Hello, I'm on the train...
Specifically, I am on my way up to Edinburgh, for G.UK's Annual Event, with the shiny laptop for company. *strokes laptop* I have bought 24 hours of internet access & have just made the serendipituous discovery that there is a plug socket by the table I am sitting at (and luckily I am sitting with two very nice ladies who were willing to plug the power cable in for me) so I no longer have to worry about expiring from boredom on my way up to Scotland. Huzzah.
Brownies last night was, as is usual, extremely fine. Oh yes indeed. Yvonne came to teach them CPR & Chris & Pim helped with that while Kitty had a group learning how to do the recovery position, with the assistance of Jane. Liss and Katie were talking through menu ideas for pack holiday, and Michelle and I were teaching the Brownies about using an EpiPen...
The Brownies were very good all evening. They are keen to learn things & they all seemed to like First Aid. I am not quite sure where they have been getting some of their ideas from though - vodka in an open wound & looking for a pulse in the forehead, anyone? Only my Brownies... Lots of them were also a bit scared by the idea of having to use an EpiPen. My leg is quite spectacularly bruised from repeated demonstrations with the EpiPen trainer - most of the Brownies had a try at using it on themselves as well - it seemed safer than getting them to jab at each other, frankly. OB had a small ditherspasm over having a go - she said first she didn't want to, then changed her mind, then changed it back. But I think I managed to avert any real woe - I told her it was okay to be a bit scared by the idea, but that I was sure in an emergency when she knew she *had* to do it, she'd be able to.
It can be tricky to explain that sort of thing at the right level for Brownies. You have to get across how important it is, but without scaring them witless/panicking them. The other thing is to remind them that getting a grown-up is always important, but sometimes they might need to do something else first, like use the EpiPen. I was explaining about calling an ambulance, and the better-safe-than-sorry approach. Most of them were very quick to grasp things - TO was almost amusingly concerned about the idea that you might use the EpiPen when you didn't need to "because using medicine when you don't need to can make you poorly, can't it Snowy?"...
Oh, but my wee Brownie who has a peanut allergy *complicated noise of wanting to be able to make everything better by magic*... She has an EpiPen at home, but she's never had to use it. All of the Brownies wanted to know how much having to use the EpiPen would hurt - I told them it would be a bit sore, and you'd get a bruise, but that it was not *that* bad. I also stressed it would hurt a lot less than letting the allergic reaction go on. NB, though, understandably, was really concerned about it. I actually think it helped, though, to have a go at using the trainer, and to see that I have to carry an EpiPen too - and that I was honest about the fact that I don't like the thought of having to use it & find the idea a bit scary. She was really good though - she didn't show off, she shared her knowledge, and she didn't make a fuss/get melodramatic. She did, however, give me a very tight hug when she was about to change activities - and she's not a particularly demonstrative small person. So I hugged her back and promised her that it was okay & she didn't need to be too worried or frightened.
I ended up gaining a Kity last night, which was rather fine, although it was literally a case of my packing & having a shower & then going straight to bed... Up at about half five this morning, which is never exactly a fun game... And everything was going okay until the guard came round to check our tickets & I discovered that my Y-P railcard was not where I thought it was. In fact, it does not seem to be in my bag at all. I do not know where it is, but of course I have just had to pay £33.40 to make up the cost of my journey to the full adult fare. Luckily the guard was really nice, possibly because I looked like I was about to cry (I felt a bit like doing so, frankly), but I am not looking forward to having to explain this one to Catriona.
Brownies last night was, as is usual, extremely fine. Oh yes indeed. Yvonne came to teach them CPR & Chris & Pim helped with that while Kitty had a group learning how to do the recovery position, with the assistance of Jane. Liss and Katie were talking through menu ideas for pack holiday, and Michelle and I were teaching the Brownies about using an EpiPen...
The Brownies were very good all evening. They are keen to learn things & they all seemed to like First Aid. I am not quite sure where they have been getting some of their ideas from though - vodka in an open wound & looking for a pulse in the forehead, anyone? Only my Brownies... Lots of them were also a bit scared by the idea of having to use an EpiPen. My leg is quite spectacularly bruised from repeated demonstrations with the EpiPen trainer - most of the Brownies had a try at using it on themselves as well - it seemed safer than getting them to jab at each other, frankly. OB had a small ditherspasm over having a go - she said first she didn't want to, then changed her mind, then changed it back. But I think I managed to avert any real woe - I told her it was okay to be a bit scared by the idea, but that I was sure in an emergency when she knew she *had* to do it, she'd be able to.
It can be tricky to explain that sort of thing at the right level for Brownies. You have to get across how important it is, but without scaring them witless/panicking them. The other thing is to remind them that getting a grown-up is always important, but sometimes they might need to do something else first, like use the EpiPen. I was explaining about calling an ambulance, and the better-safe-than-sorry approach. Most of them were very quick to grasp things - TO was almost amusingly concerned about the idea that you might use the EpiPen when you didn't need to "because using medicine when you don't need to can make you poorly, can't it Snowy?"...
Oh, but my wee Brownie who has a peanut allergy *complicated noise of wanting to be able to make everything better by magic*... She has an EpiPen at home, but she's never had to use it. All of the Brownies wanted to know how much having to use the EpiPen would hurt - I told them it would be a bit sore, and you'd get a bruise, but that it was not *that* bad. I also stressed it would hurt a lot less than letting the allergic reaction go on. NB, though, understandably, was really concerned about it. I actually think it helped, though, to have a go at using the trainer, and to see that I have to carry an EpiPen too - and that I was honest about the fact that I don't like the thought of having to use it & find the idea a bit scary. She was really good though - she didn't show off, she shared her knowledge, and she didn't make a fuss/get melodramatic. She did, however, give me a very tight hug when she was about to change activities - and she's not a particularly demonstrative small person. So I hugged her back and promised her that it was okay & she didn't need to be too worried or frightened.
I ended up gaining a Kity last night, which was rather fine, although it was literally a case of my packing & having a shower & then going straight to bed... Up at about half five this morning, which is never exactly a fun game... And everything was going okay until the guard came round to check our tickets & I discovered that my Y-P railcard was not where I thought it was. In fact, it does not seem to be in my bag at all. I do not know where it is, but of course I have just had to pay £33.40 to make up the cost of my journey to the full adult fare. Luckily the guard was really nice, possibly because I looked like I was about to cry (I felt a bit like doing so, frankly), but I am not looking forward to having to explain this one to Catriona.