Festival Fix Up

 

 

 

 

 

I know I haven't written anyhting about the Strawberry Festival.  As you could see from my previous entry there was berries, food, and lots of Senior SnowBirds!  Thursday, was designated as 'Senior citizens Day'.  So my neighbors being well ino ttheir senior years picked this day

Everyone moved so sloooowww. 

No worries, just go with the flow.

 

 Plant City is east of Tampa, a 43 mile drive from the gulf coast of Palm Harbor. 

Disney World is exactly 100 miles from my door to the Magic Kingdom.

 

We left Bay Aire shortly after 9 am and took Tampa Rd east towards Tampa, turned right onto Memorial Highway to I-275, then east on I-4.  As we were going through Oldsmar and west Tampa (Town and Country) , I was pointing out landmarks to the "girls"   and several of the hospitals that I had on contracts with for Acute Care. 

 

Back when I  traveled these roads daily car accidents would happen directly in front of me.  Once I looked into my rear view mirror to see a car hit the curb only to flip over 2-3 times.  Glass would fly,  metal would crunch trapping the occupants inside cars the would be upside down or on their sides.  One time driving along the Rhode Island coast a bicyclist hit the curb and fell into traffic.  I explained to Marty how "things just happen" in front of me and I react instinctively. 

 

 

 

 

 

We got to the Strawberry Festival , wandered around looking at the crafts booths, watched the various entertainment offerings of Indian flutists, & street musicians.  We'd stop, sit and  sample the Strawberry treats. But, we  were on a quest.  A quest to find "Strawberry Pizza" ! 

The 3 of us had a corn dog, strawberry crepes, but couldn't find the "Strawberry Pizza". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a couple of hours, Neighbor Nancy needed to sit down.  There was a show going on with boys doing tricks on bicycles.  Tubes were set up for them to do their "X-treme" maneuvers.  A small bleacher area was available for viewing.  We we sat, got settled, and watched the young men do their tricks for the crowd.

 

Some people shouted. To my left and in back of  the "X-Tube" , I saw a young man picking the limp body of a woman off the ground.  I looked at the 5 or six people who had seen the same thing I had and all looked bewildered.  The 18-19 yr old girls color was pale , her face wax-like.  About 5 people were now trying to assist the young man as his g/f struggled to sit on the nearby bench where her boy friend had seated her. 

 

I don't know, I guess it registered in my head the no one knew what to do.  So it was going to have to be me.  She was breathing, struggling to find words. I touched her wrist totake her pulse...nothing.  I asked her b/f if she was diabetic.  "No", good.  Someone poured water over the back of her neck as I tried to put her head down between her legs.  She was too wobbly. 

 

Boyfriend then told me she had given blood at the Blood Mobile about and hour and half ago.  As I laid her down on the bench and elevated her legs, I told a couple of the people to go to the Blood mobile and tell them we need Help. <Blank look ~ HELLO!!>  HELP, NOW! 

::sigh..They finally GOT it::  

 

They stood there and asked me, "where?" ::OH, Cripes:: 

I cocked my head in the direction I thought it would be & off they went and luckily found an information booth where a call was made for help.  One of the boys in the show said he was diabetic and brought a Red Bull out for her.  She was still too out of it to drink.

 

I stood there holding her legs up and her color came back a little and her pulse grew stronger. Poor thing only had a tube top on and short shorts.  I brushed some of the dirt off and covered her chest with a wet cloth. 

 

I suppose it was only 5-10 minutes when a Golf Cart with  flashing lights pulled up.  Two men got out (not EMT's)  I told them she had fainted, and was unconscious for several minutes.  She no radial pulse initially, but with her head down, legs elevated.  Her pulse was decernable now and her color, although pale was better.  So was her level of consciousness.  They put her on a stretcher, her boyfriend in the front seat and off they went. 

 

 

 

 

I went back to the bleachers and my friends.  Marty & Neighbor Nancy hadn't' even notice I was gone.   Someone from the bleachers in back of where we were sitting came up tome and asked what happened.  Only then did Nancy and Marty realize I had been gone.  Geezzzz....Seniors!

 

The young woman, 18-19 yrs old, I am sure is going to be okay.  She was thin and giving blood probably decreased her blood volume to the level where her brain wasn't getting enough blood (Hypovolemia).  She had "come to" when I laid her down and elevated her legs (increasing blood to the brain).  What she needs is fluids to increase the blood volume.  I don't know what happened after they left with her, but I do know a good bag of IV fluids would be the best thing for her.

 

 

 

 

The Strawberry Pizza...WE found it!

It has a cookie crust, cream cheese filling, with strawberries on top.  Yummm-ooo!