I need to share something IMPORTANT...

[41magsnub]

Good to know I'm not the only stubborn one. I once drove myself to the hospital when my blood-potassium level was 2.4 or so and I was going into some kind of shock. Another time, I drove myself to the hospital while having a BP of 196/113 and 130+ BPM. FUN TIMES.  

I cracked 220/145 when I drove myself in with CHF!   Course, I didn't know it was anything like that at the time.  Wait, that is not a contest I want to win...

[PTK]

Dionysusigma

I don't get it. 

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Dionysusigma

I don't get it. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479884/

[S. Williamson]

Dionysusigma

I don't get it. 

FS got it, but more specifically: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479884/plotsummary

 

[Tallpine]

http://www.garynorth.com/public/5797.cfm

[S. Williamson]

<deleted>

[doczinn]

Well, if my wife is right beside me, and the paramedics are at the hospital, which would be faster?

Of course it depends on whether or not I can walk, 'cause my wife is NOT capable of carrying me to the car.

[Sergeant Bob]

http://www.garynorth.com/public/5797.cfm

So disturbing and so true.

One sentence explains it all.

If you take the government's nickel, you also take its noose.

[Chuck Dye]

Hmmm... you know, I'll bet that a few people have died while trying to contact 911 because they couldn't find the "11" key.

When I trained as a CPR instructor we were taught to teach our students that it is always nine one one precisely because, just as there are documented cases of very young kids saving the day by dialing 911, there are also documented cases of junior finding the nine and not the eleven.

Another "OH! For..." element was the need, prior to caller ID and autolocate software, to be able to give your location with some precision.  The backup story in the class was of a guy at a friend's house for Monday Night Football when the friend went into arrest.  The had been doing the Monday thing for years, could and had driven and walked to and from his friend's while very drunk, but could not give an address or cross street.  Exit friend.

[Perd Hapley]

Well, if my wife is right beside me, and the paramedics are at the hospital, which would be faster?

Of course it depends on whether or not I can walk, 'cause my wife is NOT capable of carrying me to the car.

I think the point is that (sometimes) an ambulance can get to you faster than you can get to the hospital.  And the ambulance has a lot of life-saving equipment on board. 

[KD5NRH]

I think the point is that (sometimes) an ambulance can get to you faster than you can get to the hospital.  And the ambulance has a lot of life-saving equipment on board.

It boils down to what they have that you don't.  Assuming I can drive, I can be in the ER about 2 minutes before the ambulance can get to my house.  If I'm hurt bad enough to let my wife drive, that would add about 5-15 minutes.  If I need a defibrillator, I'm better off waiting for the ambulance.  If I need direct pressure or a splint, I'll already have that done and they'd only be a really expensive taxi service anyway.