Bad Dream

Had a dream last night that I was in a car with someone else and happened on a car stopped in the middle of the lane with no one around.  Thinking that it might be an accident, I ran around to the trunk of my car and grabbed gloves for me and my friend. As I approached the accident, I realized that there was no one IN the car, but the two men were pinned under the front of the car (kinda in a seated position--looking back it makes no sense how they were pinned under car and able to sit up). The two guys were talking--I guess to stay calm. I realized quickly that the first guy was my pastor. I was so calm in the middle of this, but I did have a thought that I had NO IDEA what to do. They were pinned under the car, I was not going to get them out and even if I could, that would be a bad idea as they'd probably hemorrhage and go into shock before EMS arrived. They were obviously severely injured. I yelled at my passenger to call 911 and she said she was calling. We were on a two lane road and this car and my car were headed in an uphill direction. The opposite lane was clear but no traffic to speak of. We were basically alone waiting for emergency crews. While waiting, there was one interaction with Greg (my pastor) that I remember vividly. I think I was semi-behind him and stroked his shoulder in a comforting way and he looked at me with this intensity and I said "I'm sorry, does this hurt?" Later I think I realized that he was expressing gratefulness that there was someone present and trying to comfort him. At this point there was still no emergency crews. His situation looked grave and while he was still conscious, I thought there's got to be significant damage to his legs and likely blood loss. I really didn't know what to do. I guess some time went by, I was still not really doing anything, and then from behind me (up the hill) come Greg's family! His girls walked by, sad and calm and with faces of pity. They didn't stop and seemed to move beyond the accident. I don't remember seeing Courtney. At some point I must've left the scene and headed back down the hill toward the major intersection. At this point I was a bit more panicky and ran into a deacon at my church who is a volunteer paramedic and he was extremely agitated and mad at me because I hadn't done anything about preventing traffic up the hill. All of a sudden I was seeing traffic issues and realized that emergency crews were going to have a difficult time getting to the scene.

Then I woke up. I was so grateful it was a dream. I was so real--yet just so many odd pieces. I woke during the 5am hour and it was really difficult to go back to sleep. My incompetence was my shame. I remembered that in my dream I had asked Greg to rate his pain on a scale of 1-10...(that's not really that useful in an emergent situation) but NEVER thought of taking his vitals, asked where his pain was, or asked how this happened. I could have least taken his pulse--even if I didn't have a BP cuff or stethoscope. As I TRIED to fall back asleep, I kept thinking that I should learn what to do in case of an accident. I have CPR training and basic first aid training (if supplies are at hand). But Greg was alert & breathing & basically immobilized (pinned by the car), but probably bleeding internally and nearing shock from blood less. Even now I'm still kinda in my shock about the dream...and wondering what my role was. I guess calling 911 and asking for helicopter AND figuring out way to stop traffic or enlist others to reroute traffic so emergency workers could get through. I was feeling pulled in many directions at the time...but I really just didn't have the instincts or knowledge to know if there was anything I could do to help Greg and his friend. Perhaps a blanket, jacket, etc... I'm such a "do-er" that I was frustrated that I didn't have anything to do. I guess in the midst of a dream you are not really firing on all cognitive cylinders. The fact that he was alert and breathing and no obvious bleeding, I guess I did cover the ABC's (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) that I could deal with. There wasn't much I could do about any internal bleeding. I really did just have to wait for emergency crews who would have the equipment and knowledge of how to get them unpinned by the car and then deal with immobilizing them and the fall out of bleeding and shock. Still, I'm frustrated I could not do more or didn't really know my role.

Even at 5 AM I wanted to send an email to Greg to say "You do wear your seatbelt, right?"

Just grateful it was a dream and grateful too that it's got me thinking.