of the blood from him; and trying to keep him as calm and comfortable as possible--a procession of sheriff's deputies began to arrive on the scene--all sliding their cars to a stop one after the other in my gravel driveway into positions semi-surrounding us. "The ambulance is only minutes away!" one of them hollered, as he hurried to retrieve his first aid box from the trunk of his car. Another yelled, "We have a medevac helicopter on its way too, that should be here any time!"
While some of the deputies scrambled to assess my brother's condition and to triage the urgency of situation; other deputies directed their efforts to finding out what they could about the facts surrounding the shooting accident itself. Soon, the ambulance arrived and shortly thereafter the fire truck--all with sirens blaring. Everyone seemed to have their own job and wasted no time getting about it. I knew I should let them take over, so I reluctantly took a couple of steps out of the way, as EMS personnel were quick to spring into action (first) assessing the bleeding and shock risk, attaching an air splint to his leg and (next) getting quickly to the business of getting my brother out of the car and onto the ambulance gurney, strapping him down securely and rolling him some 150 feet to the place in the yard where the ambulance had stopped but was still running--all within about fifteen minutes of their arrival. By that time, my yard and (about a hundred yard stretch of) the road frontage looked very much like something you might expect to see on a TV news scene or episode of 911. It was all too surreal and most difficult to wrap my mind around.
The UNC Life Flight Helicopter arrived as if on cue and began to circle the area a couple of times assessing the area (first) from the air and (then) setting up the best approach to the makeshift landing area designated by a few of the deputies and firemen in a grassy field across the street from my house. It was within a minute or so that the chopper was on the ground and dispatching its crew members into position with their gurney to meet the ambulance and to receive my brother.
I could only stand and watch intently (feeling totally helpless) as the ambulance attendants handed off my brother to the waiting UNC Life Flight Crew members; who just as quickly strapped him to their own gurney and loaded it with him into the body of the helicopter. In only a few minutes the doors were closing on the helicopter and I could hear the powerful engine throttling up and could see the propellers ratcheting up speed to prepare for lift off. Then, it suddenly begin to leave the ground rising to about 75 feet--then rotated 180 degrees to face the direction from which it came and off it went gaining both altitude and forward speed until it was very quickly out of sight--and heading for UNC Trauma Center.
Well, it's been several days ago now since all of this happened. Without going into too much detail: Thankfully, he was in very good hands by way of all of the first responders and was very quickly stabilized upon arrival at UNC Trauma Center where he underwent surgery on Wednesday--(the next day), to treat the gunshot damage, place a titanium rod to stabilize the bone and to flush, sterilize, stitch, close and wrap a rather large surgical incision.
While I have always had a very real appreciation for our military, our police and all of our first responders; never have I felt so much appreciation as I did after witnessing (firsthand) their total professionalism and efficiency during this recent and very sudden time of need. Thank God for each and every one of them and I Pray That They Be Kept Safe & Protected in All That They Do.
Luckily, although my brother is safely home again-- he will be out of work and pretty much out of commission for approximately 5 to 6 months (as the ER Specialists say) during the quite lengthy healing, physical therapy and recovery processes. Not only did he make it through a dangerous and life-threatening situation (Praise the Lord) at the age of 58 years old--that so easily could have had a much different outcome; he also gave me and the rest of us a good opportunity to reflect on many valuable life lessons--that could affect any one of us at any time--that should be shared and discussed with anyone who has ears to hear.
Well, I'm sorry to go on like I did, but it was an awful lot of happenings to take in that I tried my best to reduce to as short of story as possible. Now I must go, because it won't be long until it's time to mow some grass again. This time I'm hoping and praying for the normal "yard-work afterglow" and no DRAMA or TRAUMA--Lord Willing.
Please say a prayer for my brother's speedy and uneventful recovery and rehabilitation.
Kind Regards and May God Bless You & Yours, Wayne
