Lessons I’ve Learned the Hard Way

 Living Life  3 Responses »
Oct 182010
 

I’m kind of stubborn. Sometimes that’s really awesome for me and makes things happen. Other times, well, it leads me to learn various lessons the hard way. Or, really, not just “other times.” I should probably say “quite frequently.” Or even “most times.” Or, quite possibly, “99.99% of the time.” I swear I’m a smart woman. I just… learn things the hard way.

Here are some big ones, funny ones and a recent (and very expensive) one.

1. My mom told me that our family was “very fertile.” I didn’t believe her. Lesson learned here: Trust your mama. See also: The Chronicles of Munchkin Land.

2. A boy I knew in college wanted to date me. I told him that I couldn’t date him because I would never date a guy from Ohio, much less marry one. Lesson learned here? Don’t say never. I not only dated a (different) boy from Ohio but ended up marrying him and moving to Ohio.

3. I was dead set on continuing to work at the news station after BigBrother was born. So much so that I was really kind of not-super-nice and possibly judgmental of the expectant mothers in my due date community who were already at home with their kids or planning to stay home after their babies arrived. Lessons learned here are multiple: Don’t be judgmental snot because you know absolutely nothing. Don’t make plans when you know nothing about a situation or how you might feel. Kids change priorities. Really, this list goes on and on. It was one of my Ah-Ha! Moments that defined how I treat other moms (now, not then) and how I offer support to moms struggling with these very issues. Apologies to anyone I was a snot-face to during that time.

4. I like to try new recipes. I was fixing to put one in the oven when my husband told me to switch the vegetables I was planning on roasting to a pan with sides. I looked at him like he had two heads. Who was the chef that day? Me. Get out of my kitchen! You know. I put the pan of vegetables and oil in the oven. Shortly after, the oil, heated and moving, started dripping over the sides of the non-sided pan and landing on the heating element, sending fire and smoke up with every drip. My patient, loving, firefighter husband removed the pan and aired out the kitchen. And switched the vegetables to a different pan. Lessons learned here: When using oil, use a pan with sides. And always listen to your firefighter husband when it comes to matters of fire and safety. Duh, right?

5. I was running late the other day. I put my iPhone in my camera bag/purse, ran around the vehicle, reached in to get some work papers… when I heard something fall from my bag. I didn’t zip my bag when I put my phone in it. I knew immediately. Lessons learned here: Don’t rush. Always zip your camera bag and/or purse. Don’t forget to put the cover back on your iPhone after you change the screen protector. Sure, it fits nicely in your back pocket without the cover, but trust me, put the cover back on it. Don’t drop your iPhone face down on pavement with no cover. And always buy the extended Apple Care. Yeah. I wasn’t expecting this expense.

Ouch

(Yes, I realize the number of unread emails I had. Always have. That happens in two hours. Crazy.)

DSC_1505

I am now the owner of a Fancy Pants iPhone 4. I haven’t had a dropped call yet. I have a crazy protective case on this baby, and no, I haven’t yet let the boys play any of their games or apps since I bought it. BigBrother was shocked at the spiderwebbing of the screen and reminded me that I’m not supposed to drop the iPhone.

Lesson learned there? Listen to and follow the rules/advice you give your children. Ahem.

An iPhone App That Could Save Your Family’s Lives

 Safety  Comments Off
Sep 222009
 

I brought you some iPhone apps a couple of weeks ago that were of interest to firefighters, young and old. Today I bring you the first app for which I shelled out the cash. It’s called smart-ICE4Family and it’s $3.99 in the app store. And you need to buy it. Now. Before you even read my post. However, I assume you want to know why so, I suppose, you can read the post first and then download it. Immediately.

ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you travel anywhere, even to the grocery store, in any form, on foot or by vehicle or any mode in between, you should have an ICE card, at the very least, somewhere in or on your body or belongings. An ICE card gives the responding paramedics, firefighters or police officers pertinent information about you, your health and who should be contacted. I’ve told you how Ohio actually has a Next-of-Kin Database now easily attachable to your driver’s license. You should, however, also be carrying ICE information with you.

Perhaps you think you are invincible. (You are not.) Perhaps you think you will remember all of your own medications and be able to verbalize them to paramedics even if you are unconscious. Perhaps you can dictate to paramedics each time your children have been hospitalized or their allergies while you are in a state of shock. In fact, even medical professionals can find themselves uncertain of such things when an emergency hits their own lives. This particular story is a very important reminder why this information needs to be easily available. To paraphrase his tips:

Accept that you are human and that accidents happen. Print out ICE cards for all wallets, purses, backpacks and vehicles. Program *ICE numbers into all cell phones. Print out detailed sheets of medications and other health issues to have easily on hand should something occur. If you experience an emergency and your responder is not familiar with the concept of ICE, please pass on the information. Your brief stint as educator may save another life.

And so what does all of this have to do with an iPhone app? smart-ICE4family is an iPhone app that holds your pertinent emergency info. But, it gets better! It’s a multiple profile ICE meaning that you can put in your information and the info of your family members. Designed by an EMS director with over 30 years experience as a fire-medic and emergency room medic, this program has everything that you need for first responders and ER staff to appropriately treat you or your children.

I learned about this app just before my trip to NYC for Swagapalooza. I quickly downloaded it, entered my info and went to sleep. I felt safer knowing that if anything happened, my information was with me. While we do have ICE cards in our wallets, I liked having it on hand in my phone as well. It is now the very first app on my screen. The icon that this app uses is actually the trademarked ICE symbol that is recognized around the world. It’s also bright orange and blue. It’s hard to miss. When I got home, I also entered the information of my children and husband (who were not traveling with me on the aforementioned trip).

The features of the app are pretty nifty.

  • Multiple profiles.
  • Fast 911 access.
  • Alert function: After dialing 911 fromt he app, the phone goes into an alert mode and will sound an audible alert every two minutes. This feature allows EMS personnel to find your phone and medical information should you become incapacitated.
  • Passcode wallpaper: This will allow you to set a custom message on your wallpaper if phone is locked.
  • Stores all of the critical information needed in an emergency situation for up to five people.
  • Dials emergency contacts within the app.

Things that I found especially handy: allergy information, preferred hospital (as we do not prefer the hospital here in city) expressed wishes (bleh) and medical history. The latter of which is very important for people and children with chronic illness. I don’t look like a very sick human being but my kidney disorder means that I can’t be pumped full of ibuprofen without a chance of throwing me into kidney failure. I’d really rather avoid that, mmkay?

It was easy to set up and fill out. And while we have printed ICE cards, I like the features of this app. I like knowing that I’ll be able to give very pertinent information, especially about my children, even if I am not alert.

I encourage all families to, at the very least, carry ICE cards. Make them up now even if you don’t have a fancy icon. Write them and put them in your wallets, purses and vehicles tonight. If you’re an iPhone user, I encourage you to download this app, make it your first icon button and enter the information. Immediately. I don’t like to think about emergencies and being unable to remember things or be awake to give paramedics information. No one likes to think about it. But I’d rather be prepared for such an event. I want our readers to be prepared as well. I want paramedics to know how to treat you, your significant other and your children. (As a side note: the company also offers a single profile version of the app for the single people among us. It downloads for $1.99 as opposed to $3.99.)

If you have all of your ICE information in place, iPhone app or not, please do your friends and family a favor and tweet or share this post. It’s so vitally important that people know about the concept of ICE and how easy it is to manage. I’ve got all of our information in now for our quick trip to Cincinnati tomorrow to see Disney on Ice. To be honest, I’m glad we have it there for our even quicker trips to the library and school. You never know… you just don’t.

You can read more about the app on EMS-Options.

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[No compensation was received for this post. I paid for the app myself. I believe in keeping my readers up to date on safety information and technology. I always blog with integrity.]

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