off-topic: power outage in Palo Alto

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mariam_11_09
mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
We had a power outage today in Palo Alto, CA. Started at 7:55 when a plane smacked the top of a electricty tower and plundered into a couple of houses. Unfortunately all 3 people in the plane died but the people in the houses were alright. My daughter goes to school with a girl who lives in the house next to the one that got hit and was quite traumatized by it.

Foruntately school continued without any electricty and I say welcome to the rest of the world were kids go to school without electricty (and usually without desks and books and running water). I usually work from home but had no power and internet access so packed in it, went back to bed for a few hours, then cooked tea on a camping stove on the balcony with a neighbour after which we headed to the park with the kids when they came home. Nice relaxing day until the power came on at 6pm. Now I am catching up on all the internet stuff.

Glad I did not have any doctor's appointments or had to go anywhere since all the traffic lights were out as well. I do sometimes think about what would happen if an earthquake were to happen in the middle of surgery or radiation or chemo or something. Hmmm something better not to think about.

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  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #2
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    It would be ok anyway
    It would be ok anyway because hospitals have emergency back-ups. The hospital also should be built to handle earthquakes. I think most people in California are pretty use to earthquakes and know what to do. I would think doctors and nurses are taught what to do at any rate. Besides the odds are against it happening during your surgery anyway. So don't worry about it.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #3
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    Marcia527 said:

    It would be ok anyway
    It would be ok anyway because hospitals have emergency back-ups. The hospital also should be built to handle earthquakes. I think most people in California are pretty use to earthquakes and know what to do. I would think doctors and nurses are taught what to do at any rate. Besides the odds are against it happening during your surgery anyway. So don't worry about it.

    actually we did have an


    actually we did have an earthquake when I was in the hospital in Jan. but it was only a 4.3. We live on one fault line "Loma Prieta' and close to another on the other side of the bay so earthquakes are a reality where we live including feeling the earthquakes as a result of the San Andreas fault down south. While Stanford Hospital (where I go for surgery) has its own power grid as a result of Stanford University it is not immune to earthquakes and was affected badly by the '89 earthquake and took many people by surprise, many didn't know what to do.

    We all have earthquake emergency kits and backups here including the schools and I am assuming hospitals but then earthquakes can still take one by surprise and who really knows what can happen which is why it is not worth worrying about and taking it in the moment.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #4
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    actually we did have an


    actually we did have an earthquake when I was in the hospital in Jan. but it was only a 4.3. We live on one fault line "Loma Prieta' and close to another on the other side of the bay so earthquakes are a reality where we live including feeling the earthquakes as a result of the San Andreas fault down south. While Stanford Hospital (where I go for surgery) has its own power grid as a result of Stanford University it is not immune to earthquakes and was affected badly by the '89 earthquake and took many people by surprise, many didn't know what to do.

    We all have earthquake emergency kits and backups here including the schools and I am assuming hospitals but then earthquakes can still take one by surprise and who really knows what can happen which is why it is not worth worrying about and taking it in the moment.

    A friend of mine sent me

    A friend of mine sent me this with regards to our power outage. Not sure where the surgery was done, doubt it was at Stanford Hospital but still it doens't sound like fun.


    For your entertainment, Icky Medical Story of the Day #2: Yesterday during
    the power outage, a friend of one of my Hoover friends was in the middle of
    having lasic surgery when the power cut out. He had the needle IN HIS EYE
    and they had to stop the surgery. It took them 3 minutes (an eternity!!) to
    get the needle out. They then patched him up somehow and said they'd have to
    reschedule and start over.
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #5
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    actually we did have an


    actually we did have an earthquake when I was in the hospital in Jan. but it was only a 4.3. We live on one fault line "Loma Prieta' and close to another on the other side of the bay so earthquakes are a reality where we live including feeling the earthquakes as a result of the San Andreas fault down south. While Stanford Hospital (where I go for surgery) has its own power grid as a result of Stanford University it is not immune to earthquakes and was affected badly by the '89 earthquake and took many people by surprise, many didn't know what to do.

    We all have earthquake emergency kits and backups here including the schools and I am assuming hospitals but then earthquakes can still take one by surprise and who really knows what can happen which is why it is not worth worrying about and taking it in the moment.

    I found this to ease your
    I found this to ease your mind. http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2010/february/outage-0217.html

    Sounds like they know what they are doing.

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