Equipping Yourself With Life-Saving Skills

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Many years have passed, but I still remember that day like it happened yesterday- the first time I attempted to test a patient’s sugar level. My mom, the superhero in scrubs, had been training us, her children, on the art (or science) of basic treatments. My mom is a nurse. She has been in the field for as long as I can tell, even way before I was born. She'd always stress on the importance of knowing basic health practices. “Watch me and learn. You'll need these things in the future when you are on your own,” she’d always say. I also had dreams of becoming a medical doctor, but life had other plans for me. Life is cruel- you don’t always get what you want.

Growing up, my siblings and I were our mom’s assistant nurses. Our house was like a mini hospital, always filled with drugs, injections, and other medical supplies. She made us watch as she treated her patients. And sometimes, she allowed us to do the basic things under her supervision, of course. Unlike my siblings, I didn't like the sight of blood. To some extent, I could stand it, but it’d get to a point and I'd start feeling nauseated. That was why I avoided testing patients' sugar levels. But on that day, my mom wanted none of my flimsy excuses. She stood strong on her ground, insisting that I had to do it.

In my head, I had so many what-ifs. What if the blood splashes? What if I pricked the wrong place? After all these questions ran through my head, I managed to do it. My hands felt numb, but as soon as I pricked the patient's finger, everything became calm. That day, I overcame my fears. Fast forward to today, I'm now a pro at it.

It is important to learn basic health practices. The internet is loaded with websites that could help equip you with the necessary knowledge. Thanks to my mom who taught us to take care of ourselves. She showed us how to handle minor health issues. Every semester, my mom packs loads of drugs in my bag. She'd always say “anything can happen to you or your friends in school.” I remember during my first year in the university. My mom packed so many drugs and injections that could stuck a pharmacy store. At first, I was skeptical about going with all of them, but after her usual lectures, I had no other choice but to take them along.

Lo and behold, the drugs did come in handy. My roommate started feeling stomach pains in the middle of the night. At first, they were slight and bearable, but grew into more painful pains. Thankfully, I had Flagyl and Omeprazole. I gave them to him and after a while, he felt better. On another occasion, one of my hostel mates fell down and hit his head on the ground. The wound was so deep that he wouldn't stop bleeding. I had a first-aid kit (sort of) in my hostel. Right away, I got into action- wore my gloves, stopped the bleeding and treated the wound. I felt like a doctor that day. My mom would always tell us to learn basic health practices and that we would save lives by doing so. That day proved it.

Nevertheless, there are limits to self-medication. It is important not to do anything without instruction from a doctor or nurse. I don’t use any drugs without consulting my mom. I have never experienced “self-medication gone bad” because my mom has always cautioned us against using any medication without consulting her.

Thanks for reading.