Life is fragile.
We're reminded of that every single day.
In a split second, anything and everything can change.
You never know when you may end up in an ER.
RedditorSpinalPrizonwanted to hear about the times life took a sudden unexpected turn. They asked:
"People who were fine one minute, then woke up in the hospital, what happened?"
Thankfully I've only ever fainted. Blackouts and hospital stays give me anxiety.
Knock Out
happy homer simpson GIFGiphy"I was walking to a birthday party. Next thing I knew, I woke up in an ambulance. I had been struck over the head and was knocked unconscious. I never found out who it was, or what they wanted (they didn't take anything from me)."
nome_king
The Van
"On a business trip in Texas. Me and two co-workers were driving to work, I was in the back passenger seat. Woke up in an ambulance. Got hit by a sprinter van at 50mph and slammed into a guard rail according to the police report. I don't remember any of it. Broke 7 ribs, collar bone, concussion, and fractured two bones in my neck. Took like 7 months to recover, but my neck and shoulder still bother me daily."
RemarkableWafer
Psycho
"When I was around 8 or 9, my parents went to have dinner at a fancy restaurant. My younger brother was at a friends house and I had a babysitter. When I finally fell asleep I woke up in an ambulance. Turns out my babysitter overdosed me with pills so I wouldn’t wake up whilst she threw a party at my house. She gave me so many I passed out and had a reaction."
Honey_*itch-
Weeks Later
"My girlfriend had a thyroid related heart attack, where she was revived and put into a medically induced coma for like 2 weeks, and took her another 2 weeks to come out of it. Then she had to go to in-patient physical therapy for a bit. Talking to her after she woke up, I couldn't help but be astounded how much it f**ked with her memory. It was like she remembered events, people, things and places, but any concept of time went out the window."
"For example, she thought she was living at her ex husband's mom's house, driving a car she had before we met, working at her current job, and knew we were dating. And of course, as those were all simultaneously impossible, she was having a lot of trouble figuring out what was right, and what wasn't."
Digital_Utopia
Hero Gramps
Winning Old Man GIF by Great Big StoryGiphy"I had a severe asthma attack to the point my entire throat closed up. I turned blue and was lying on the kitchen floor. Woke up in my grandads car with a straw in my throat and him banging on my back. Woke up again in the hospital. I was about seven."
Kaonashi_chlo
I would be a wreck in all of these situations. This is too much.
Erased
Alcohol Memory GIF by funkGiphy"Hit by a van . Woke up about a month later. My last memory before waking up is my 4th period art class in high school. So it completely erased the last half of the day before and the entire morning of the accident itself."
Half_Smashed_Face
A Bad Series
"My dad was driving me to school and suddenly I was in my bed! I get up, open my door, and ask my family what just happened! They all simultaneously scream for me to go back to the bed. Apparently I had already asked them what happened six separate times. I had a series of grand mal seizures during the car ride."
"Went from chatty to seizing all of a sudden. My dad called our pediatrician and I was eventually diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. My dad was told to take me home and put me to bed. It was the most disorienting thing I've ever experienced. It took six months to feel normal again. I had a constant sense of newness with familiar things that was very weird."
Nht2
To Sleep
"I was in elementary school. I stayed home because I had a light fever one day. I took a nap and woke up 3 days later in the hospital with no feeling in my legs. I had contracted viral meningitis, which had cut off the nerves to my lower body. I was bedridden for 3 weeks and spent several more weeks in physical therapy relearning how to walk. The horrors I endured during my stay were traumatic enough, but I still feel lucky. In high school, a fellow classmate had contracted bacterial meningitis, he died two days later."
Tathanor
The Jungle Gym
"I don't know if absolutely plastered counts as being fine one minute, but yeah. I remember being sh**faced sitting on a jungle gym in a park and then waking up the next morning in the hospital with an IV and catheter. Apparently I was found in a coma and had multiple organs shutting down. If I hadn't received medical help I would've died. Am now 3 years sober."
sandenema
The Rupture
angry chris farley GIFGiphy"I was at work having a normal day. I went to the toilet and could not get off the floor because I was doubled over in pain."
"I somehow managed to stagger out to where my colleagues were and they called me an ambulance. Got to hospital and had all my clothes and belongings shoved in a bag and was rushed into emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy."
snoozlybar
Well I guess some miracles actually do happen. That is all too crazy.
People Describe What They Would Do If Nuclear Attack Sirens Went Off In The Middle Of The Night
Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night to a distress call?
For those of us who have never been in these situations, Redditor TheBestMoronEver wondered:
"If you heard nuclear sirens go off in the middle of the night how would you react?"
These Redditors had a casual response.
Nonplussed
"Probably curse about the damned tornado sirens going off again, and rolling over to go back to sleep."
– KaliCalamity
White Noise
"My area sets off the sirens if we have a severe thunderstorm warning, so nobody really pays much attention to them any more."
– notthesedays
Please Identify
"Since I don't know what a nuclear siren sounds like I would probably say, 'What is that?'"
– BlueRFR3100
Here are some unexpected responses.
Healed
"Well I'm deaf, so first I'd say 'Holy sh't, I got my hearing back!'"
– OH_NO_HE_DINT
All About Location
"Given that I'm pretty close to the North Korean border, I'd say I'd guess they were attacking."
– somek_pamak
A Grave Possibility
"I'm pretty close to Russian border (in Finland) so I'd assume it's Putin paying a visit."
– vilefairyx
Laughing Matter
"Jokes on them, the lead paint and asbestos in my apartment will protect me."
"Jokes on me, that will mean I need to go to work right away. :("
– pm-me-racecars
Some people found it easier to accept their fate.
Rest Easy
"Might as well try to enjoy some more sleep for the last moments of my life."
– schmidty33333
Taking The Hit
"Probably die like most people because I have no where to go that could withstand a nuclear blast."
– gameofthrones_addict
Final Viewing
"Might as well go outside and watch."
– BoomZhakaLaka
If Case You Are Out Of The Radius
"You have a better chance of survival if you are indoors. Basement with concrete ideally. All windows and doors shut. The point is to avoid having the fallout settle on your skin. Once inside you stay in for 24-48 hours."
"This, of course, does not apply if you are within the blast radius. In that case it doesn’t matter too much."
– ex_ter_min_ate_
Hawaiians shared their recollections of the false alarm.
"This kind of happened to me in Hawaii a few years ago. I got an ‘incoming nuclear missile, this is not a test’ alert on my phone. My family and I just stood around in shock for a couple minutes, then we went to the underground parking garage and just… waited. Nobody knew what the hell to do. After about 15 minutes it started to become clear that it was a mistake. What a rollercoaster ride that was, holy sh*t…"
– dick-nipples
Harrowing 20 Minutes
"Ooh I was in Hawaii too when this happened!! Was 7 months pregnant with my now 4 year old. Went down to the restaurant to get some breakfast at our hotel and didn’t bring our phones. All of a sudden, we hear the mass text warnings from everyone’s phone going off. Everyone started running and kids started crying. Didn’t know what was going on until we asked someone with a phone and they showed us the alert. We were in shock and kind of just checked out. Went down to the beach because we thought that if missiles were to hit, buildings would collapse and we’d be stuck (lol idk what we were thinking at the time) and what better place to die than at the beach with your lifetime partner and unborn baby. There were barely any people out there except for a few homeless. Found a nice older couple who had the same idea as us and asked if we could use their phone to say our goodbyes to our family. Only knew my brother’s number by heart since my parents recently changed their numbers. All this happened in a span of 20 min I think. Then finally found a police officer that started telling people it was a false alarm. Was so scared I was gonna give birth from all the stress lol."
– GoldenStateMommy
Advice From A Survivor
"There was a Japanese woman who survived either Hiroshima or Nagasaki living on Hawaii when the alert went out. She read it, decided she would rather die than live through a another nuclear blast, and went back to bed."
"So, from a nuclear blast survivor the recommended advice seems to be to die quickly rather than suffer."
– DoomGoober
One Last Drink
"Pour a nice glass of scotch and enjoy the last few minutes of my life."
– thesupplyguy1
It appears once anyone hears a nuclear siren go off, there aren't a lot of options to escape the blast.
And based on what the survivor of the nuclear attacks on Japan said, living through the aftermath sounds like a fate worse than death.
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After years and years of television safety and survival episodes, you'd think everyone had a list of "what to do if..."
Alas, we have more learning.
Get out your pencils kids.
Let's do some safety training...
RedditordirectinLAwanted to help us all compile a life list we should already have.
They asked:
"What is a safety tip everyone should know about?"
Don't give dogs chocolate.
That is a LIFE #1.
At least for fur parents.
Mistakes Cost
"Wear safety glasses when working. Wear safety gloves when working. Wear safety boots when working. Do not make excuses, one mistake can cost you your finger, eye, toe." ~ bstefanovic
GiphyListen Close...
"Firefighter here..."
"Sleep with your doors shut at night (helps prevent fire spread/smoke inhalation). Be able to crawl, blindfolded, out of every room in your house. Make sure everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire."
"Where to meet afterwards, etc. If you have kids, explain to them that firefighters may look ‘scary’ in full turnout gear, but they can not be afraid of us. Friendly reminder while I have your attention; check the batteries in your smoke detector. They truly are life savers." ~ CharlieMike12
Car Support
"Put toilet paper in your cars." ~ lodoyox5
"Just walk through a supermarket. There are literally 1000s of food products that are packaged in sturdy, sealed containers that will not deteriorate or spoil in the heat while stored in a car. Canned foods come to mind immediately."
"Get the products that are self opening with pull open can lids to eliminate the need to keep track of a can opener. Juice in large bottles that can be kept as juice or the bottle can become a water container. The list of potential emergency food and water is endless if just given a little thought." ~ memskeptic
Protip...
"When you cut wood or metal, the chips fly faster than you are able to blink." ~ jesusSaidThat
"Here is a protip. Eye glass material counts. Some cheap eyewear will shatter or not stop anything.. The good ones will deform and are made of polycarbonate. I think 3M makes a good trustworthy one." ~ Specific-Layer
Hello Doc...
"If you you have a skin mole that has blurry edges, isn't symmetrical, is a weird shade of red, weeps fluids or acts like an open wound that won't heal, you might have skin cancer. Go to a doctor IMMEDIATELY. Melanoma kills fast." ~ vivav5
GiphyI worry about every skin blemish.
So now I have more mole worry.
Bloody Issues...
"If you're treating a gunshot victim while waiting on an ambulance, the best thing you can do is apply constant pressure to the wound. Bind it if you can. But, whatever you do, absolutely do not remove bandages if they get too bloody. Just add more. Don't give the wound any chances to bleed out more than it already is." ~ bamece3
GiphyThe Stairs
“It is better to correct an unsafe friend than to bury one." ~ LamarB
"I tried so hard to try and stop a friend from seeing if he could jump an entire flight of stairs. He almost launched me down it trying to push past me. I held him back a lot but he was determined and I wasn't going to get messed up on his account. He broke the crap out of his ankles." ~ khaominer
In Florida...
"As a life long Floridian, I see this all the time here, and else where in the news. In the event of a disaster, stay the hell away from downed power lines!! Don’t walk along the street with them, don’t drive your car over them, don’t take selfies with them. They’re thunder noodles and have been known to kill." ~ kowog1
Blue
"The gates on a railroad crossing are meant to break away when driven through. If your car ever stalls out on a crossing don't bother with 911, look for the blue sign posted on the crossing gates themselves and call that number. That number will get you in contact with the train dispatcher who can let oncoming trains know about it immediately." ~ M3T4LL1CA
Stay Thirsty
"You cannot drink the waters from cactuses in emergency due to acidity and toxic alkaloids, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and mass dehydration especially when you're hungry or thirsty." ~ peachie_bongo
GiphyI always hated cacti.
I hope everyone has paid attention.
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People Share Their Best Examples Of 'Buy It Before You Actually Need It'
Some things are fine to buy when you need them, but a lot of things are a lot handier to already have on hand—and some are practically essential.
Anyone who has had to trudge to the pharmacy for cold medicine when they have the flu will tell you they wished they'd had some at home already.
Reddit user IHaveGotQuestions asked:
"What is your best example of 'buy it before you need it'?"
Epi Pen
"Epi pen"
"(Pharmacist here) One of the most obscene things about the recent price-gouging is that this is an item that people purchase because they hope they never need it."
"What's worse is that they expire within a year. Then you can't find anywhere that will dispose of the expired, unused ones-at least in my area. My mom has tried and tried to find a way to get rid of her old ones."
Fire Extinguisher
"fire extinguisher"
"The only annoying this is they expire… usually before you need them!"
"you also have to shake them once a year I shake mine every July 4th"
Plunger
"Toilet plunger"
"Back in college my roommate lent his plunger to the girls next door. It was more than an hour later till they came back back with a brand new plunger. We asked what happened and she said they broke the plunger. We were surprised at the idea of breaking a plunger but we happily took the new plunger they bought for us."
"They also told us that the cashier was very confused when they were at checkout with 2 plungers."
"First thing I thought of. I've had friends who don't own a plunger and I'm like WTF?"
"Maybe you never use it, but that's one thing you do not want to have to go purchase in the moment of need."
"Also had a roommate who didn't want to keep the plunger in the bathroom (we didn't have a cabinet or closet in the room, she thought it was an eyesore to have it visible) and I was insistent because if you have a guest over who ends up needing it, the last thing they are going to want to do is come ask you where the plunger is.
"Best to have it accessible for anyone who might need it."
Jumper Cables
"Car emergency kit. Jumper cables, fix a flat, spare tire, Jack, basic first aid kit, road reflectors.
"Edit: fire extinguisher us a good idea to add, as well as the rechargeable "jump start yourself" pack."
"And a plug kit vs fix-a-flat is a good idea. I've never done a plug, so I'd have to catch up there myself. Air compressor for refilling the tire also."
"Some food/heat if you live somewhere where it could logically be a problem. A box of protein bars and some way to make a fire, blankets, etc..."
"I'm never that far off the beaten path that it would be an issue for me, but for anyone who is, makes sense."
"And, damn, how many people have had dad's who used jumper cables as a belt?"
CO Detector
"Carbon Monoxide detector"
"And a good one. I was in a small two-floor apartment building during a major early snow storm in which we lost power for days."
"My neighbors, being dumb as a box of rocks and cold from 0 degree temps, brought their charcoal grill inside. With the windows closed."
"Next thing I know I've got firemen in my bedroom with a detection device that's flipping out and a headache. The apartment the furthest away from this dude's place had their detector go off."
"Saddest thing is the main tenant was out cold. His daughter, who had stayed over, thought he was dead."
"I was evacuated and watched them take her kicking and screaming out of the building: 'LET ME SEE HIM!!!'"
"Feel bad for my parents when I called at 2am very, very distraught."
"Good news is everyone lived. Bad news is my detector was a piece of sh*t."
Cold Medicine
"Cold/flu medicine. Not fun stumbling to the drugstore when you feel like death."
"I've also found out the hard way that when your whole body aches and you just want some hot soup, that is NOT the time to find out that you don't have soup in the pantry."
"If you're planning ahead by having cough syrup and cough drops when you get sick, I also recommend having a few cans of your favorite soups so you can just put it into a bowl and heat up. (Personally, I like a nice can of chicken noodle soup or split pea soup)"
"Especially for all of us who are adults, not living at home, but also don't have a significant other. If I get sick, I gotta be the one to take care of me."
Dash Cam
"Dashcam, can easily prove you innocent in an auto collision - some insurance even offer discounted rates if the insured vehicle has a dash cam. I personally recommend a front & rear cam setup."
"Ordered mine after one day of browsing IdiotsInCars"
"I worked as a claim rep for an auto insurer for a mercifully brief period of my life, and I second this recommendation whole-heartedly. Human recall is atrocious, especially after a stressful or traumatic event."
"I also learned that 3/4 of people involved in accidents vehemently do not believe they are responsible for the accident, even if they very clearly are."
"As part of our training, we read the actual "facts of loss" collected by claim reps from both the insured and the claimant. We made our own assessments of liability as part of this."
"Then, we were shown footage from surveillance cameras that caught the accident. Neither party was even remotely correct as to what happened."
"As a result of that experience I have a dash camera, which is seemingly rare in the US. At the very least, it gives the opportunity to share videos of the crazy sh*t you occasionally see on the road."
"Maybe it'll burn you in the end if you're responsible for an accident, but it could very well save you if you find yourself in a he said/she said dispute over who had a green light and who had the red."
Heating And Cooking
"Backup means of heating and cooking that don't require electricity."
"I live in Texas. Not going through that again."
"Solar chargers for USB devices are really good to keep on hand for events like this. Make sure they are recharged every few months."
Condoms
"Condom"
"Just be sure to replace the ones you have stored after a few years."
"Finding your stash of condoms all expired a year ago is a depressing and sobering discovery."
Generator
"Generator. Ex GF said it was a stupid purchase and waste of money. Ended up using it for two days straight after a wind storm."
"Had the fridges, fish tank a few lights, TV and internet going the whole time."
Nonperishables
"Anything that doesn't have an expiry date, that gets used with regularity, I stock up on. Toilet paper, kitchen roll, dish soap, shower gel, hand soap, bleach etc"
It's good to be prepared.
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Every time we leave our bed, exit our house, and join daily life out in the world, we incur countless risks to our health. If we think hard enough, it's a wonder we don't get hurt--or even die--way more often.
Thankfully, we don't. We've made it this far, and, for the most part, we'll make it many more years.
But just in case you were ready to forget all those dangers, a recent Reddit thread reminded just which specific threats we avoid regularly.
The list isn't to merely spook you, however. Instead, think of it as a guidebook on the dangers you forgot to take into account.
Redditor Ok-Lingonberry-2079 asked:
"What's more dangerous than it appears it be?"
Many discussed the dangers that may not necessarily lurk in every day life, depending where you live. The natural world is full of threats and sudden terrors.
Don't Take the Ocean for Granted
"The beach."
"If you don't know the signs of a rip current and what to do if caught in one, it can be easy to panic and drown."
"If you're getting pulled out to sea, swim parallel (thanks, person who spotted that wrong word) to the shoreline. You'll get out of the current. Then swim towards shore."
Hooking the Big One
"Deep sea fishing. Know of guy who was strapped to the fishing rod, before being harnessed to the seat. He got a big bite and the fish pulled him over the side of the boat and under. His body was never recovered."
Stubby Legs That HAUL
"Hippos" -- the_Unterstrich_
"The only animal Steve Irwin ever admitted to being afraid of" -- xandrenia
"Up to 30km/hour on land baby" -- HyperSoniic
"Bro FU** hippos" -- Xaosia
Nooooo But They're So Cute
"The platypus. They have a stinger. Full of venom. Platypuses are venomous" -- Global_Box_7935
"Curse you Perry the Venomous Platypus!" -- EmpoleonDynamite
"It's only the male Platypus who has the venomous spur on their foot but that's just a fun fact. Still don't touch wild animals." -- quietmedium-
A Misleading Grace
"Swans. All of that fluffy, nice stuff about them is misleading. They are vicious little bastard's." -- Scallywagstv2
"I don't know why art has romanticized swans. They are one oar with geese as horrible avian bastards." -- BurnTheOrange
Others chose to highlight the very common daily actions we do. These examples are sure to make you a bit more paranoid, unfortunately.
Forced to Trust So Many Other Drivers
"riding in a car..." -- Williams84000
"Just wanted to say the same, you beat me to it. Cars in general, I would even say. These machines are objectively driving death penalties, but we love them, so - yay?" -- Esist1996
"Breaks went out my car today 1 minute before I got on the Thruway, this comment is too relatable" -- polarbearik
Parents Explain Why They Regret The Name They Gave Their Child | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Happens Fast
"pools, especially with no supervision from someone who's been trained. I'm a lifeguard, and someone actually nearly drowned at my pool this week maybe 6 feet away from the lifeguard stand because her parents looked away to chat with some other parents for just a few minutes."
"Drowning isn't what it looks like in the movies: it's often silent."
EVERYWHERE
"Sugar. Addictive as fu**, added to every meal and drink. Responsible for so many health issues but so anchored in our eating habits we give it to kids as a reward."
-- MrAskone
Others chose to talk about machinery and hardware that plenty of people might work with despite having minimal knowledge.
Their examples warn us to be a little more open to hiring an expert.
Grind, Buff, Zing
"A bench grinder with a buffing wheel. That machine will grab anything and make it into a missile if you aren't careful."
Infamous
"GARAGE DOOR SPRINGS!!!!" -- plazzman
"Omg of my springs broke as I opened it. Holy f**k it sounded like a cannon shot off. I'm so lucky it didn't hit me or my dogs. We would have not survived that. Scares me to this day." -- AtonalPiano
"For real. I try do DIY everything I can around the house, but garage door springs are on my list of stuff I'll never mess with." -- cparks1
Complicated and Charged
"Electrical currents. Unless you're trained, just hire someone else. Those few hundred dollars to fix your wires are far cheaper than the few thousand to fix your heart."
-- MaskedNavajo
The Poison We Choose
"Alcohol. It's portrayed as something fun and easy going but you can honestly lose control so fast, it's scary."
Momentum is Key
"Cutting off 18 wheelers. 80,000 pounds isn't going to stop on a dime." -- Knightraiderdewd
"And if you zip in front of a truck like that, the driver can't see you over the hood. Give trucks a lot of space on the road." -- Guvnuh_T_Boggs
Groove Hazards
"Dancing in socks on a hardwood floor."
"That's how I tore my ACL, and I needed immediate surgery. 3 months later and I'm still learning how to walk again."
Neglecting the Body
"Sleep deprivation" -- Kanguin
"I used to deal with involuntary sleep deprivation when I was in college. Had to work Nights and get up at 5 am to leave at 6.. AWFUL time that was." -- MonkeyDParry
So just in case you were looking for a legitimate reason to never leave your bed in the morning, now you have one