Several times. It saddens me every time.

 

Yes. Iran-Iraq war.I have some pictures I took of the victims mostly civilians that got caught in Iraqi kill zones.They would launch barrages of chemical gases and high explosive's and then take the area and then repeat.Really sick.Not to mention they used a cock-tail of chemical agents so they could not be treated.

 

Several times.
USMC & EMS

 

yep. first one when i was 5 i was at a supermarket and an old guy had a heatstroke. last one was when my cousin and i were first on the scene of a car wreck. ive also found a human skeleton. (later turned out to be native american from 100 years ago)

 

Several yrs ago my dad and I were workin on my car,we heard a blood curdling scream coming from my neighbors across the street,we quickly dashed over there to see what was wrong,a few other neighbors came screaming down the driveway from the backyard shed and when we got there we found my neighbor hanging from a beam,his wife had just found him and was out of her mind with grief,we cut him down immediately and tried to revive him over the next 15 min till the ems told us they were ready to take over.Unfortunately he was never revived.
The question I got from many of my friends was wer'nt you scared seeing him hangin there? of course I was,but i've had sevaral courses of 1st aid/cpr training and I could not have forgiven myself if I had just turned and walked away,I was able to look his wife in the eye later on and explain I did what I could and she was very grateful for the effort,although the incident did shake me a little at the time, I was never bothered by it nor had any bad flashbacks about it.

 

It is impossible to put into words being in the presence of death.... 3 times for me and each situation was different as was the emotions I experianced. I have nightmares to this day.

 

atleast once a week ....

you get use to it.

The sad part isnt the person who passes. Its the family they leave behind.

 

X2 ...so true

 

You're right, DocYoung, you reach the point where you get used to it.

Nowdays most of the time the deaths I encounter are folks from our congregation. We are rural enough that if someone is on Hospice it sometimes takes 2 hours to get Hospice to respond so people call hubby and I. It's what I get for marrying a preacher and what he gets for marrying a nurse. Many times we are called when the family thinks death is coming.

I do a surprising amount of post-mortem care given I am "officially" retired, but it is the last act I can provide for the deceased and their family knows someone who cared bathed their loved one before the funeral home comes to get them.

Yes, I am nowdays on a first-name basis with every mortician in town.

 

Trying to narrow it down, somewhere around 300 while at their side praying for them or treating them for their injuries. Alot from having worked in emergency services and numerious times involving close family members passing with cancer or other complications. As far as getting use to it, Not in my case.

 

Nevermind.

 

A few times in my life yes. I was born in Watford, UK back in the early 80's and I grew up with allot of the I.R.A. bombings and what not. The most recent though was right in front of my eyes in FL. A drunken biker was zipping down the colored lines of traffic, and someone opened their door right in front of him. Guy was cut right in half. Real gory stuff there, and I care to not get into the rest.

 

Im gonna call BS on the first part, I dont remember any attacks on watford during the 80s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_London#1980-1989

The OP was Have you looked death in the eye, TV doesnt count.

 

I'm 52 years old, and I've only seen three dead people in my life, and they were at the funeral home. Weird. I figure the odds are going to catch up, and I'm going to see a lot of death soon, unless I'm next. But that's OK, because I have a good attitude about death. I feel life is like an amusement park, where you get on a ride, go for a while, then get off, and get back in line again if you want to.

 

Yes a few times,One natural a few not, nuff said.

 

I work at one of the largest hospitals in Rotterdam , a lot of my shifts at the emergency room , so I had my share of shootings, stabbings , accidents, heart attacks ,etc, never had any problems with it though , thoughts in this post go to all the people who have nightmares and or other strugles, my advise : share it with some one , dont bottle it up !

DD

 

Yes.
The first time sticks with me the most.
When I was about 14, my Dad, Brother, and I used to go bowling on Friday night.
You could bowl from midnight till six AM for $2.oo per person.
We came out (other bowlers we did not know also leaving) about 4 AM and walked right into a stabbing..
One man stabbed another about 3 or 4 times with a large looking hunting knife and took off running.
A couple of men pulled their revolvers and took off after him shooting. Did not hit or catch him.
Dad went to a pay phone, right by the door and called the cops and a couple of men took off their shirts to try and stop the bleeding.
My brother and I stood there with our mouths open.
Of all the others, I'll always remember the sound of him trying to breathe, when he died.
You have to remember, there were no cell phones, no 911, no EMS/EMT.
The cops would call whichever funeral home that was on standby and they'd come take you to the nearest hospital, or someone would throw you in a car, to take you.
He went quick, but hard.

 

Yes.

EMS & FIRE / RESCUE

 

The last time I stared death in the eye was when my grandfather died. It was a God-send. He died gently and peaceably in his own home, surrounded by his family. I watched him take his final breath and let it out. Of course we cried once we knew that he was gone, but part of those tears were good ones; relief that the monster that is Alzheimer's was defeated.

Death doesn't always mean bloody and traumatic. It can be kind and comfortable and a positive thing.

 

too much

sept. 11 1994-I stood in the e.r. in corpus christi tx. with my pastor at my side and a team of dr.s doing everything they could and watched my wife flatline. I know the lord knows what he's doing, but I sure wish he'd clue me in sometimes. peace to you all.

 

sept. 11 1994-I stood in the e.r. in corpus christi tx. with my pastor at my side and a team of dr.s doing everything they could and watched my wife flatline. I know the lord knows what he's doing, but I sure wish he'd clue me in sometimes. peace to you all.

{{{{{{{{{{Kzchopper}}}}}}}}
I'm truly sorry for your loss.

Claudia

 

Once, and that's enough.

 

Doing my clinicals in an ER a lady was brought in, full cardiac arrest. I was performing chest compressions (first time performing CPR on a person as well), while several DRs and RNs were working on her. She died. Then they were nice enough to leave me in the room with her alone, kinda creepy.

My second time I was still in clinicals, this time on an ambulance. Got a call, "man having seizures", get there and its actually an overdose and he is in V-fib (can make the body quiver, resulting in a false siezure call). This time I'm on the bag, put him in the back and the paramedic hands me the paddles, I shock him, no-go. DOA at the hospital.

So, I am 0-2 when performing CPR. People at work kid me when I tell them these stories, they say the would rather take their chance than to have me do CPR on them. Can't say I blame them much. LOL.

 

I have not seen anyones life end with my own eyes. I am actually suprised how many people have voted "yes." I'm only 19, but I've had lots of people I know die, including 3 schoolmates who I was quite friendly with.

 

i lost my wife on feb 21 1995 at 7.1o.am in the morning in own home at the time i will never go though that again watching some go form full of life to cant walk and take care of themself with cancer that ate there body up with it

 

{{{{{{{{{Hank}}}}}}}}}}} What a terrible thing for you to have to go through. Much love to you and better memories of your time with your wife.

 

I'm a hospice nurse so I see this on a regular basis. But you never get used to it young or old you just deal with it and realize that life must go on.

 

just a couple weeks ago seen a kid get shot by a driveby.it was at the end of my block and i had just got to my steps, by the time i made it to where he was i couldn't help him too many hits in vital spots and too long for emt to get there. i hope i was able to give the cops enough info to catch and lock those #!@$#%ds up for good.

 

Lost my little brother to a really bad car wreck 8 years ago. Had to go to identify the body. All they would show me was his face because of the extensive trauma to his body. The image of my brother's cloudy, lifeless eyes is burned into my memory forever.

The upside to all of that was that I realized life was short (he was only 19). It was at that point that I really started to put some effort into making my life what I wanted it to be.